The Sears Tower was the highest structure in the world until 1996, when it was overtaken by the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1,483 feet [451.9 metres]). The Petronas Towers are also known as the Rainbow Bridge because of their distinctive shape. The two towers were designed by Gensler Associates and they are made of hollow tubes with glass walls. They are connected by an enclosed skybridge and they are home to shopping malls and offices.
The Sears Tower was built from 1989 to 1994 at a cost of $750 million. At the time it was completed, it was the most expensive single construction project in U.S. history. The tower has 88 stories plus a five-story base containing office space, retail shops, restaurants, a movie theater, and a hotel. It is located in Chicago's Loop district near O'Hare International Airport and Millennium Park. The tower is owned by a nonprofit organization that manages it for its members. Although not officially recognized by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitats, the Tribune Center in Chicago is considered the top floor of the tower since it has 88 floors.
When it was first opened, many people doubted that such a tall building would be profitable.
The Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, which stand 452 meters each, were the world's highest structures in 2000. They have since been surpassed by several other buildings. The World Trade Center in New York City was the highest-rising building in the world during its construction years.
The Sears Tower in Chicago, Illinois was the previous record holder, reaching to 433 m (1450 ft). It was also the world's largest building until the 1990s when it was surpassed by another Chicago structure, the John Hancock Center. The John Hancock Center itself was later surpassed by another skyscraper in Chicago, the Willis Tower, which now holds the title of the tallest building in America.
In addition to these three buildings, two more have been proposed for construction or renovation that would put them within striking distance of the top spot: One is the Freedom Tower, proposed as a replacement for the World Trade Center site; the other is the Shard, which is being built on the South Bank of the River Thames near London Bridge.
These four buildings account for 95% of the total height of the world's tallest buildings as of January 2001. The remaining 5% are divided up between others that are no longer in operation or unfinished buildings.
The Willis Tower was the highest building in the world for 24 years, from 1974 until 1998, when it was surpassed by the 1,483-foot-tall Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Willis Tower is still ranked as the second tallest building in Chicago, behind only the 1,451-foot-high Sears Tower.
Willis Tower was designed by the renowned Chicago architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), and built by the Chicago Bridge & Iron Company. It is named after its primary tenant, the American real estate company CIM Group, which now owns the skyscraper.
In addition to being a landmark of Chicago's city skyline, the Willis Tower has also been listed on several other lists of the top 100 buildings in the world. It is the third-highest-rated structure on the National Register of Historic Places, after the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building. It is also one of the Most Endangered Buildings of America.
Willis Tower has 49 floors above ground; the top two floors are used for office space. The lower 17 floors are divided into indoor and outdoor shopping centers. The remaining 20 floors contain 107 rental apartments ranging in size from studios to three-bedroom units. There is a small fitness center on each floor, with room for ballet bars and weight machines.
It was the world's tallest skyscraper at the time of its formal opening in October 2004, having surpassed the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It was surpassed in 2007 by the Burj Khalifa, which was then under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. However, Taipei 101 has been ranked as the second-tallest building in the world after the Burj Khalifa by several publications.
Taipei 101 is part of the Shiodome redevelopment project in Tokyo Bay on the northern coast of Taiwan. It stands 40 stories high and contains 830 apartments, a shopping mall, a restaurant tower, a hotel, a bank, a theatre, a conference center, and a number of other facilities. The total cost of constructing Taipei 101 was $150 million at that time (1997 prices).
It was designed by Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa and constructed by a consortium led by the Taiwanese contractor Chang Chun Construction Co. The main body of the building is made of steel frames with concrete floors and roofs. The exterior is covered with glass panels attached to the building without any support from inside the structure.
The building was opened for tenants in February 2001. Its height makes it one of the most visible objects in Taiwan, especially from air flights landing at Taipei International Airport (TPE) about 20 kilometers away. This fact probably helped Taipei 101 attract many new customers to use its facilities.
Many people are curious about the rationale for the construction of the Sears Tower, which began in 1970 and continued until 1973. It is regarded as one of the tallest structures in the world. It has 108 stories and is located at 233 South Wacker Drive in Chicago, Illinois. The building was designed by Henry Ives Cobb and Alfred E. Smith Jr., and it is estimated to be worth over $300 million.
The building's height makes it a landmark in Chicago and an icon of modern architecture. When it was first built, it was the highest structure within city limits. Although now surpassed by two other buildings, it is still the third-highest structure in Illinois after the John Hancock Center and Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago.
Initially, the tower was supposed to be only 73 stories high, but after successful negotiations with Sears, the company that would occupy most of the space inside the building, they were able to increase the height to its current level. The extra cost required for the additional seven stories was expected to be covered by the monthly rental payments from Sears.
In addition to its use by Sears, the building also housed offices for the University of Chicago, which had several departments located on the 23rd floor, including the Department of Psychology where some of the research that led to the discovery of DNA was done. The tower also included a conference center that could hold up to 500 people.
The 110-story office tower, originally known as the Sears Tower, is a Chicago icon and one of the world's tallest structures. Its height makes it a landmark suitable for viewing from many parts of the city.
It was also the first building to be designed using structural systems theory, which aims to improve the strength-to-weight ratio of buildings through the use of continuous trusses inside the structure.
The tower has been called "the most famous building in America that wasn't built by Mies van der Rohe." It was designed by architect William Pereira and completed in 1973. The $40 million cost at the time made it the most expensive single construction project in American history.
Pereira used several techniques to achieve an extremely slender profile for his design, including using horizontal panels instead of vertical columns to support the roof. The tower's thinness allows for large amounts of open space in the offices it houses. There are actually more than 50 stories above the 17th floor!
The tower's original name came from Sears, who hired Pereira to redesign their headquarters building after it had been damaged in two major fires. The new building would be named for its new owner, Edward J. DeBartolo Corporation.
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