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The advent of skyscrapers
- 1. THE ADVENT OF SKYSCRAPERS
- 2. GREAT ZIGGURAT OF BABYLON
- 3. SKYSCRAPER
- 6. WAINWRIGHT BUILDING PRUDENTIAL GUARANTY BUILDING, BUFFALO NY CARSON PIRIE SCOTT DEPT. STORE, CHICAGO ILLINOIS
- 8. CHRYSLER BUILDING , NEW YORK CITY
- 9. EMPIRE STATE BUILDING, NY
- 10. WORLD TRADE CENTER, MANHATTAN NY
- 11. WILLIS TOWER (SEARS TOWER)
- 12. CITIGROUP CENTER BUILDING, NY
- 13. PETRONAS TWIN TOWER, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
- 14. THE GHERKIN, ST MARY AXE, LONDON
- 15. MARINA BAY SANDS, SINGAPORE
- 16. BURJ KHALIFA
- 17. ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER
- 21. PBCOM TOWER
- 23. DISCOVERY PRIMEA
- 24. SHANGRI-LA AT THE FORT
- 27. BSA TWIN TOWER
- 30. ZUELLIG BUILDING
- 31. CITY CENTER TOWER MANILA
- 32. ESSENSA TOWER
Editor's Notes
- Perhaps the most impressive structure in the ancient Middle East, the Great Ziggurat of Babylon was built over a span of several decades in the Sixth Century BC. Its seven stories, built upon a square foundation, stretched 300 feet into the sky. Some think it was the inspiration for the infamous Tower of Babel in the Book of Genesis. In this illustration, King Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled Babylon from 604 to 561 BC, is seen overlooking his capital.
- during the 1870's , the first-ever elevator in an office building was also installed in New York. It was designed by Elisha Otis, whose company became synonymous with the new contraption. Elevators revolutionized office buildings, literally turning them upside down. Prior to their invention, the lower floors of a structure were the most valuable rental property because of the difficulty and inconvenience of climbing the stairs. But the elevator made it possible for elite tenants to enjoy the view from the upper floors - and allow buildings to rise higher and higher. Elevator, Sophisticated heating plumbing, and electrical lighting system Ryugyung hotel north korea, hotel of doom Renzo piano shard
- In this illustration, Chicago residents flee the terror of the Chicago fire which devastated their city over a three-day period in October 1871. The fire caused nearly $200 million in damage, killed some 300 people and left another 100,000 homeless. Despite this toll, the destruction cleared the way for Chicago to build scores of modern steel-framed office towers and to become one of America's most architecturally striking cities.
- WILLIAM LE BARON JENNEY Chicago's 10-story Home Insurance Building, built in 1884 and designed by William Jenney, was arguably the first true modern office tower. It was the first building to use structural steel at least partially in its frame, and was the first tall building to be fireproofed both inside and outside. Jenney's ground-breaking structure was torn down in 1931 but its legacy lives on in thousands of steel-framed and fire-proofed buildings around the world.
- LOUIS SULLIVAN, FORM EVER FOLLOWS FUNCTION STACKED FLOORS-STRONG VISUAL IDENTITY THRE LEVELS, BASE,SHAFT,TOP FLOOR ORGANIC DECORATIONS – HUMANIZE STRUCTURE
- Pedestrians walk past the ornate entrance and lower floors of Tribune Tower, home of the Chicago Tribune newspaper, which was built in 1925. The 36-story Gothic Revival structure was designed by John Mead Howells and Raymond Hood, who won a contest held by the newspaper company to create "the most beautiful and distinctive office building in the world."
