Willis (formerly Sears) Tower. Photo © Hedrich Blessing
In 1885, Chicago became home to the world’s first steel-frame skyscraper, so it’s no wonder that this city continues to lead the architecture pack with the Willis Tower. Designed by Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill, this building is 110 stories and reaches 1,450 feet high, making it the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and the eighth tallest in the world.