CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Willis Tower marked 50 years since its original topping-out ceremony on Wednesday, as many came downtown to celebrate the tallest tower in Chicago and the western hemisphere.
Of course, many in the city still refer to it by the name it had back in 1973, when the then-Sears Tower became the tallest building in the world.
On Wednesday, though, visitors to the iconic, 1,450-foot skyscraper were less concerned about the building's age, and more interested in its amazing height.
Andrew Munoz, from Texas, was among them. He said the true size of the Willis Tower really hit him as he rode the elevator and felt his ears pop.
“It’s pretty cool,” he said. “I took a lot of pictures already … I thought I’d be intimidated, but not yet.”
In 2021, Willis Tower tour director Susan Jacobson talked about how architect and structural engineer Fazlur Khan settled on the tower’s design.
“They had a cigarette pack, and when you knock cigarettes out of a cigarette pack they come out at different levels, and that was their inspiration,” Jacobson told WBBM.
That design also helped the tower withstand the high winds coming off of Lake Michigan.
Fifty years later, from the observation deck, visitors stared in awe.
“It’s incredible,” said Katy Carlson. “We don’t have anything back home like this. I mean, we have the Rocky Mountains, but to see the city is just incredible.”
Rebecca Earl, visiting from London, said 50 years is still pretty young, relatively speaking.
“[There’s] history everywhere, isn’t there?” Earl said. “But yeah, no it’s great. I thought it would be older to be honest, but no, 50 years is nothing.”
To commemorate its 50th birthday, Willis Tower is rolling out a series of community programs, including a temporary art installation called “A Chicago Story.”
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Related
Related
Listen to our new podcast Courier Pigeon
Listen to WBBM Newsradio now on Audacy!