- With its majestic spire, New York City's Chrysler Building is perhaps the most famous Art Deco structure in the world. Built in 1930, the 77-story structure was briefly the tallest building in the world. The sculptures at the top and around the edges are actually inspired by Chrysler hubcaps and hood ornaments. The building's tapering profile is perhaps the best example of "form follows zoning" by taking New York City's setback requirements from 1916 zoning laws - requiring new structures to leave more open space around them - and turning them into an stunning archetype. William Van Alen
- This photo shows the spot where a B-25 bomber struck the Empire State Building in July 1945. The aircraft was ferrying servicemen from Massachusetts to New York's La Guardia Airport when pilot William Smith veered disastrously off course in heavy fog. Fourteen people - including Smith - were killed when the bomber hit the skyscraper. The building's 79th floor caught fire, and New York City firefighters bravely rushed up into the building to rescue occupants and put out the blaze. The building's structure and fireproofing both proved strong enough that the New York landmark reopened the following week. WILLIAM F LAMB
- The famous twin towers of the World Trade Center were built by the Port Authority in the 1960s as part of an effort to revitalize lower Manhattan. The structure was derided by critics as boring. One wag likened it to a giant pair of filing cabinets, but in time it became a popular New York landmark. The original WTC was the first to use "sky lobbies" where people would change from express to local elevators, a setup inspired by the New York subway system. It also had wide-open, column-free spaces that were ideal for the cubicles then becoming popular in office design. The towers were destroyed in the 2001 terrorist attack that killed more than 2,700 people. MINORU YAMASAKI
- When the Sears Tower, later renamed the Willis Tower, opened in 1973, the 108-story structure became the tallest building in the world and held that title until Malaysia's Petronas Towers claimed the distinction in 1998. This skyscraper was able to achieve that height through a spectacular engineering innovation that introduced the "bundled tube structure" - the Sears Tower is really nine square towers bundled together. It was the start of a revolution in structural design that permitted higher and thinner towers than had ever been built before. SOM
- The 59-story Citigroup Center building, completed in 1977, had to undergo a costly strength upgrade the following year after it was discovered that the structure was dangerously vulnerable to strong diagonal winds hitting the building's corners. This weakness was a consequence of the placement of the main support columns at the center of the sides rather than on the corners because the building had to float over a church that owned the property. This bold design did win praise for the architect but he subsequently had to suffer the consequences - largely in secret lest panic break out - of experimenting with untested structural elements. If strong dangerous winds had actually toppled the Citicorp building, it is estimated that it might have taken 16 blocks of Manhattan with it. Diane Hartley Hugh Stubbins William LeMessurier TUNED MASS DAMPER
- Tourists have their picture taken outside the soaring spires of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The 88-story towers, which were completed in the mid-to-late 1990s, were for several years the world's tallest buildings. The project was the harbinger of a global shift in skyscraper building in which Middle Eastern and Asian countries have been racing to erect the tallest and most majestic towers. The two-story sky bridge joining the two towers between the 41st and 42nd floors is not firmly attached to the structures. It is designed to slide back and forth as the towers sway in high winds CESAR PELLI MANDALA SKY BRIDGE
- One of the more unusual sights in the London skyline is 20 St. Mary Axe, a 41-story office tower opened in 2004, which is nicknamed "The Gherkin" because of its resemblance to a pickle. Though odd-looking, the structure is a prototype for a new generation of innovative, super energy-efficient buildings. Vertical gaps in the building create a natural ventilation system that allows warm air to rise out of the structure. These openings also allow the interior offices to use more natural light to greatly reduce electrical consumption. FOSTER AND PARTNERS
- Singapore's Marina Bay Sands, a casino and resort complex which opened in 2011, cost an astonishing $8 billion to build. Architect Moshie Safdie's unorthodox design, with its trio of 55-story towers, reportedly was inspired by card decks on gaming tables. The three towers are connected by a giant terrace that supports the world's longest elevated swimming pool. The steel for the pool weighs 191,416 kilos (422,000 pounds) and the water it can hold weighs an additional 1,424,098 kilos (3,139,600 pounds). The towers are constructed to allow movement in the wind - up to 50 centimeters - and longer-term settling in the soil. MOSHIE SAFDIE
- Dubai's 160-story Burj Khalifa, which opened in 2010, is by far the world's tallest building. Its startling, rocket ship-like appearance, seen in this photo, seems intended to get attention more than anything else. As architectural critic Paul Goldberger has written, "You don't build this kind of skyscraper to house people... you do it to make sure the world knows who you are." The tall, tapering design is reminiscent of skyscrapers like the Chrysler and Empire State buildings although you could put the two New York skyscrapers one on top of the other and they still would not be as tall. ADRIAN SMITH WILLIAM BAKER
- One World Trade Center (also known as Tower One) rises over Lower Manhattan on the site of the twin towers destroyed in 2001. When completed in 2013, it will have a spire that's precisely 1,776 feet tall (541 meters), making it the third tallest building in the world and the highest in the Western Hemisphere. The new WTC's base is enclosed in thick concrete, steel panels and blast-resistant glass, making it one of the toughest skyscrapers ever built, but security concerns have caused the building's cost to soar, reaching the vicinity of $4 billion. DANIEL LIBESKIND
- ZAHA HADID
- Bonifacio Global City, Taguig 318 meters, 66 floors Towering over the BGC skyline at 318 meters, the 66-story Metrobank Financial Center (also known as the Federal Land Tower) is currently the tallest building in the Philippines since its completion early this year. The the top twenty-five floors of the monolith are dedicated to the Grand Hyatt Manila, a 461-room luxury hotel, and the rest will consist of office, commercial, and residential units. Along with the 50-story, 239-unit residential tower Grand Hyatt Residences, the Metrobank Financial Tower is part of a mixed-use development by Bonifacio Landmark Realty & Development Corporation, a joint venture between Federal Land and Japanese financial services group ORIX Corporation.
