People have been building "skyscrapers" for hundreds of years. While these buildings may not fit under our modern definition of the term, for their time they could be seen as such. This notion of building up began with the Egyptians and their construction of the Pyramids which were the tallest structures of their time. Even in medieval times were people starting to build upwards. Back then wealthy families would build tall towers on their houses as a defense mechanism and a symbol of prestige and power. Most tall buildings in this time were created at the center of the city because it was a way of showing what was important to them and what their society revolved around. Because of this, most ancient cities placed their temples and places of worship at the center.
In Modern times, however, skyscrapers were constructed to save money because the price of land was continually increasing. With the advancement in technology and materials, architects began designing buildings that were built upwards instead of the usual outwards allowing them to have a lot of space without having to spend so much money on the land. This is how it began, but by the early to mid 1900's building these skyscrapers turned into a competition and architects and engineers began fighting for the title of creating the worlds tallest building, which is, as of now, located in Dubai.
After reading this brief history of the skyscraper, what do you think is the meaning and reasoning behind building these massively tall structures we call skyscrapers? Is it out of necessity or do they act as symbol of prestige, wealth, and power? And more importantly, because these buildings are placed at the center of our cities, does that mean that these skyscrapers and what they are made for matter most to us?
16 comments:
I think skyscrapers are a built of necessity, yes, but they are more functional than anything. (i.e. consolidate offices, minimize square footage, etc...) Although, they do carry a lot of meaning, like we discussed in class and in the reading... they are symbols of power, authority, money, etc... Notice how they are only located in highly-populated, inner-city business districts, it's because that's what they are there to represent and signify.
I think that though tall buildings are now built because they are practical, they still convey a certain sense of power. Think of a large city in which there are both skyscrapers and smaller buildings. The large, successful financial institutions, law firms, corporate offices, etc. will most often choose the skyscraper for their office location rather than a small building. This is because skyscrapers have more connotative meaning associated with them.
In places like Tokyo and Hong Kong and maybe even LA and New York it has probably become a necessity to build a skyscraper simply because of economics. What I don't think most people understand is what engineering marvels they really are. However, I think skyscrapers are more than just an economic reality. For many cities, a unique combination of skyscrapers produces a skyline that is easily recognizeable. I think some types of architecture are implemented to make a city stand out from the pack so that when seen on postcards etc. someone would say "oh that's New York". The Twin Towers definitely fufilled this function. I believe that skyscrapers also represent some of the values that our society holds valuable, such as capitalism, power and wealth.
I think that there is less connotative meaning behind having the tallest skyscraper in the world now than there used to be in the days when the Empire State Building and the Chrystler Building were built. However, I think that the presence of skyscrapers gives big cities a sense of legitimacy in the business world.
I think that there may be more meaning behind sky scrapers, but there is also a lot of practicality. Skyscrapers are built in the city centers because it is the midpoint for people to come in and work. This location makes it the easiest for most to commute to. They are tall because they take up less land space and they are large in order to house a large and diverse amount of workers. They are magnificent buildings that give companies a good name because it makes them appear more powerful and successful, but I think these meanings come secondary.
I think there is a lot of meaning behind a skyscraper. I mean though they were originally built for functionality, it became a competition to build the highest one. I think that says a lot more about our desire for power and prestige than anything. It says that being the biggest and the best is infinitely important. We want people to know that we have the money or the means or even the smarts to be able to build such a structure, and we'll do anything for that. Though I do think that we're leaning away from that, at least as an American society.
Skyscrapers are definitely built to represents power and prestige. There is the benefit that it saves land space, but other than that, it just shows society likes to waste their money on ridiculous things. These buildings aren’t what matter most to us – it’s what they represent that matters the most. Money.
I think skyscrapers are still build because of the practical use. Companies can build these buildings, then charge high prices for rent because of the "view." However, I do think that much of the actual design has become competitive. It seems that although we do need skyscrapers, we only think they are "cool" if they have some kind of funny or unique design. That, I think, is the primary issue today. I think they are put at the center of the city because that is where the "work" is done, while around those buildings are the places where people live, and people don't want ridiculously high buildings build right by their house.
I think that it is a combination of the two, they are built because it is practical to build up, and it also can be an expression of power, wealth, and prestige. Much of the time the only place to go is up, especially since land can be such a huge commodity. It also helps consolidate a company, as it is much easier to go up a few flights in an elevator than to travel throughout a city. In a lot of ways it just makes sense. I think with dubai, it was to show power and prestige.
With the city center thing , I think that the main reason is simply that in a major city the most valuable land is often in the center. Since this is a commodity, people are forced to build up.
They are made out of necessity, but that does not mean that they are not symbols of power and wealth as well. Business hubs are generally in the center of cities, which probably does show how important business, commerce, and capitalism is to us.
I think that sometimes it is a necessity, and its nice to think that maybe people still care about the earth, and want to help preserve it by building these skyscrapers. This isn't always the case though, especially when it comes to power and prestige. It may be interesting to compare things to the LDS temples, and see how excessive things have become.
Skyscrapers are danged convenient in a city, and represent some ingenuity of humanity and an openness of thought. I like them.
I think they were at first built out of necessity but now there is almost a world competition to see who can build the tallest skyscraper. I don't think skyscrapers are bad, can you imagine New York without the Chrysler Building or the Empire State Building? They give cities personalities, something people can identify with. I think building a huge skyscraper just to have a tall building seems a little ridiculous but I wouldn't change the way New York is for anything.
I think skyscrapers were probably originally designed for space reasons. In bigger cities, it's easier to build upward than outward. Just because they are built in the middle of our cities doesn't mean they are what matter most. While I agree that skyscrapers can represent prestige and power, it's mostly a practical way to fit a whole lot of people in one building.
I don't know if their placement means that they are what matter most to us; I think it is more of convenience for people who commute from all directions-- go to the middle. I also do think that it is for necessity. Skyscrapers can have millions of employees in one central location, and yes, it is cheaper to build up than buy more land and build out.
I think the first reason is for economical purposes. The design comes in second, which leaves room for making buildings look powerful or intimidating. Function comes before form.
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