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Go Home No More Sears Tower

THE PLANK MARCH 12, 2009

No More Sears Tower

BY CLAY RISEN

Big changes are afoot for the Windy City's most iconic structure. As part of a new financing deal, the Sears Tower will soon be renamed ... the Willis Tower, after a new British tenant. Doesn't have quite the same ring to it, methinks.

Even worse, though, the owners, in pursuit of a LEED environmental rating, are considering painting the building a lighter color--probably silver--to reduce heat absorption. Well, at least it'll make White Sox fans happy.

--Clay Risen

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21 comments

Whatchu talkin' 'bout Willis?

- jhildner

March 12, 2009 at 2:37pm

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I smell a new "Die Hard" movie.

- rhubarbs

March 12, 2009 at 2:46pm

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My coworker said: "that should be against the law."  

I agree.  Historical preservationists have their work set out for them.

- dylanposer

March 12, 2009 at 2:51pm

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I think we Chicagoans will probably repurpose the name to "Willie's Tower".   As will, undoubtedly, Mr. Yard.

The silver paint job won't make White Sox fans happy, though.  Nothing does.

- ebrunick

March 12, 2009 at 2:57pm

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Why not paint it mauve? Or tangerine?

But seriously: has anybody bothered to point out to the new owners that the facade of the Sears Tower is about 70% glass?

- maybe

March 12, 2009 at 2:58pm

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Well, at least it wasn't Trump who was a part of the deal.

- kgrant1054

March 12, 2009 at 2:59pm

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2005 made us happy, ebrunick.  

jhildner, go to the Trib's comment section in it.  87000 people made that joke.  I don't really care about the name.  "Sears Tower" wasn't exactly poetic, even with its echo of "soars", which no one ever thought about because it was stupid and I regret typing that.  But who has time to backspace?  No one.  Can't stop progress.

Speaking of the Trib's comment section, a lot of people are talking about "boycotting" Willis.  Yeah, Frankie O'Malley from Bridgeport is gonna bring em down!

- boneill

March 12, 2009 at 3:16pm

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What boneill said, plus we at least managed to win a game during the 2008 playoffs.  

boneill -- yeah, that was funny, but Zorn is right, within a couple of years most of us will be calling it Willis Tower.

Life is getting more and more like a George Saunders short story (or a Philip K. Dick novel) -- commercialization in every nook and cranny.  I saw something (I think in the NY Times) about how magazines are now putting ads on their covers (actual ads, not product placement).  

- Lymon1

March 12, 2009 at 3:35pm

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Wouldn't the gazillion gallons of silver paint cancel out the environmental benefits of painting it silver?

- sdcrippen

March 12, 2009 at 3:59pm

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They should paint it green once a year, say, mid March.

- Andrew Davis

March 12, 2009 at 4:15pm

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-87000 people made that joke

And ten bucks says it'll be tomorrow's Sun-Times headline.

- adaglas

March 12, 2009 at 4:21pm

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The Willie!  That's even better than the Gherkin.  Or put them together and you get...

- gwolfjr

March 12, 2009 at 4:21pm

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Oh damn, late to the party.  This was the first I heard about the Willis thing, sorry.

- jhildner

March 12, 2009 at 4:33pm

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I will be renewing my Macy's boycott in response to this.  Because I don't know what Willis does.

- jhildner

March 12, 2009 at 4:34pm

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It is totally false, but the rumor in Chicago is that the Diamond-topped building in the loop was designed by a feminist architecht to look like a vagina, tired as she was about the phallic nature of skyscrapers.  We refer to it, affectionately, as The Vagina Building.  I think the Willie Tower and the Big Vag could make beautiful music together.

adaglas- no doubt.  

- boneill

March 12, 2009 at 4:35pm

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Nice, jhild.  I'll join you!  You still have your picket signs from last time?  Down with things I neither understand nor care about!

I went to the Willis website and there was a link saying that if I clicked it I could ifnd out more about the difficulties of insurance for mining.  But I didn't, because, you know, fuck those guys or something.  

- boneill

March 12, 2009 at 4:55pm

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Bone, I'm not so accepting of change.  I have trouble spitting out these new names.  Don't you call "US Cellular Field" "Sox Park" at least?  I didn't even know what the Standard Oil Building was officially called until recently.  I remember fondly going to Field's as a little kid to have Chicken Pot Pie at the Walnut Room and then patiently waiting for a Lake-Dan Ryan L to finally come.  "No, honey, that's a Ravenswood."  Time after time.  I remember it like yesterday.  And the Ravenswood line used the old green and white cars with folding doors, like at the beginning of the Bob Newhart Show, and the fact that we never got on one of *those* trains going to the mysterious land of Ravenswood -- where everyone else seemed to be going -- filled my heart with melancholy.  And these Willises and Ryans and Green Lines and Brown Lines and Ogilvie Transportation Centers and Thompson Centers and Macy'seseses want to spit on my childhood memories -- that's all -- and I won't have it!

My point is, very simply, everything must remain exactly as it was when it first impressed *me*.  All change prior to that point is acceptable.  Is that too much to ask?

- jhildner

March 12, 2009 at 5:20pm

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p.s., bone, the real question is what happens when you introduce Big Willie to Dyche Stadium.

- jhildner

March 12, 2009 at 5:39pm

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Dyche Stadium.  Genius.

No, you make a good point, jhild- things seemed much better back then, and still do- I like my Chicago memories looking vaguely like the old WTTW commercials, with late 70s early 80s flair.  I like thinking that 200 South Wabash is pretty scary and there is a decent chance that, if you happen to be a Blues Brother, someone will shoot a rocket launcher at you and no one will notice.  I don't like it hip and rich now.   I still wear an 83 Sox cap when I go to Sox Park.   I'm with you- down with Willis!  

- boneill

March 12, 2009 at 5:57pm

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I may have to visit Chicago and expose myself, just so I can make a proper introduction: "Little Willie, Big Willie. Big Willie, Little Willie."

Meanwhile, somewhere Alvah Roebuck is smiling.

- williamyard

March 12, 2009 at 11:21pm

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Wasn't "Sears Tower" technically a commercialized name?

- cspencef

March 13, 2009 at 12:04pm

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