- Salcedo Village, Makati 259 meters, 52 floors The 259-meter PBCom Tower, a joint development between Filinvest Asia Corporation (FAC) and the Philippine Bank of Communications, was the tallest building in the country until 2017 (when it was surpassed by the Metrobank Financial Tower). Located at the corner of Makati’s Ayala Avenue and V. A. Rufino Street, 44 of the tower’s 52 stories are dedicated to offices of various companies, including PBCom, Philam Insurance Co., Inc., Fortune Cement, Philips Electronics & Lighting, Inc., and Laboratories Fournier Phils., Inc. PBCom Tower is accredited by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) as an information technology (IT) zone. Som GF and Partners Arch, Gabriel Formoso
- Century City, Brgy. Poblacion, Makati 250 meters, 73 floors Recognized as the tallest residential condo in the Philippines, Gramercy Residences by Century Properties rises 250 meters within the mixed-use development Century City in Brgy. Poblacion, Makati. Comprising 73 floors containing more than 1,400 units, Gramercy possesses an aesthetic inspired by the luxury of New York as interpreted by world-renowned architect Jon Jerde in collaboration with Roger Villarosa Architects and Associates and interior designer Chat Flores.
- Ayala Avenue, Brgy. Urdaneta, Makati 250 meters, 68 floors If you are coming from EDSA, the 250-meter-high, 68-level Discovery Primea is one of the towering edifices that will greet you as soon as you enter Ayala Avenue. From the fourth to the 16th floor are 141 hotel rooms—a combination of business flats, suites, and lofts. Also within the building’s walls are a heated infinity pool, several banquet halls and meeting rooms, sundry shop Lily, restaurants, 24-hour gym, salon, and spa. Kenzo Tange
- Bonifacio Global City, Taguig 250 meters, 61 floors Completed in 2016, Shangri-La at the Fort is 250 meters tall and composed of 61 floors, within which are a total of 576 guest rooms and suites found from the 18th to the 40th floor. Nine floors beneath the hotel are occupied by Shangri-La Residences—97 serviced units wherein guests can experience hotel living and also have access to the hotel’s facilities. The hotel/residence complex also houses facilities like restaurants, swimming pools, conference halls and event rooms, retail stores, children’s playground, entertainment club, and the two-level indoor lifestyle and leisure club Kerry Sports Manila.
- Padre Faura Street, Ermita, Manila 230 meters, 55 floors Completed in 2015, Moldex Realty’s 55-level high-rise residential tower Grand Riviera Suites is said to be the tallest building in the City of Manila at 230 meters. At the eighth-level amenity floor are facilities such as swimming pools, an open lawn, pocket garden, lounge area, function room, and fitness gym. Aside from its imposing size, its location close to Roxas Boulevard provides residents with a magnificent view of the famous Manila Bay sunset. ASYA DESIGN PARTNERS
- Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong 227 meters, 64 floors Developed by Shang Properties Realty Corp., One Shangri-La Place is a 227-meter-tall, 64-level twin-tower condo development. Aside from housing over 1,300 residential units, the towers are also equipped with amenities and facilities such as swimming pools, sauna and steam rooms, banquet halls and function rooms, and direct access to Shangri-La Plaza. Casas + Architects; Palmer & Turner
- Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong 221 meters, 55 floors The BSA Twin Towers stand at 221 meters tall, with its 55 floors containing condo units and serviced apartments, as well as commercial and office spaces. Residents and guests of the condos and apartments can access various amenities in the towers, which include swimming pools, a fitness gym and jogging path, children’s play room, breakfast area, function room, and business center. These two towers make up two-thirds of the three-building complex St. Francis Square, the remaining one being the St. Francis Square Mall. R Villaroza Architects
- Century City, Brgy. Poblacion, Makati 220 meters, 64 floors Also found within Century City is the 220-meter-tall residential tower Knightsbridge Residences, another project by Century Properties. Completed in 2014, the 64-level condo is said to take inspiration from its British namesake, the prestigious Knightsbridge in London, England. Available for the enjoyment of Knightsbridge Residences unit owners are various top-of-the-line amenities such as a swimming pool, fitness center, children's playroom, spa, library, arcade, movie room, and an observatory. ASYA Design Partners
- Ayala Avenue, Salcedo Village, Makati 217 meters, 47 floors Named after Metrobank Group and building owner George Ty, the G.T. International Tower is a project by Metrobank’s real estate arm Federal Land. The 217-meter-high office skyscraper rises along Ayala Avenue, sitting close to fellow towers RCBC Plaza and LKG Tower. G.T.’s most distinguishing feature is its fin-like apex, a design brought to life by local architectural firms GF & Partners Architects and Gozar Planners Philippines, in cooperation with international architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. Aside from anchor tenant Metrobank, G.T. also serves as the home of companies like Federal Land, Du Pont Far East, Inc., and Panay Power Corp.
- The Zuellig Building was designed by international architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, in cooperation with local architectural firm W.V. Coscolluela & Associates. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
- City Center Tower Manila in The Philippines, New Tall Building – design by CAZA,Architects - City Center Tower Manila
- Essensa Tower – IM Pei