Vertigo Award is a new award category created especially for The Ledge. The award was presented on May 5, 2010. The Ledge is the collective name for the new set of glass balconies at the Willis Tower, which hangs 1,353 feet in the air with transparent walls and ceilings. The four minimal, five-sided glass platforms allow for views in all directions from the observation level on the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower.
The new glass balconies have been created by SOM as an innovative addition to the original design of the iconic tower, which is the tallest office building in North America standing at 1,450 feet and 110 stories high. The balconies are just one part of the $350 million retrofit planned by the owners of the tower. SOM designed the tower in 1970 for Sears, Roebuck & Company. The tower features 4.5 million square feet of office and retail space, with 16,000 windows and 104 elevators.
The ledges are approximately four feet deep, 10 feet high and 10 feet wide. They are made of 1.5 inch laminated glass panels hung from a steel frame that rides on rails. It can be retracted into the building for cleaning and maintenance. The ledge was opened to the public on July 2, 2009.
The Friends of Downtown is a not-for-profit group which annually awards firms, organizations or individuals for intelligent planning, superior design and awareness of important issues affecting Chicago’s downtown.
