Willis Tower Ledge - Chicago

by Allen Beatty

Title

Willis Tower Ledge - Chicago

Artist

Allen Beatty

Medium

Photograph - Photographs

Description

Willis Tower Ledge by Allen Beatty

The Willis Tower, built as and still commonly referred to as the Sears Tower, is a 110-story, 1,450-foot skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois, United States. At completion in 1973, it surpassed the World Trade Center towers in New York to become the tallest building in the world, a title it held for nearly 25 years; it remained the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere until the completion of a new building at the World Trade Center site in 2014. The building is considered a seminal achievement for its designer Fazlur Rahman Khan. The Willis Tower is the second-tallest building in the United States and the Western hemisphere – and the 16th-tallest in the world. More than one million people visit its observation deck each year, making it one of Chicago's most popular tourist destinations. The structure was renamed in 2009 by the Willis Group as part of its lease on a portion of the tower's space.
The Willis Tower observation deck, called the Skydeck, opened on June 22, 1974. Located on the 103rd floor of the tower, it is 1,353 feet high, it is the highest observation deck in the United States and is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Chicago. Tourists can experience how the building sways on a windy day. They can see far over the plains of Illinois and across Lake Michigan to Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin on a clear day. Elevators take tourists to the top in about 60 seconds, and allow tourists to feel the pressure change as they rise up. The Skydeck competes with the John Hancock Center's observation floor a mile and a half away, which is 323 feet lower. Some 1.7 million tourists visit the Skydeck annually. A second Skydeck on the 99th floor is also used if the 103rd floor is closed. The tourist entrance can be found on the south side of the building along Jackson Boulevard.
In January 2009, Willis Tower's owners began a major renovation of the Skydeck, including the installation of retractable glass balconies, which can be extended approximately 4 feet from the facade of the 103rd floor, overlooking South Wacker Drive. The all-glass boxes, informally dubbed "The Ledge", allow visitors to look through the glass floor to the street 1,353 feet below. The boxes, which can bear 5 short tons of weight, opened to the public on July 2, 2009.
I must admit I got dizzy and light-headed when I stepped onto the ledge. I decided a picture of the two young ladies was much more attractive than of me looking down at my legs and feet.

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June 6th, 2018

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