The Sears Tower is a Gratte-ciel of Chicago (Illinois), with the the United States, completed in 1974 of the architect Bruce Graham. It is to date the real highest of the United States. Exceeding the World Trade Center, it was also the building highest of the world (527.3 Mètre S and 110 stages) between 1974 and 1998 until the construction of the Twin towers Petronas of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

The official address of the building is the 233 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois 60606.

August 12th, 2007, the tower Burj Dubai with Dubai in United Arab Emirates exceeded Sears Tower (527.3 m) all confused categories.

History

Plannings and constructions

In 1969 Sears, Roebuck & Company was by far the largest retail business in the world, with approximately 350.000 employees. Sears decided to join together its thousands of employees scattered everywhere in Chicago in only one building in the West of the city. The company asked for a surface of 279.000 m ², and with the future predictions of enlarging, the architects of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill knew that the building would become one of the highest skyscrapers at offices in the world.

The surface interior of the tower should be sufficient to accommodate all the employees of Sears as of the beginning, decided the administration of Sears. However, the surface remaining due to the enlarging of the tower in an unspecified future would be rented by small firms and undertaken until the company can benefit from it. Seeing how it is easier to rent spaces with window, the ratio of space without window compared to that with window was to decrease as the height of the tower progressed. So the tower needed more than stages seeing how the surface of those had decreased. Skidmore, Owings and Merrill proposed a tower of a surface of 5000 m ² by stage in bottom of this one, then as the height of the tower increases, this surface would decrease. It is what gave to Sears Tower its narrowing pace.

As time passed, the height of Sears Tower increased unceasingly, due to the optimistic plans of Sears. It exceeded the height of the turns World Trade Center, which were at this time in construction. Came one moment when it was time to stop. Not because the tower could not support one meter moreover any more, nor because the architects did not have any more imagination, but because the Federal Aviation Administration imposed a limit on Sears to protect the air traffic. Ironically, a billionaire wanting to build a tower of more than 500m in Las Vegas was confronted with the same problem in November 2007. It thus was entirely financed by Sears, which decided to finish construction by posing 2 antennas on the roof of the building to allow the diffusion of local television stations as well as certain radios. Sears and the town of Chicago approved the project, construction began in April 1971, and was supplemented in May 1973. In all, the costs rise to 150 million US dollar at that time, which would be approximately equivalent to 950 million US dollar in 2005. In comparison, the tower Taipei 101 with Taipei, built in 2004, cost approximately 1.64 billion dollar in 2005.

Completion

The optimistic forecasts of Sears as for the enlarging of Sears Tower never took place. Formerly, the rival of Sears was Montgomery Ward, then to this list other giants of the retail business like Kmart, Kohl' S and Wal-Mart were added which exceeded all the Sears company. The fortune of Sears, Roebuck & Company decreased during the years 1970 whereas the company lost market shares. The administration of the company chose prudence. Sears Tower, remained with empty half lasting approximately 10 years whereas other buildings at offices were set up in Chicago, does not have was used for Sears as far as the group would have wished it. They thus mortgaged their building-emblem. In 1993, Sears started to empty the places, and in 1995, they had completely deserted it, moving has Hoffman Estates, in Illinois. Consequently, Sears Tower changed owner often so far, but Sears always holds the rights concerning the name of the building.

Sears Tower always represents a destination choice to make deal in Chicago. More than 100 companies reside there, including important lawyer firms, insurance companies and other companies which offer various finance departments.

Skydeck

Many tourists go at the point of observation, the skydeck, located at the 103e stage is with 412 meters height. Per day of high wind, they can feel the building to move slightly. From this point of view and in clear weather one sees the plains of the Illinois, and through the Lake Michigan, the Indiana, the Michigan and the Wisconsin. It takes only 45 seconds to arrive on this floor thanks to two special elevators at high speed. Some regard nevertheless the sight offered since the point of observation of the John Hancock Center as better although 98 meters less high.

The entry for the tourists is located southern part of the building, on the Jackson boulevard.

Who holds the record?

In 1998, the twin towers Petronas with Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia exceeded the height of Sears Tower top of their 452 m including their decorative arrow, which raised a polemic as for the various categories relating to the height of the buildings. One thus created 4 categories. The Petronas turns were highest in a category: that which includes all the essential architectural elements, included/understood the decorative arrows there.

In 2004, Taipei 101 with Taipei, Taiwan exceeded in its turn Petronas Towers in all the categories, because the twin towers do not have antennas. The record height of the base until the top including the antenna is always held by Sears Tower. Taipei 101 was recognized the most skyscraper of the world.

Sears Tower is always the building at offices highest in North America. When it is supplemented, the Freedom Tower with New York should exceed Sears Tower in height. Burj Dubai, in construction at present with Dubai, will collect all the world records, all confused categories, exceeding Sears Tower, Taipei 101 and the CN Tower in 2009 at the time of its opening. The Chicago Whorl, at present in construction should hold several records height in North America in 2010.

Sears Tower in Chicago

See too

External bonds

  • Sears Tower on Skyscraperpage
  • Sears Tower on Emporis

Notes and references of the article

Random links:Lieutadès | F.I.S.T. | Karlshamn | Democratic association of the women of Morocco | Speedy Graphito

© 2007-2008 speedlook.com; article text available under the terms of GFDL, from fr.wikipedia.org