SEARS TOWER


Please press the picture to go to the pictures

SEARS TOWER
442 metres/1,450 feet
108 stories
Completed: 1974
Tallest building in the world (1974-1996)
Tallest building in the United States (1974 - 2008)
4th tallest building in the world (early 2008)

Some Sears Tower facts & figures:

- the building was designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP;
- it can be found in the city centre of Chicago, Illinois;
- upon its completion in 1974, it became the tallest building in the world,
but early 2008 it was 'no more' than America's tallest skyscraper, and #4 in the world: Sears tower;
in the past few years it has been surpassed in height by Kuala Lumpur’s Petronas Towers,
and Taipei’s Taipei 101. In the next few years, another couple of skyscrapers will
surpass Sears Tower’s height; among them the new tallest building in the world in 2009:
Dubai’s Burj Dubai, which will be taller than 800 metres!
- the 108 stories tower reaches 442m/1,450f, while the twin antennas atop the building
bring its total height to 527m/1,729f;
- construction on Sears Tower took three years, and during peak times,
some 1,600 people worked on the project.
In the Sears Tower, nine contiguous tubes, in essence nine towers 23m square,
make up the fifty-story base of the building. Their frames are interlocked;
thus each tube helps to support its neighbour. The density of the building decreases as tubes drop off,
two at the 50th floor, two more at the 66th, and three at the 90th, leaving only two to reach the 108-story apex.

- the tower was the world's tallest from 1974-1996, when it was surpassed by
Kuala Lumpur's Petronas Towers;
- despite losing this title, the building still holds the title of tallest building in the world including
antennas or spires that are not part of the architectural design (527m/1,729f);
it will lose this title though when the aforementioned Burj Dubai will be topped out;
- the building has an observatory (sky deck) at the 103 stories level (413m/1,353f height level).
It attracts about 1,5 million visitors each year. Costs to go up are US$ 11,95.
But beware, although it's really worth it to go up and you will have breathtaking views,
it might take 1 to 2 hours or more to reach the actual sky deck; the waiting lines are long
(because of the many people wanting to go up and tight security measurements);
- the elevators to the Sky deck will take you up at a speed of 488 metres per minute.
They are among the fastest in the world.
- the tower took three years to build. The costs were over US$ 150,000,000.
- the tower has about 16,100 windows
- there are 2,232 steps to the top,
- and the building weighs about 222,500 tons.



All pictures copyright (c) 1999 & 2005 Patrick Beckers. All Rights Reserved.
Download of any pictures from this site without written consent is strictly prohibited, unless for personal use!
This personal use does NOT include using the pictures on other web sites.

HOME