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The history of Willis Tower
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Michal Malek
L.A., Period 2
5/6/14
First Draft
Chicago’s Skyscraper Champion: The Willis Tower
1973-1998 were the years when the Willis Tower (Sears Tower) was the tallest building in the world. It was ruling the sky for 25 years! The Willis Tower has a rich history, an interesting building structure, and is a tourist attraction for many.
The Willis Tower was originally the Sears Tower when it was built in 1974. The Willis Tower is currently located in Chicago, IL. on S. Wacker Drive (Gallun, 2003). Let us go to the building when it was the Sears Tower, which was built by the company called Sears, Roebuck & Co. (Currently Sears). When the Sears Tower was built, it was the tallest building in the world with a height of 1,450 ft. architectural height! The Willis Tower was the tallest building for 25 years! That is the second longest record holding for tallest skyscraper, after the Empire State Building 45 years as tallest skyscraper in Manhattan. When the Petronas Towers were built in Malaysia, it surpassed the Willis Tower. In 1994, Sears, Roebuck & Co. sold their building, the Willis Tower, to AEW Capital Management (Sears Tower, 2012). Then, they sold it to TrizecHahn in 1997 (Sears Tower). Next, TrizecHahn sell the Willis Tower to MetLife, which then sold it to 5 NY investors (Sears Tower). In 2009, the company Willis Group Holdings got the Sears Tower’s naming rights and officially changed its name to Sears Tower (Keen, 2009).
The Willis Tower has a very unique and strange structural design. The Willis Tower’s architect firm was the company Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). It was the company that provided the Willis Tower’s architect, Bruce Graham. It also provided the Structural Engineer, Fazlur Rahman Khan. The pla...
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...y within a city. Other features the Willis Tower has is a 99th floor (Willis Tower 1). If you have a wedding you can have your wedding party in the building. Other features are a yoga place inside, markets, conference room and so much things inside that is hard to name and count all of them (Willis Tower 1).
The Willis Tower has many information and cool things that you can learn about, is a unique building and has many fun things to do. The Willis Tower makes the Chicago skyline very beautiful and the building is a structure known to almost everyone. It is a famous building and it is a modern structure of our world and is very elegant inside. The Willis Tower is many things like a city, an attraction, and a big service place. If you want to see the Willis Tower, come to Chicago and check it out. It may be a great experience to go into Chicago’s tallest building.
Sears, a company spanning 131 years that began as R.W Sears Watch Company was once the largest retailer in the United States. Kmart, its runner up, began as a general retailing store just thirteen years after Sears as S.S Kresge Company in 1899. Sears had been the largest retailer in the United States until Wal-Mart rose and surpassed them, and Kmart bought out Sears and merged the two struggling companies in 2005 (Meyer, 2017; New York Times, 2002). From there, Sears and Kmart have been steadily making their way towards what many believe will be an inevitable closing.
Towers extend from each of the four corners. Exterior walls enclose the premises. The walls were clearly built for defensive purposes with towers on each corner. The tower of London exists, with some later modifications, till this
Out of the theatre district there are five different theatres. The Bank of America Theatre, originally titled the Majestic Theatre, first opened in 1906. It was Chicago’s first million-dollar-plus venue and the tallest building in the city at this time. It was doing well and was very successful, but then tragedy hit, and, due to the Great Depression, it was shut down for a total of fifteen years. It wasn’t reopened until 1945, after going through remodeling. In of April 2010, the Broadway Playhouse at the Water Tower ...
An incredible tower like the CN Tower is beautiful in itself but I believe that there should be something else added to it. It was known for its glory of being the tallest but now it is the third tallest tower in the world. One way is to add an extension to the tower. Many more people will come to see the extension of the building and experience many of the activities it has to offer. The wait might be long but this tower has already shown what it can provide to the people and making it the tallest once again will definitely bring up the CN Tower's reputation, making an increase in profit as well. The CN Tower is always known for its height and its ability to let people do the impossible up in the air; it is time to surpass what it has been known for and reach for a higher goal.
