Willis Tower
3 min readMay 2, 2018
- The Willis tower follows a vertical tube design, inspired by cigarette boxes, which appears to mimic the figure of stacked boxes. This type of architecture reduces stress of the wind and minimizes the amount of steel required for the making of the design. The steel-made building is covered in panels of black and bronze tinted glass which reflects the world around it. It took 12,000 construction workers to mold and shape the $150 million worth of steel and black aluminum used to create the tower. On the top of the building stands two white antenna polls, which reach an extraordinary length of 290 ft, while blinking flashing light forty times in one minute. In fact, the antennas even blink different colors for holidays and special events. The purpose of the antennas was to allow television shows to broadcast in high definition all across the area. Near the top of the building are glass boxes ‘hanging’ off the edge, where visitors are welcomed and encouraged to stand within the transparent walls. This view gives visitors the ability to view four states within one view, as well as test their limitations with heights. The extraordinary size of the building, which held the tallest building in the world for 25 years, is what makes this building such an attraction. Inside, the marble interior glistens against the many sculptures that lye within the lobby. Works from many artists, such as Alexander Calder, are scattered through out the property. This reflects the broad and various cultures present in this city.
- In 1970, the executive branch of the company Sears got together to brainstorm a new workplace for there nearly 400,000 employees. It was a growing company that demanded expansion. This expansion is largely accounted to the Vietnam war going on during that time. During the board meeting, while in the middle of brainstorming discussion, Bruce Graham(the main architect) stared across the room at a fellow employee stacking a variation of cigarette boxes in a strange(but very functional) order. Inspired by the arrange of the boxes, he took to drawing his new project(soon known as the Sears tower) into the same shape and form as the cigarettes. It took 12,000 workers, and three years, to complete the construction of the massive building, which was finished in 1973. In the following year the sky deck, along with the sky deck market, was built and officially available to tourists and other desired visitors. In 1984 the broadcasting antennas were added to the top of the building. This was a result from not only the culture and technology switch from radio to television, but it was also due to the higher demand in television quality. The antennas allowed broadcasting companies to now produce and show high definition on local’s television. In 2009 the Sears tower is officially renamed to the Willis tower, after the Willis Group Holdings(an insurance broker) purchased naming rights. In 2015 the Willis tower is purchased by a Blackstone group for $1.3 billion. This purchase made the tower the largest retail section of the city.
- According to Immanuel Kant there are certain standards we must uphold to consider an object’s beauty. This includes the object being a disinterested subject of personal desire, universal, necessary, and appears to have a purpose. This results to a stimulation of the whole self: physical, emotional, and intellectual. The Willis Tower, in my opinion, falls under all these categories of personal interaction with beauty. Although I am usually uninterested in architecture, especially modern work places, I’ve never failed to look up at the beautiful building when passing by on my walk home. It’s massive size and glossy look demands admiration from not only locals and tourists, but from people all over the world. In fact, over 1.5 million tourist visit the building each year. It’s recognized globally for it’s extraordinary architecture and as the symbol of Chicago. It brings a sense of unity and strength to a city currently drowning in violence and crime. In the midst of all this chaos, the tower remains pure and reminds us of all the good this city brings: opportunity and hope. A city that pushes individuals to aspire, to dream, and to achieve. In 1970, Bruce Graham would begin constructing his greatest aspiration that would take him to a height that was never thought possible, and a design that was never seen before. The innovation and hard work that went into this building not only represents Chicago’s identity, but the Willis tower as well as piece of beautiful and purposely constructed art.