CHICAGO | Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) | 1,451 FT / 442 M | 108 FLOORS | 1974 - Page 28

ardecila · #**541** Posted **Feb 20, 2011, 2:27 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by STR

While I agree they don't need a reclad, the Sears Tower does NOT look new. It really needs a cleaning.

The "reclad" is not because the building looks dated. It's to improve the energy performance of a building with a gigantic amount of surface area.

Changing out the glass for new double-pane units with modern coatings would do a lot to reduce the solar heat gain of the building.

Careful design could retain the bronze tint in the glass (as they are doing with the UN Secretariat) but they could also eliminate this in favor of a more clear type of glass like the kind on 7WTC.

STR · #**542** Posted **Feb 20, 2011, 4:39 PM**

^That was all besides my point. The anodized aluminum facade panels are filthy and need cleaning. Period. I wasn't even talking about the glazing, that gets replaced periodically in all buildings. Take a good look at the building and you'll see a good 3 or 4 different types of windows on it now as they've replaced individual units over the years due to blow-outs. You probably haven't noticed that because they have, up to now, done a very good job of matching the glazing, but there's still minute differences due to normal defects that happen in non-ground tempered glass.

I've personally gained a new appreciation of the facade on this building. You never realize how slightly reflective it is until you try and recreate it.

You might have seen this one in the 1WTC thread

The North One · #**543** Posted **Feb 21, 2011, 3:51 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by STR

While I agree they don't need a reclad, the Sears Tower does NOT look new. It really needs a cleaning.

I don't see anything wrong with the facade, I wish I could force those people on the top floors to take down their stupid blinds or whatever they have on the windows.

other than that its perfect.

KevinFromTexas · #**544** Posted **Feb 21, 2011, 4:47 AM**

Does anyone know the heights for the 4 shorter antennae on the roof?

STR · #**545** Posted **Feb 21, 2011, 6:12 PM**

^The four digital TV antennas are a roughly ~139 feet tall and therefore rise to a height of 1,590 feet.

OneWorldTradeCenter · #**546** Posted **Feb 21, 2011, 6:22 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Does anyone know the heights for the 4 shorter antennae on the roof?

After my knowledge about 480 meters. Just look at the diagram.

jc5680 · #**547** Posted **Mar 21, 2011, 4:41 AM**

CTroyMathis · #**548** Posted **Mar 21, 2011, 10:09 PM**

http://inhabitat.com/chicagos-willis...al-solar-farm/

Andrew Michler
Chicago’s Willis Tower to Become a Vertical Solar Farm
by Andrew Michler, 03/21/11
filed under: Solar Power,Sustainable Building,Zero energy

Chicago’s iconic Willis Tower (formally the Sears Tower) is set to become a massive solar electric plant with the installation of a pilot solar electric glass project. The high-profile project on the south side of the 56th floor will replace the windows with a new type of photovoltaic glass developed by Pythagoras Solar which preserves daylighting and views while reducing heat gain and producing the same energy as a conventional solar panel. The project could grow to 2 MW in size — which is comparable to a 10 acre field of solar panels — turning North America’s tallest building into a huge urban vertical solar farm.

Nowhereman1280 · #**549** Posted **Mar 21, 2011, 10:20 PM**

^^^ Seriously? That is awesome, I hope it doesn't ruin the bronze tint...

STR · #**550** Posted **Mar 21, 2011, 10:51 PM**

Hmm...The 56th is an office floor. Seems like it's fully occupied too. I wonder how this will, or even better, won't affect visibility. Apparently the impact isn't too bad, otherwise they'd probably be trying it out on a mechanical floor.

mind field · #**551** Posted **Mar 21, 2011, 11:26 PM**

That is great news!

Alliance · #**552** Posted **Mar 22, 2011, 1:19 AM**

I cant help but think we'll look back on this in 20 years and go wtf... Not that Willis doesn't need help, but this seems like a fairly drastic change to the towers architecture.

ChiTownCity · #**553** Posted **May 10, 2011, 11:10 PM**

ST by Hudizzle, on Flickr

george · #**554** Posted **May 16, 2011, 3:37 AM**

Paco · #**555** Posted **Jun 6, 2011, 2:49 PM**

The Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago has a 273 foot architectural spire while the Willis building has a 279 foot antenna. Has anyone ever considered replacing the center antenna with a 325 foot spire (or more ambitiously building the center square up by more floors), so that the Willis Tower reaches 1776 feet. It would be a nice match to the World Trade Center in New York City.

While their is visions for kilometer high buildings in the middle east and Asia, FAA regulations in place for five decades in the USA limit buildings to just over 600 meters. I think it would be a great gesture if all mega-projects in cities in upcoming decades would aspire to 1776'.

Zerton · #**556** Posted **Jun 6, 2011, 5:15 PM**

Does anyone know if they are still going forward with that reclad?

Paco · #**557** Posted **Jun 7, 2011, 4:53 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zerton

Does anyone know if they are still going forward with that reclad?

I don't think so since there has been no mention of it in the last two years. This new announcement may take the place of a reclad.

"Pythagoras Solar: Corporate Press Release: CHICAGO, IL and SAN MATEO, CA—(March 21, 2011)—Pythagoras Solar, a provider of unprecedented transparent, energy efficient windows that also generate solar power, today announced that it has been chosen by Willis Tower, formerly Sears Tower, to collaborate on a pilot project to help deliver on the building's renewable energy and energy efficiency improvement goals. The pilot project, deployed in November last year on the south facing windows of the Willis Tower's 56th floor, uses a building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) solution that has the potential to expand to a surface area allowing over two megawatts of solar power generation. Willis Tower provides an example of how sustainable modernization endeavors are about more than reducing carbon emissions but also about re-investing in the local economy. Willis Tower is exploring innovative solutions that are directly re-investing in Chicago's new green economy. In addition, this project will illustrate one possible best practice for how to decrease the impact of the built environment on climate change, for easy duplication in other similar structures.

"We are excited to launch this pilot with Pythagoras Solar's leading-edge solar window solutions as a test for not only the energy savings that can be achieved, but the potential they represent to actually generate power through the sun," said John Huston, Executive Vice President of American Landmark Properties, one of the ownership partners of Willis Tower.
"We are incredibly proud to be considered to contribute our part for the 'greening' of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, the iconic Willis Tower," said Gonen Fink, Co-founder and CEO Pythagoras Solar. "It is inspiring to see a team not waver in its dedication to making a true and lasting change through smart investments in the right solutions. With its combined benefits, our technology is set to provide Willis Tower with a valuable tool that will help move it toward its energy efficiency goals."

Leveraging mass-scale solar power window installations has a direct impact on improving the energy efficiency and energy generation potential of a building's exterior envelope and windows. Pythagoras Solar is the first company to offer a fully integrated photovoltaic glass unit (PVGU) that addresses the need for simultaneous benefits of energy efficiency and high power density, while also offering architectural design benefits to increase real estate value and advance Net Zero Energy Buildings (NZB).

KevinFromTexas · #**558** Posted **Jun 7, 2011, 8:11 AM**

^Make sure that you include the link to that article as well as its author and the media source name.

Forum rules:
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/anno...php?f=28&a=313

george · #**559** Posted **Jun 17, 2011, 2:31 AM**

6-16

The Grand Architect · #**560** Posted **Jul 25, 2011, 10:32 PM**

My latest Willis Tower renderings.

I primarily post on the New World Trade Center threads, you'll see me roam around there alot.