The Sears Tower and 311 South Wacker Drive - view from bottom
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The Sears Tower and 311 South Wacker Drive - view from bottom
SEARS TOWER
Sears Tower in Chicago, Illinois is the tallest building in the United States and the third tallest all over the world (after Petronas Towers and Taipei 101). It is located on Wacker Drive in the heart of the West Loop and it is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the Chicago skyline.
Sears Tower is 1,450 feet (442 metres) tall. It has 110 floors (actually 108 – but the main roof is counted as 109 and the mechanical penthouse roof as 110). It was the tallest building in the world for 25 years. The total height of the skyscraper together with the antennas (added in 1982) is 1,725 feet (nearly 526 metres). And with this height, it is still the tallest construction in the world (one of the World Trade Centre buildings was 1.9 feet (58 centimetres) taller including the antenna).
The construction of Sears Tower started in 1970 and was completed in 1973, on May 3. It was designed by the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill for Sears, Roebuck & Company, the world’s largest retailer at the time. The chief architect became Bruce Graham. It is constructed of steel columns and beams in a “mega-module” system.
Two-story high black bands appear on the tower around the 30th–32nd, 64th–65th, 88th–89th, and 106th–107th floors. These are louvers which allow ventilation for service equipment and cover the structure's belt trusses.
Sears Tower is mainly office building with approximately 3.8 million rentable square feet of space. However, it features also a 160-car underground parking garage, a world-class broadcast platform, tallest skydeck, full-service conference center, fitness facility, and exceptional technology features.
The Sears Tower Skydeck observation deck is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Chicago. It lies on the 103rd floor in the height 1,353 feet (412 metres). It only takes about 45 seconds to get to the top in either of two special elevators.
311 South Wacker Drive
311 South Wacker Drive is the thirteenth tallest skyscrapers in the United States and sixth tallest in Chicago, Illinois. At the same time it is the 311 South Wacker Drive is the tallest concrete building in the United States.
It is located in Chicago’s downtown, on the crossroad of four streets: South Franklin Street, South Wacker Drive, West Jackson Boulevard and West Van Buren Street. Actually, it is the tallest building in the world without its own name, known only by the street name on which it is located.
However, 311 South Wacker Drive has many nicknames. It is referred to as “The White Castle Building”, “The Wedding Cake Building”, or “The Bart Simpson Building”.
311 South Wacker Drive is 293 metres (961 ft) high and it has 65 floors. The construction was finished in 1990. At the time when it was completed, it was the world’s tallest reinforced building. 311 South Wacker Drive was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC, HKS, Inc.; with many other firms helping to build the skyscraper.
The top of the building is created by a large cylinder, surrounded by four smaller cylinders. All of them are lighted during the night by fluorescent tubes. The light is so bright, that it can compete with the full moon. The cylinder – “the crown” is actually a very large representation of the engagement ring given by the architect to his wife.
Also the interior of 311 South Wacker Drive is interesting. The front lobby is in fact winter garden with palm trees. The glass roof over it is 26 metres (86 ft) high. There is a bronze sculpture called “Gem of the Lakes” located over the Wacker entrance and looking over the winter garden. This large Neptunian figure drying himself over a seashell fountain was designed by Raymond Kaskey. The lower ground of the winter garden is connected with the Union Station via the underground passageway. There is a canopy over the sidewalk in the winter garden. It was added in 2002.
Sears Tower in Chicago, Illinois is the tallest building in the United States and the third tallest all over the world (after Petronas Towers and Taipei 101). It is located on Wacker Drive in the heart of the West Loop and it is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the Chicago skyline.
Sears Tower is 1,450 feet (442 metres) tall. It has 110 floors (actually 108 – but the main roof is counted as 109 and the mechanical penthouse roof as 110). It was the tallest building in the world for 25 years. The total height of the skyscraper together with the antennas (added in 1982) is 1,725 feet (nearly 526 metres). And with this height, it is still the tallest construction in the world (one of the World Trade Centre buildings was 1.9 feet (58 centimetres) taller including the antenna).
The construction of Sears Tower started in 1970 and was completed in 1973, on May 3. It was designed by the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill for Sears, Roebuck & Company, the world’s largest retailer at the time. The chief architect became Bruce Graham. It is constructed of steel columns and beams in a “mega-module” system.
Two-story high black bands appear on the tower around the 30th–32nd, 64th–65th, 88th–89th, and 106th–107th floors. These are louvers which allow ventilation for service equipment and cover the structure's belt trusses.
Sears Tower is mainly office building with approximately 3.8 million rentable square feet of space. However, it features also a 160-car underground parking garage, a world-class broadcast platform, tallest skydeck, full-service conference center, fitness facility, and exceptional technology features.
The Sears Tower Skydeck observation deck is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Chicago. It lies on the 103rd floor in the height 1,353 feet (412 metres). It only takes about 45 seconds to get to the top in either of two special elevators.
311 South Wacker Drive
311 South Wacker Drive is the thirteenth tallest skyscrapers in the United States and sixth tallest in Chicago, Illinois. At the same time it is the 311 South Wacker Drive is the tallest concrete building in the United States.
It is located in Chicago’s downtown, on the crossroad of four streets: South Franklin Street, South Wacker Drive, West Jackson Boulevard and West Van Buren Street. Actually, it is the tallest building in the world without its own name, known only by the street name on which it is located.
However, 311 South Wacker Drive has many nicknames. It is referred to as “The White Castle Building”, “The Wedding Cake Building”, or “The Bart Simpson Building”.
311 South Wacker Drive is 293 metres (961 ft) high and it has 65 floors. The construction was finished in 1990. At the time when it was completed, it was the world’s tallest reinforced building. 311 South Wacker Drive was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC, HKS, Inc.; with many other firms helping to build the skyscraper.
The top of the building is created by a large cylinder, surrounded by four smaller cylinders. All of them are lighted during the night by fluorescent tubes. The light is so bright, that it can compete with the full moon. The cylinder – “the crown” is actually a very large representation of the engagement ring given by the architect to his wife.
Also the interior of 311 South Wacker Drive is interesting. The front lobby is in fact winter garden with palm trees. The glass roof over it is 26 metres (86 ft) high. There is a bronze sculpture called “Gem of the Lakes” located over the Wacker entrance and looking over the winter garden. This large Neptunian figure drying himself over a seashell fountain was designed by Raymond Kaskey. The lower ground of the winter garden is connected with the Union Station via the underground passageway. There is a canopy over the sidewalk in the winter garden. It was added in 2002.
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