It could be argued that the greatest architectural structure ever created by Canadians is the CN Tower. Construction on the CN Tower first started on February 6, 1973 and finished on June 26, 1976. The CN Tower was considered to be a breakthrough when it was first created because it broke a record set previously. Once the CN Tower was complete it gained the title as the “world’s tallest free-standing structure” at 1815.4 feet. The creation of the CN Tower was a defining moment for Canada and still impacts Canadians today. One reason why the CN Tower was a defining moment is because it solved a communication problem that the city of Toronto was experiencing at that time. Another reason why the CN Tower is important is because it helps our economy by attracting many tourists every year. The most important reason why the CN Tower was a defining moment is because it gives Canadians a sense of inspiration and national pride.
The CN tower is the most popular attraction in all of Canada. This is the defining feature of the Toronto skyline. When traveling into Toronto, there is nothing that stands out more than this structure. Towering over everything else, it is a marvel of engineering and the limits that we can push construction to.
Has it ever crossed your mind that the oldest and only surviving of the Seven Wonders of the World was built in times that predated any modern technology? Doesn't it seem almost impossible? There are three Pyramids of Giza, the first one was commissioned in Ancient Egypt by the Pharaoh Khufu, around the year 2540 BCE. They are located in Giza, Egypt, and take on this name. Standing 488 ft tall, they were once the tallest buildings in the world, for many hundreds of years. The site is one of the most famous worldwide, receiving millions of tourists each year. The Pyramid of Giza is extremely significant because of its enormous scale and the many people needed to construct it, along with the methods used to do so.
completed in 1932, has a central tower that rises 400 feet (120 meters) from a
James F. O'Gorman, Dennis E. McGrath. ABC of Architecture. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1998. Document. October 2013.
The Great Wall of China is something that has stood for a culture for over two thousand years! It is a magnificent physical structure and cultural icon that represents an immense undertaking that shows a culture to the world.
The Great Wall of China has been called a wonder by many who have seen it. It brings pride to the Chinese nation, and is known for being the only man made structure visible from space. The magnitude of The Great Wall is an architectural achievement as well as an example of the will power of man. Many find it hard to believe that such an amazing sight could have a history so filled with death, slavery and sadness as The Great Wall does. The Great Wall of China is one of the world's most famous architectural triumphs and has helped China throughout its history, even though its creation is marked by tragedy.
One World Trade Center (WTC) is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere measuring up at 1776 feet tall. The built output sets new standards of design, construction, and prestige. Its beauty in New York City’s magical skyline makes it an icon. It is the most recognised and desirable office address in the world. In this essay I plan to argue that the social, political and economic status of society has affected the built output of this building considerably, for the good. Making the building one of the best skyscrapers in the world.
Willis Tower. According to Willis tower “Willis Tower is the premier corporate office building in Chicago, more than 100 companies including prominent law, insurance, transportation and financial services”.Willis Tower is the tallest building in the western hemisphere and the 8th tallest building in the world standing at 1,450 feet tall. Willis tower has more than 4.5 million square feet. Willis Tower has a glass viewing platform on the 103 rd floor that extends almost four and a half feet off of the skyscraper it is all glass so you can look down and see the city of Chicago and four other states. More than one million seven hundred thousand people visit the platform each year. On a clear day, you can see up to 50 miles away.2. Magnificent
Built in 1889 to commemorate the hundred year anniversary of the French Revolution, the Eiffel Tower has been a topic of discussion for numerous years. Designed by Gustave Eiffel and Morris Koechlin, the Tower was built originally as a temporary structure. The pieces of this eye-catching building were to be disassembled and melted down after twenty years. This did not happen, however. The Eiffel Tower has become a colossal icon throughout the world; the Tower has brought in enormous revenue and has a scientific impact on French and all of Europe’s society.
Another purpose of the building is that it is the world’s tallest building and demonstrates a living wonder. The location of the building is a pride to the people of the Middle East because it is the tallest free-standing structure in the middles east. The stunning work of art is visible to the world and incomparable work of engineering that build the Burj Khalifa.