Sears Tower Is Going Green
Posted on June 25, 2009 by diane
Technically it will soon be “Willis Tower” but for Chicago die hards like me, it is and probably always will be the Sears Tower.
Plans are in the works to revamp the famous skyscraper so that it will produce much of its own power via wind turbines located on recessed rooftops.
The project is estimated to cost $350 million, and wind turbines are just the start to this green overhaul. The plan is to reduce electricity used in the tower by 80% over five years through upgrades in the glass exterior, internal lighting, heating, cooling and elevator systems. When all is said and done, energy savings are projected to be equal to 150,000 barrels of oil a year! The Sears Tower plans to open a center to educate the public about the redesign.
The owners hope Sears Tower’s green efforts will supply all the power needed for a new 50-story, 500-room luxury hotel at Wacker Drive and Jackson Boulevard. The five-star hotel would be designed by high-profile Chicago architects Adrian Smith (chief designer of the Trump International Hotel & Tower) and Gordon Gill.
The hotel would open in 3 1/2 to 5 years; the tower project would take about five years and could begin as soon as next spring.
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[...] addition to going green, the Sears Tower now has have a glass ledge suspended from the 103rd floor Skydeck. The glass is [...]