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

[ChicagoChicago]

Originally Posted by AdrianXSands

what a travesty to see this happen.

Really? I think it's much needed. The building's interior is antiquated and needs some help to draw tenants. It's an icon, sure. But the last thing we need is an icon with no tenants.

[Tom Servo]

Originally Posted by ChicagoChicago

Really? I think it's much needed. The building's interior is antiquated and needs some help to draw tenants. It's an icon, sure. But the last thing we need is an icon with no tenants.

the last thing the sears tower needs is to fall victim to this green FAD.

that and the name willis is atrocious and an insult to this city.

it's like taking someone like willie nelson, forcing him to play indie rock and giving him a makeover to look more hip and cool in order to attract the younger radiohead crowd.

[Aleks]

I agree, this is stupid. I hope the tower stays black. Sure it's brutal and cold but that's what makes the Sears Tower so powerful and an icon. I'm really disappointed that it's not a city landmark. Why on earth will they approve this "facelift"? I'm not to worried about the interior, but the exterior is fine the way it is.

[spyguy]

[Pandemonious]

Originally Posted by ChicagoChicago

^^^^
I saw that...My worry is that the new windows will be more reflective and less iodized black...

The new windows are ALREADY being installed, and have been one by one for a LONG time. You cannot tell the difference.. Also, they are bronze tinted, not black. You are thinking of the cladding, which is black anodized aluminum... not "iodized" FYI.

I'm not sure how I feel about the design of the new hotel.. It seems like it is trying way too hard to look cool. It actually does look pretty cool I guess though, so at least it tried and succeeded. I actually like the skydeck pavillion entrance on jackson, and will be sad to see it destroyed for the hotel podium green roof...

Adding trees on top of the stone base along Adams street will certainly help spruce up that 300+ foot walk beside bland sloping stone that exists there now.

[Steely Dan]

Originally Posted by Pandemonious

The new windows are ALREADY being installed, and have been one by one for a LONG time. You cannot tell the difference.. .

are you positive about that pandemonious? this rendering posted by spyguy has me a bit concerned that the new glazing is going to be A LOT more reflective than the current bronzed glass.

[ChicagoChicago]

Originally Posted by Pandemonious

The new windows are ALREADY being installed, and have been one by one for a LONG time. You cannot tell the difference.. Also, they are bronze tinted, not black. You are thinking of the cladding, which is black anodized aluminum... not "iodized" FYI.

I'm not sure how I feel about the design of the new hotel.. It seems like it is trying way too hard to look cool. It actually does look pretty cool I guess though, so at least it tried and succeeded. I actually like the skydeck pavillion entrance on jackson, and will be sad to see it destroyed for the hotel podium green roof...

Adding trees on top of the stone base along Adams street will certainly help spruce up that 300+ foot walk beside bland sloping stone that exists there now.

Sorry, you're right, they are bronze.

[spyguy]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

are you positive about that pandemonious? this rendering posted by spyguy has me a bit concerned that the new glazing is going to be A LOT more reflective than the current bronzed glass.

That's a screenshot from the video. Whether or not it's what the final product will look like I'm not sure. They're pretty vague saying that the exterior wall will be upgraded.

[Tom Servo]

where is this video? i'm not appalled enough yet.

[Dac150]

I think the hotel design is too much. It's breathing down the neck of Sears (or should I Willis).

[Via Chicago]

Originally Posted by AdrianXSands

the last thing the sears tower needs is to fall victim to this green FAD.

that and the name willis is atrocious and an insult to this city.

it's like taking someone like willie nelson, forcing him to play indie rock and giving him a makeover to look more hip and cool in order to attract the younger radiohead crowd.

First of all, I dont understand whats so horrible about installing some green roofs and a couple wind turbines. Yea they're mainly cosmetic...so what. It looks better than empty cement, and its at the owners expense. I dont see the problem.

As far as Willis: its the name of the company....get over it. And I doubt anyone will stop you from still calling it Sears if thats what youd like to do. I still call Allstate Areana the "Horizon", Us Celluar Field "Comiskey", and Macy's "Marshall Fields". The world still turns.

[george]

I like the hotel, it's a happening design. But, I will repeat myself from another thread, they're squeezing 50 lbs of hotel into a 5 lb plaza.

[FlashingLights]

Originally Posted by george

I like the hotel, it's a happening design. But, I will repeat myself from another thread, they're squeezing 50 lbs of hotel into a 5 lb plaza.

I don't know about the trees at the podium wall either. It might make the building seem less menacing and tall. The combination of that and the hotel might make it loose some of its feeling of tallness. I guess it could do the opposite and make it seem taller, but I like looking straight up at a the sears tower from below and see a straight line of black without anything interfering.

[Nowhereman1280]

Adrian, the plaza and street level of Sears is atrocious as it is today and you know it. I don't know who in their right mind finds a block long ten to thirty foot high granite wall along a street is a good idea or attractive looking. The plaza on the other side is shit and completely useless right now (not to mention originally intended to be turned into a hotel so if anything adding a hotel only completes the original plan).

Originally Posted by Pandemonious

Adding trees on top of the stone base along Adams street will certainly help spruce up that 300+ foot walk beside bland sloping stone that exists there now.

My favorite part of this news is that horrible wall with bite the dust, they are turning it into glass walled retail for the length of the block which I find quite excellent. See the rendering above.

