As a viewer points out, the Hancock originally had two equal-height towers. Each was 350 feet long because RCA instructed the architects that a total of 700 feet was required to accommodate all of Chicago's TV and radio stations. The pair were removed in 1972 after they suffered damage during construction of the Sears Tower (now the John Hancock Building).
In 1976, new taller buildings went up in Chicago, so the Hancock's owners decided to add another set of antennas to its existing structure. The new antennas were 400 feet high, which is about as tall as you can go with an intact structure. The old ones were sold for scrap.
The current layout includes four large horizontal antennas on top of the building connected by metal rods at each corner. They broadcast on a frequency of 470 MHz or VHF channel 9.
The antennas weigh almost 2 million pounds and are repositioned every five years due to wind conditions. The last time this was done was in 2007 when new antennas were mounted on top of the building.
Today, the Hancock's television station affiliates are WMAQ-TV (NBC) and WPBS/WTTW (PBS). The former RCA headquarters building next door now houses the NBC News Chicago bureau.
Just into the new year of 1955, the first section of a 311-foot television tower belonging to WGN was hoisted to the top of the building. The $300,000 antenna and transmitter gave Chicago a chance to broadcast with a 50,000 watt transmitter over the highest antenna in the city, 914 feet above the ground. Before this radio station was built, WLS was the only station in Chicago broadcasting on the air.
The Prudential Building is also known as the Pan-Continental Hotel because it is a worldwide symbol for insurance companies. It was designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White and built in 1952. The hotel has 1,079 guest rooms and 25 suites. Its restaurant, Sabatini's, serves Italian food. In addition to its main floor, there are three other floors containing luxury apartments.
The atrium lobby of the Prudential Building is 135 feet high and 90 feet wide. There are two giant chandeliers made up of 7,500 light bulbs that hang from the ceiling. Each one weighs four tons and takes eight people to operate. Downstairs, there is a coffee shop called Ground Floor Coffee. Guests can order drinks and snacks here before heading back up to their rooms.
Did you know that the Prudential Building is the tallest skyscraper in Chicago? Its second story is 93 feet higher than the third floor of the Sears Tower (which was not completed when the Prudential Building was constructed).
Two television antennae were added to the building in February 1982, bringing its total height to 1,707 feet (5220.3 m). On June 5, 2000, the western antenna was expanded, raising the entire height to 1,729 feet (527 m), to improve reception of local NBC station WMAQ-TV. The eastern antenna remains at 1,707 feet (542 m).
The Willis Tower is the tallest building in Chicago and one of the most prominent buildings in the United States. It is also one of the tallest free-standing structures in the world. The antenna on top of the Willis Tower is capable of receiving TV signals from up to 100 miles away.
The Willis Tower is named after its primary tenant, insurance company American International Group, or AIG for short. The company has its headquarters in New York City, but it has a large presence in Chicago too. AIG has called the Willis Tower its home since 1981 when it moved its operations from downtown Chicago to Northbrook, Illinois.
In addition to being an insurance company, AIG is also involved with other businesses such as financial services, property and casualty insurance, and retirement plans. In July 2001, AIG opened its first office building outside of the United States, in London. This makes AIG part of the largest insurance group in the world - with operations in over 80 countries around the globe.
The John Hancock Center, located at 175 East Delaware Place, was erected in 1969. The 100-story high-rise has 700+ condominiums. It is Chicago's second highest residential skyscraper and the third tallest in the United States. The John Hancock Building is part of the Gold Coast neighborhood on the city's North Side.
The building's exterior is made of glass and limestone with aluminum framing. Its floors are covered in maple wood except for the first floor, which has terrazzo marble. The top three floors are composed of a single atrium called "The Sky Room" that has outdoor observation decks for viewing Chicago's skyline. The John Hancock Center is connected to another skyscraper called the Helmut Jahn Plaza by an underground concourse called "The Loop".
Both buildings are owned by a real estate investment trust named Illinois Capital Management (ICM). ICM uses its profits to invest in commercial real estate projects that help meet the needs of its shareholders. The company also provides its tenants with financial services such as leasing, property management, maintenance, and security. As of March 31, 2014, ICM owned or had interests in over 100 properties with a total value of $12 billion.
John Hancock Insurance Company was founded in 1875 by John Hancock. He sold insurance exclusively to women who wanted to protect their homes from loss caused by fire or other hazards.
The towers are about 75 meters (246 feet) tall above deck level, with a total height of around 163 meters (535 feet) from the top of the footing. The main span (between the towers) is 470 meters (1,540 feet) long, making it the western hemisphere's second largest cable-stayed span. The bridge also has four other large spans: two 500-meter (1,640-foot) twin bridges connecting the north and south shores, and another 500-meter (1,640-foot) bridge joining the eastern and western ends of the mainland.
The towers are the highest points on the bridge and provide excellent views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Vancouver Island to the west, and of the Gulf of Georgia to the east.
The bridge was designed by British architect Sir Norman Foster with input from Canadian architects Harry Seidler and Roy Miki. It was built by a consortium led by the Chinese company Shanghai PuDong City Construction Group Co. Ltd. The main contract was awarded in 1994 and construction was completed in 1999 at a cost of $750 million. At the time of its opening, it was the most expensive single structure ever built in Canada.
The Port Mann Bridge is part of Highway 1, which runs between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Victoria, British Columbia. It crosses the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which connects Puget Sound with the Gulf of Georgia.
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