Willis Tower

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Willis Tower's Glass Balcony Floor Cracked Last Night

But the consensus is it was maybe not a big deal

(Newser) - Perhaps the Windy City is tired of pesky tourists, because it scared the bejeezus out of a few last night: As NBC Chicago reports, Alejandro Garibay and three members of his family stepped out on "the Ledge" at the Willis Tower—four glass balconies on the 103rd floor Skydeck...

America's Tallest Building Is ... in NYC

1 World Trade Center now officially the US' tallest building

(Newser) - Breathe easy, New Yorkers: Your new World Trade Center was officially declared the tallest building in the US today, when the Height Committee of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat concluded that the 408-foot needle atop it counted as a spire rather than an antenna , and hence could...

New World Trade Center's Tallest Title on the Line

Decision should come next week

(Newser) - Rising from the ashes of 9/11, the new World Trade Center tower has punched above the New York skyline to reach its powerfully symbolic height of 1,776 feet and become the tallest building in the country. Or has it? A committee of architects recognized as the arbiters on world...

'Bionic Man' to Climb Skyscraper

He'll walk up all 103 flights to show off the new prosthetic leg

(Newser) - This Sunday, when Zac Vawter thinks "climb the stairs," he'll take the first step in what could be a very big development for prosthetic science. Vawter lost his right leg in a motorcycle accident in 2009, and has since been fitted with a prototype of the first...

Freedom Tower Now NYC's Tallest ... Sort Of

Unless you count the Empire State Building's needle

(Newser) - It’s a momentous day in New York today: The World Trade Center is once again the city's tallest structure. The skeleton of the still-under-construction "Freedom Tower" will today surpass 1,250 feet, the AP reports, making it just a hair higher than the Empire State Building. But...

Willis What? Sears Tower Changes Names

Insurance company gets naming rights

(Newser) - An insurance company no one's ever heard of is suddenly a big name in Chicago.  Starting today, the Sears Tower—the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere—becomes Willis Tower, after Willis Group Holdings, the Sun-Times reports. Chicagoans grumbling about the name change, which Willis earned by leasing just...

Step Up to New 'Ledge' at Sears Tower

Glass balconies jut 4 feet into the air

(Newser) - The view from Chicago’s Sears Tower just got more vivid. Starting tomorrow, visitors can step into glass enclosures that extend 4 feet out from the building’s 103rd floor and see all 1,353 feet straight down, the Tribune reports. Designed by the original architects of the soon-to-be-renamed Willis...

Goodbye, Sears Tower; Hello, Willis Tower

Iconic skyscraper gets rebranded with new lease

(Newser) - Sears Tower is to be rechristened Willis Tower in accordance with a new lease signed by insurance firm Willis Group Holdings, the Chicago Tribune reports. The company plans to move some 500 associates into multiple floors. It says its $14.50-per-square-foot move means big real-estate savings, and the name change...

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