Sears Tower A shining obelisk rising to the sky in the Midwestern desert, the tallest building in North America practically defines Chicago’s skyline. Along with its little brother the Hancock, the buildings stand guard over the city that works, the city with big shoulders. Though the events of September 11, 2001, lent the building a somewhat sinister and nervous disposition (How many of us still look out the window on occasion, just to make sure it’s still there?), the tower of steel and glass remains our landmark for travel in the city and a testament to mankind’s architectural genius. Though its namesake has long since decamped to a slow death in the remote suburbs, don’t let the recent renaming fool you. Chicagoans now call it “Sears Tower. Oops. (Snicker.) Willis Tower.”
