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.

Which is tallest?

At 452 m (1,483 feet) tall, including decorative spires, the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, laid claim to replacing the Sears Tower as the tallest building in the world in 1997. In the ensuing controversy four different categories were created with the Petronas only taking one of these, however, the re-definition has done little to help. With the arrival of another rule bender, the Taipei 101, the Petronas towers were surpassed in spire height and for the first time the Sears was surpassed in roof height, but the Sears antenna is still taller than the Taipei spire.

Related Topics:
Petronas Twin Towers - Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia - 1997 - Taipei 101

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Sears Tower is the tallest office building in the United States and it retains the world record when measuring the height from the sidewalk level of the main entrance to the top of antenna. When completed, the Freedom Tower in New York City may exceed the Sears Tower through its structural, but not occupied peak.

Related Topics:
Freedom Tower - New York City

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sears Tower was unseated for having the highest roof of any building in the world and the highest habitable floor in the world by Taipei 101 in 2004. In side by side comparisons the Sears Tower still looks the tallest however, and the measurement rules are controversial.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Buildings are planned that would clearly surpass the Sears Tower in all height categories.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~