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Willis Tower

Towers and Skyscrapers

The Willis Tower, formerly and still commonly known as the Sears Tower, is a 110 story, 1,451 foot skyscraper in the Loop of Chicago, Illinois. Designed by architect Bruce Graham and engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, it opened in 1973 as the world's tallest building, a title it held for nearly 25 years, and it remains the third tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and the 26th tallest in the world; more than 1.7 million people a year visit its Skydeck, the highest observation deck in the United States.

Facts
Year Created
1973 1
Location
The Loop, Chicago, Illinois, United States 1
Architectural Style
Structural Expressionist skyscraper design (bundled tube system) 1
Structural System
Bundled tube structural system: nine framed steel tubes in a 3 by 3 matrix, some set back at upper floors 1
Primary Material
Anodized aluminum and black glass facade over a steel frame 1
Building Type
Skyscraper (office tower) 1
Floor Area (sqm)Sourced to the subject's own account
416,000 2
Height (metres)
442.3 1
Storey Count
108 1
Counted as 108 stories by standard methods; the building's owners separately count the main roof and mechanical penthouse roof as stories 109 and 110 (Wikipedia, structure paragraph).
Current Use
Office tower with a public observation deck (Skydeck); largest tenant United Airlines 1
Visitor Access
Public observation deck (Skydeck) open to visitors; office floors are private tenant space 1
Classification
Genre
Architecture 1
Connections

Created By

Bruce Graham, Artists
Source Willis Tower (Wikipedia)

In Form

Bundled-tube skyscraper in Chicago, formerly the Sears Tower.

In Genre

In the Other Atlases

Located In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is located.

Source Willis Tower (Wikipedia)Lead sentence 1tier 2
Quote, Lead sentence 1
The Willis Tower, formerly known and still commonly referred to as the Sears Tower, is a 110-story, 1,451-foot (442.3 m) skyscraper in the Loop of Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Sources
1. Willis Tower (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Lead section, first sentence
    The Willis Tower, formerly known and still commonly referred to as the Sears Tower, is a 110-story, 1,451-foot (442.3 m) skyscraper in the Loop of Chicago, Illinois, United States.
  • Structure paragraph, second paragraph
    The tower has 108 stories as counted by standard methods, though the building's owners count the main roof as 109 and the mechanical penthouse roof as 110.
  • Structure paragraph, third sentence
    The facade is made of anodized aluminum and black glass.
  • Lead section, second sentence
    it opened in 1973 as the world's tallest building, a title that it held for nearly 25 years.
  • Lead section, fourth sentence
    Each year, more than 1.7 million people visit the Skydeck, the highest observation deck in the United States, making it one of Chicago's most popular tourist destinations.
  • Lead section
    Graham and Khan designed the building as nine square "tubes", clustered in a 3×3 matrix; seven of the tubes set back at upper floors.
  • Lead section
    The Willis Tower, formerly known and still commonly referred to as the Sears Tower, is a 110-story, 1,451-foot (442.3 m) skyscraper in the Loop of Chicago, Illinois, United States.
  • Created By: Bruce Graham, Infobox: architect
    Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Fazlur Rahman Khan Bruce Graham
  • In Group: Supertall and Megatall Skyscrapers, Lead
    The Willis Tower, formerly known and still commonly referred to as the Sears Tower, is a 110-story, 1,451-foot (442.3 m) skyscraper in the Loop of Chicago, Illinois, United States.
  • In Group: Skyscrapers of the United States, Lead
    The Willis Tower, formerly known and still commonly referred to as the Sears Tower, is a 110-story, 1,451-foot (442.3 m) skyscraper in the Loop of Chicago, Illinois, United States.
View the Source
2. Willis Tower (Wikidata)
Wikimedia FoundationWikidata floor area (P2046) statement (EntityId 310503): 416000.0 sqm
Quote, Wikidata floor area (P2046) statement (EntityId 310503): 416000.0 sqm
Wikidata item Q29294, property P2046 (area): converted to 416000.0 square metres (preferred/normal rank, non-deprecated, building's own item).
View the Source
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