Tourist attraction
Willis Tower
Bundled-tube steel skyscraper with glass balconies suspended over open air on its observation floor.
0:00≈ 2 min
Location
0:00≈ 2 min
About this audio guide
This guide to Willis Tower in Chicago centers on structural engineer Fazlur Khan, who solved the problem of building the world's tallest headquarters by reaching for an ordinary pack of cigarettes on his drafting table in 1969. You'll hear how his bundled-tube design shaped the building's stepped silhouette and saved Sears millions in steel, and follow Khan's career up to his sudden death in 1982, on a work trip to Jeddah, at fifty-two. It's a story about an engineer's insight written into a skyline.
This audio guide was created using AI.