[Tom Servo]

that wall is what gives sears complete command over its site.

the city of broad shoulders is exemplified in sears' dominance at the base. these attempts at pussifying the plaza level... this, trump towering of sears go against our civic identity and is an abandonment of our city's values.

while we're at it, why not re-brand the bears, drop that tired ol' C and create a hip, 21st century, stylized bear logo with maybe a flame backdrop or something real cool that'll sell good.

and also, maybe we should re-brand wrigley... 'cause it's tired too. let's put solar panels on the scoreboard and stick a couple of wind turbines along the bleachers... and let's replace the lights with some new energy efficient LED bulbs.

i mean come on, this stuff is SO dated anyway, right?
this whole GREEN fad has become completely trite.

f**k willis.

[Tom Servo]

just look at the JHC...

it's base was ruined by attempts to modernize it.

[wrab]

Originally Posted by spyguy

I can do without the revamp of the base on Wells - this part of the base has some real power IMHO, as well as the best of the (old) revamped entrances.

Can we knock down 311 S Wacker while we're at it?

[wrab]

From the S/G website:

The greening project at Sears — the tallest building in the United States and also one of the largest in terms of square footage — will demonstrate how to save a significant amount of energy and improve the occupant experience of an existing building during a large-scale 21st century modernization.

Key components of the greening/modernization project include:

• Efficiency improvements to the building’s exterior envelope and windows. The tower has 16,000 single-pane windows. Sustainability plans for the building call for a window replacement and glazing program. Strategies to achieve a thermal break of the curtain wall are also being investigated. These upgrades would achieve savings of up to 50 percent of heating energy.

• Mechanical systems upgrades in the form of new gas boilers that utilize fuel cell technologies, which generate electricity, heating and cooling at as much as 90 percent efficiency. Mechanical upgrades also will include new high-efficiency chillers and upgrades to the distribution system.

• The tower’s 104 high-speed elevators and 15 escalators that will be modernized with the latest technology to achieve 40 percent reduction in their energy consumption.

• Water savings that will be realized with conservation initiatives through upgrades to restroom fixtures, condensation recovery systems and water efficient landscaping, which will reduce water usage by 40 percent and save 24 million gallons of water each year.

• Lighting that will be upgraded through advanced lighting control systems and daylight harvesting, an advanced lighting control system that automatically dims lights in tenant spaces based on the amount of sunlight entering through the windows. Combined, these upgrades will save up to 40 percent of lighting energy consumption.

• Renewable energy like wind and solar, and technologies like green roofs that will be tested. Wind turbines will be tested to take advantage of the tower’s height and unique set-back roof areas. Solar hot-water panels will help heat water for the building. Green roofs that can sustain high- altitude conditions, and that will be among the tallest in the world, will be tested to reduce storm water runoff, improve insulation, help mitigate the urban heat island effect, and provide pleasant vistas for tenants overlooking the areas.

In concert with the new building construction, Sears Tower’s grade-level plazas and retail will undergo a transformation. A new park on Wacker Drive will feature a reflecting pool, landscaping and seating, creating an inviting public space. The Adams Street granite wall will be replaced with an interactive digital display and glass storefronts at Adams and Franklin. Trees will be planted along Adams to form an accessible planting terrace. The new hotel will feature a retail plaza level that complements the Sears Tower restaurant Level 2. The upper plaza will include an indoor connection to the hotel, outdoor seating and additional landscape elements.

A new skydeck entry will be located within the hotel building’s podium, integrated with retail along Jackson Street. Visitors will enter in the same location, but will be able to take escalators to the Skydeck attraction on LL2 in order to decrease wait times. The escalators will be underneath an attractive glass dome that connects Sears Tower to the new hotel. Direct access to the outdoor plaza and restaurants will be provided for skydeck visitors.

http://www.smithgill.com/#/work/sears_tower

[wrab]

And the hotel:

The new hotel will feature a host of green/sustainable features, including:

• Sky gardens: Lushly landscaped green spaces at various levels will be among the building’s signature amenities—both for hotel patrons and for viewers from neighboring buildings.

• Solar deck: A naturally lit indoor garden space, covered by a glass dome featuring integrated photovoltaic panels that harvest solar energy, will offer stunning views of the skyline. A louver system will regulate the flow of air through the deck.

• Double-walled exterior: The building facade features one of Chicago’s first double-wall envelopes. Between the walls, an interior air space provides a blanket around the building that traps solar heat, venting it in summer and providing warm air in winter.

• Green roofs/planting terraces: Landscaped event spaces add an outdoor dimension to the luxurious interior, even as they add insulation and reduce storm water runoff.

• Building-integrated wind turbines: A series of wind turbines, strategically placed to harvest wind from the southwest as it flows over the smooth front facade, generate energy for the hotel. Wind is channeled into the turbine openings, which funnel it to accelerate its speed and increase power generation.

• Efficient systems: The latest technology in mechanical, electrical and control systems for optimized energy performance.

• Sustainability standard: Designed for a LEED Gold rating.

The 500-unit, five-star hotel’s amenities will include an elegant lobby, dining room, pool and spa; modern conference facilities for small and groups, with direct connection to sky terraces and green roof gardens on multiple levels; an 8,000-square-foot grand ballroom; top-of-the-line finishes made with renewable and/or recycled materials; new retail storefronts along Jackson and Franklin; and a grand outdoor plaza featuring landscaped terraces connecting the hotel to Sears Tower.

http://www.smithgill.com/#/work/sears_tower

[Dac150]

Well short of demolishing the building all together, they need to keep up with the times. The fact is as time goes on, so does style and need. If changes like this aren't made then Sears will become more outdated and vacant. Perhaps the visual changes aren't to everyone's liking, however to keep this building in the market they need to be executed.

I'm not a huge fan of visual changes to buildings that I have a soft spot for, however you come to learn that they are essential and reality. Otherwise the only other option becomes the wrecking ball and the construction of something else.