Willis Tower, Skyscraper in the Loop, Chicago, United States
Willis Tower is an office tower in the Chicago Loop that rises 442 meters across 108 floors above ground. The facade is clad in black aluminum and thousands of glass windows arranged in a rectangular grid that steps back at intervals as it climbs.
Construction began in April 1971 for Sears, Roebuck & Co., which had outgrown its west-side offices, and the structure was completed in May 1973 at a cost of about $150 million. It opened as the world's tallest building and held that title for nearly 25 years.
Tourists from across the world step into the glass box while office workers inside the tower conduct meetings just floors away, as if two separate worlds occupy the same address. Locals still call the building the Sears Tower, showing how deeply the former tenant remains embedded in the city memory.
The Skydeck on the 103rd floor is the main draw for views that stretch across several states. Booking online helps avoid long lines, especially on weekends and during summer months.
The design uses nine square tubes arranged in a three by three matrix, with seven stepping back at different heights. This bundled tube system allowed large floor spans without interior columns and changed the way engineers build skyscrapers around the world.
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