Sears Tower

The Sears Tower is a skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois. Commissioned by Sears, Roebuck and Company, it was designed by chief architect Bruce Graham and structural Engineer Fazlur Khan of Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill. Construction commenced in August 1970, and reached its maximum height on May 4 1973. When completed, the Sears Tower had overtaken the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City as the world's tallest building. It is normally said to have 110 stories but by some measures has 108. The height of the roof is 1,450 feet (442 m) measured from the main entrance, or 1,454 feet (443 m) measured from the side entrance (both figures are seen in reference books but the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat uses main-entrance heights). The total height of the structure including the two television antennas on top added in February 1982 was 1,707 feet (520 m), the western antenna was later extended to 1,729 feet (527 m) on June 5, 2000 to outstrip the World Trade Center antenna.

The Skydeck

The Sears Tower Skydeck observation deck on the 103rd floor of the tower is 1,353 feet (412 m) above ground and is a famous tourist attraction. The tourists can experience how the building sways on a windy day. They can see far over the great plain of Illinois and across Lake Michigan on a clear day. The Sears Tower Skydeck competes with the John Hancock Center's observation floor across town, which is about 250 feet (76 m) lower.

Related Topics:
Lake Michigan - John Hancock Center

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