CHICAGO | The Illinois | 5,280 FT / 1,609 M | 528 FLOORS | VISION

[malec]

The burj dubai is definitely influenced by the mile high tower. Just look at its shape, also the fact that it's half a mile high.

[Alliance]

Originally Posted by America 117

why was this tower never built?

Because it wasn't efficient. Elevators can only serve so many floors and when buildings that tall are that narrow, the building becomes all elevator shafts. There was no room for people to do anything else in the building.

And and has been said, it was jsut a concept, never a proposal.

[Seppuko_Panda]

That and it was proposed in 1956 and would have cost billions of dollars. Still, it would have ruled.

[ethereal_reality]

Here is a recent find.....the front elevation of the Illinois.








It actually looks alot different than I expected.
The entrance is a bit odd.

[ethereal_reality]

....and here is the side elevation.






I LOVE the side elevation.

[ethereal_reality]

This is the rear elevation showing the taproot foundation.

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ Oh wow that's sweet, where did you find those?

[ethereal_reality]

^^^
They're from a book published in 1957 by Bramhall House in New York.
I plan to to scan a few more images.
The floor plates for the ground floor...the 320th floor....and the 528th floor.

[Nowhereman1280]

^^^ Very nice, this is a great design, it doesn't look as impractically skinny from the elevations as it does in the standard perspective drawing...

Please do post those drawings. I plan on building this mother some day ...

[ethereal_reality]

I forgot to include this preliminary sketch.

[ethereal_reality]

some interesting details:

"The 528 light floor slabs are hollow, tapered from the cores to carry air-conditioning, lighting and appurtenance systems.
These cantilevered floor slabs are formed by special high-tension steel, diamond-mesh reininforced,
and cast into light concrete slabs. Excepting vertical elevator enclosures, which issue from the sloping sides of the tripod,
all exterior surface-features of this structure and certain outer areas of the floors also are suspended by steel strands
from the sloping corners of the core as already described.
Outer glass surfaces are set four feet back under the metal parapets to
avoid glare of glass and afford a human sense of protection at such
enormous heights as characterize the ILLINOIS SKY-CITY.

All elevators, outer parapets, all exposed horizontal or vertical members are of
gold-colored metal and, with the windows set back under steel parapets
to avoid glare, and give the building emphasis as an all metal structure." -FLW

[JDRCRASH]

Good lord thats huge....it took me several seconds to scroll through just 1 photo!

[ethereal_reality]

Yes...they're scanned..rather...LARGE.

That way, you can pick up some obscure facts from details.

[ethereal_reality]

Here is a detailed description of the ILLINOIS' elevators.

"Elevator transit is by atomic power; especially designed elevators,
each five stories high, serving in series the five divisions of 100-floor heights.
A group of 76 tandem-cab elevators five units high begin to load where
the escalators leave off at the fifth floor. These elevators entirely
independent of ordinary suspension systems. As motorized they rise
and emerge on ratchet-guides, soaring into the air, independent of,
yet an integral feature of the tripod, and appear outside the tripod
as graceful vertical features of the ILLINOIS. The entire elevator system
thus rises perfectly upright to five different story-heights. Special
through-service is provided to the upper stories and to the very top floor
at various speeds all the way to one mile above the ground floor level.
All elevators are motivated by atomic power, engines on the the cabs engaging
ratchet-tracks, cabs moving vertically at various speeds much as an
automobile runs on the level. Approximate speed: say, a mile per minute;
appropriate automatic stop-and-go controls without attendance are to be
provided. Additional private lifts may connect various departments independently of main elevators.
Cars are set aside for non-stop emergency service.
As escalators from the lower parking levels serve the first five stories,
the main floor of the ILLINOIS is thus practically the fifth floor. This
combination escalator-elevator service should empty the entire building
within the hour by day and the various occupations by night in half the time."

-FLW 1956

(phew..he could have used an editor)

[Austin55]

The small tower thing to the left would probably dominate most medium skylines,and probably be a big impact in the biggest ones ones it seems,just a quick thing with my fingers makes it look about 1/5 the way up the main tower,thats about what,1000 feet?? thats just a rough guess,but still,that shows you how big it is.

[Wrightguy0]

That small tower thing on the left is a representation of the ESB, about 430 m
The elevators could work, they're on the exterior, all you would have to do is make them service 1/5 of the building annd have 5 express elevators to each section

[ethereal_reality]

You can see the elevator cores as setbacks in the side and rear elevations /

much like the RCA (GE) Building elevators define the shape of the mass.

[ethereal_reality]

[Wrightguy0]

Really? I never knew that

[ethereal_reality]

Ground floor.