Willis Tower Chicago Renewal, Skyscraper Architecture, Improvement, Architect, Date, Height, Designer

Willis Tower Building

Key Chicago High-Rise Building Renovation, Illinois, USA: Super Tall – original design by SOM, Architects

Feb 13, 2017

Willis Tower Renovations

Location: Wacker Drive, Chicago, USA
Date originally built: 1973
Original Design: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill – SOM

Tallest tower in north America

City officials have revealed numerous improvements for Chicago’s tallest building, 233 S. Wacker Drive – the Willis Tower.

winter garden:

Totaling up to $500 million, the renovations will include six floors of new retail space, an outdoor deck and a winter garden—all intended to entice tourists into the Tower, report www.dnainfo.com. Other potential new amenities include a rooftop skating rink and a 50,000 square foot digital attraction. Officials said that 5,000 Skydeck tickets will be given each year to Chicago schools. $100,000 will be donated to Project Pipeline, a program for young people.

Wacker Drive entry:

Renderings courtesy of Blackstone Group; by Equity Office

The project, which is spearheaded by the building’s owners the Blackstone Group L.P., will begin this month and end in the summer of 2019. Mayor Rahm Emanuel said the project should create 2,500 jobs.

winter garden entrance:

Blackstone Group L.P. bought the tower, the world’s tallest until 1996, nearly two years ago with plans to improve its retail shops and 103rd-floor Skydeck observatory. The building defines Chicago’s skyline and hosts more than 1 million visitors annually.

southeast corner:

“No longer will this be an inaccessible fortress without amenities that does feel a bit desolate after 5 p.m.,” said Jon Gray, Blackstone’s global head of real estate. Blackstone is footing the renovation’s entire $500 million bill, which the company said is its largest investment ever in a building.

southwest corner:

The renovation includes 300,000 square feet of new retail including “dining and entertainment” at the base of the tower, as well as a new 30,000-square-foot outdoor deck.

landscape:

exterior:

office lobby interior:

lobby interior:

source: Willis Tower Building Renovations

photo : Skydeck Chicago

At 1,450 ft this tower is the third tallest building in world, at time of writing in 2017.

There are 110 storeys and the main building use is offices.

photograph : Michiel van Dijk

Sears Tower Modernization and hotel
Date: 2009-
Design: Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture

picture © Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture

This Chicago high-rise was the world’s tallest building for 25 years until 1998.

It is still the tallest to the antenna tips at 1,725 ft above ground.

Sears Tower Building Chicago

Sears Tower architect : Bruce Graham of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill – SOM

Oct 26, 2018
Catalog at Willis Tower Chicago
Exterior facade design: SkB Architects

image courtesy EQ Office
Catalog at Willis Tower Chicago

Location: Willis Tower, Chicago, IL, USA

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