Burj Khalifa is taller than Chicago’s Sears Tower, now officially named Willis Tower. Comparing their architectural heights on the same basis, Willis Tower measures 442.1 m (1,451 ft); the buildings also differ sharply in structure, profile and purpose.
Which tower is taller?
Burj Khalifa is taller. For a consistent comparison, use architectural height: the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) defines this as the height to the architectural top, including spires but excluding antennae and functional-technical equipment. Under that convention, Willis Tower—the building formerly known as Sears Tower—stands 442.1 m (1,451 ft). CTBUH’s Willis Tower record and Burj Khalifa’s building record provide the standardized references for the comparison.
The convention matters: a tower’s height can be reported differently depending on whether the measurement includes antennae or other equipment. Comparing figures that use different definitions can make the gap misleading.
How do their structures and profiles differ?
Willis Tower: bundled tubes and a stepped profile
Willis Tower’s distinctive setbacks grow out of its structural system and original office requirements. The Chicago Architecture Center describes nine connected tubes that act together as one structure; their varied heights also help disrupt wind forces. The changing tube heights create the familiar stepped silhouette. The Chicago Architecture Center’s building history explains the system, while SOM’s project account connects the design to Sears’s need for both large floor plates for its own operations and smaller office floors for other tenants.
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Architect Bruce Graham and structural engineer Fazlur Khan designed the tower at SOM. Its bundled-tube approach should not be treated as the same structural system used at Burj Khalifa.
Burj Khalifa: three wings around a central core
Burj Khalifa has a three-wing, Y-shaped plan arranged around a central hexagonal core. As the tower rises, setbacks shape its profile into a sculpted spire. The design creates a different composition from Willis Tower’s visibly stepped cluster of tubes. Burj Khalifa’s official architecture and design page identifies SOM as design architect and Adrian Smith as consulting design partner.
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What are the towers used for?
Willis Tower
Willis Tower is a commercial office tower. Its original design accommodated Sears’s large office floors alongside smaller spaces for other tenants; the tower’s official site describes its ongoing life as a mix of uses. The Willis Tower website provides the building’s current overview.
Burj Khalifa
Burj Khalifa combines residences, corporate suites and visitor attractions. Its official architecture page identifies a public observatory on Level 124 and a restaurant on Level 122. Those details establish that visitors are part of the building’s use, but they do not establish current admission prices, opening hours or booking terms.
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Willis Tower, formerly Sears Tower
The building was designed and built for Sears and became an enduring part of Chicago’s skyline. Its completion date depends on which source’s milestone is being cited: the Chicago Architecture Center gives the original completion date as 1974, while the tower’s own timeline says construction was completed in 1973. The official timeline says construction began in 1970.
In 2009, Willis Group Holdings obtained naming rights in connection with a lease. The name officially changed to Willis Tower on July 16, 2009. Many Chicagoans still use “Sears Tower” nostalgically, so the older name remains common even though Willis Tower is the official name. The Chicago Architecture Center documents the building’s name and history.
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Burj Khalifa
Burj Khalifa’s official construction timeline records excavation beginning in January 2004, structural completion in June 2008 and exterior completion in September 2009. It was officially inaugurated on January 4, 2010. The official architecture page covers the project’s design and construction, and the official making-of timeline gives its milestones.
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At a glance
| Building | Architectural height | Structure and profile | Key date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) | 442.1 m (1,451 ft), CTBUH architectural-height convention; antennae excluded. CTBUH | Nine connected tubes; stepped profile. Chicago Architecture Center | Name officially changed on July 16, 2009. Chicago Architecture Center |
| Burj Khalifa | Use the CTBUH building record for the comparable architectural-height figure. CTBUH | Three-wing Y-shaped plan around a central core, with rising setbacks. Burj Khalifa official site | Officially inaugurated January 4, 2010. Burj Khalifa official site |
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