Given that the two definitions of Symbolic Height are likely to be fairly close, on average, it can be a reasonable substitution for the definition of Vanity Height. Barr January 28, Note this is Part III of a series on the economics of skyscrapers. The rest of the series can be read here. But this is too simplistic. In a previous post , I proposed nine different theories as to why supertall buildings might rise so high though there certainly may be more.
I would argue, however, that these theories can be categorized into one of four groups. That is, a supertall building may simply be the result of matching supply with demand at a particular location. In this case, developers are adding floors above the good or bad economic height for non-economic purposes. But the question remains: what is the evidence for the various theories? Thus, a case-study approach that looks at the historical record, including from books, newspapers, and trade publications, seems reasonable.
At feet meters it surpassed the Woolworth Building feet, meters , which held the record since It was a speculative venture by the Starrett Brothers who were also the general contractors , an investment group lead by G. Ohrstrom and the Bank of Manhattan itself, who was to occupy seven floors. Evidently, the original designs in called for a story structure ; but were then changed to 60 stories , and finally, architect H.
Crain Severance drew up plans for 67 stories. That is to say, without any competition in mind, the economic height was nearly 50 stories. Even in , the bank saw rising profits from the year before.
But the reasons surrounding the changes in height are a bit unclear. Architectural historian, Christopher Gray suggests that the plans were changed after Walter Chrysler announced his building, designed by William Van Alen. Yet two other bits of evidence also suggest that the team lacked the fortitude to go all the way. Gray writes,.
Van Alen was the subject of many interviews and articles, but no one, it seems, interviewed Severance, the second-place finisher, as to his thoughts…. When his attention was called to the suggestion that the 40 Wall Street Corporation, in which Starrett Brothers and G. What seems to have happened was that some of the investors were pushing for a taller building, but there were only certain lengths to which they willing to go.
His building was a block away from the hypothetical project of Clark and Kingston , who, after crunching the real estate development numbers, determined that, in , a story structure was the profit maximizing one.
For Chrysler and Van Alen, grabbing the record after adding the chrome spire amounts to a cheap that is, low-cost trick. But economics needed to be present to pay for the ego. First, the Empire State Building sits on a lot that is about 91, square feet. This is an even larger lot than the one Clark and Kingston used for their exercise, which was about 84, square feet. The bigger the lot, the more favorable are the skyscraper economics.
Thus was born a plan to create the World Trade Center site to revitalize the neighborhood. During the s, slum clearance and urban renewal were all the rage. The Word Trade Center project fit right into that mold. Today, Sears is on the brink of failure ; yet another victim of internet commerce. But in the early s, Sears, Roebuck and Company, headquartered in Chicago, was the largest retailer in the world like Woolworths before it.
Sears had more than ,00 employees worldwide. The Sears today the Willis Tower was announced , and completed in Metcalf, were engaged in direct competition with the Port Authority.
The company estimated that it would eventually require two million square feet of building space. An iconic structure would likely draw more companies and workers to the neighborhood. As reported in the New York Times ,.
The area is one that is experiencing what real estate men like to call a renaissance. New office buildings are shooting up on and around Wacker Driver. Rubensten [a real estate broker] said enthusiastically. Dunlap [an architect at SOM] said. But the idea of a space race is silly. The neighborhood and towers were part of a larger program of infrastructure investments, initiated by Prime Minister Mahathir Bin Mohamad.
The government was seeking to diversify and modernize the economy, which was dependent on the sale of commodities, such as palm oil, rubber, tin, and crude oil. Again, the boundary between the ego, economics, and urban growth strategy is not clear. But many saw them as a source of local pride.
As the New York Times wrote in ,. But supporters say the symbolism itself is worth the cost of construction. The structures were also designed to lure high-tech firms. In , the New York Times reported ,.
Kuhan from Asia Telecom. National pride is another element of skyscrapers. Residents are eager to use them to convey their independence and command over resources.
The Taipei appears to be a combined case of economics, urban pride, perhaps with some ego thrown in. He was eager to have a skyscraper built in a newly-planned neighborhood close to City Hall. Evidently, the first plans had the building only at stories, but then the election of Chen to the presidency drove them to increase the height.
The New York Times reported in ,. As with other very tall buildings in Asia, the construction of this one is as much about politics and pride as commerce. Finally, is the Burj Khalifa, which opened in at meters high. It too was part of a larger planned neighborhood within Dubai.
More outlandish. Construction-fevered Dubai is almost Gatsby-esque in its audacious thirst for reinvention. This once-sleepy port of pearl traders and pirates is gunning to turn itself into one of the great capitals of the postmodern world. If Americans pushed west to manifest destiny, the Emirates are pushing into the sky. There is a vague consensus here that great cities arrange themselves around ambitious architecture, and Dubai is determined to outdo them all.
Based on these case studies, what can we conclude? First, we see evidence for several theories, from pure economics, to urban growth strategies, to pride—both personal and civic—to ego and competition. Second is that money must be available for these large projects. But where the money comes from varies over time and space. Early projects were privately financed, while more recent projects are financed or subsidized by governments.
He wanted the building recognized as standing precisely 1, feet tall because of what the number represents. This one will always be 1, He also allows the people of New York City to interact with the spire.
A couple of years ago, The Durst Organization created a smartphone app called Spireworks that allows users to manipulate the lights on the spire and antenna, and even add sparkles or pulses of light. From our Midtown perch my wife Bethany and I, as well as my business partner and friend Franco Faraudo and his wife Marcela, enjoyed a prime view of One Bryant Park and Four Times Square while we fiddled with the spire lights via the app.
The experience gave new meaning to the idea of tenant engagement and digital art. I mean that sometimes we like to celebrate the significance of a place, and of a place in time, with enduring monuments. Some builders seek to leave their mark and not always for vainglory but often for the sake of homage.
The new art takes the monument where it finds it, incrusts itself there, assimilates it to itself, develops it according to its fancy, and finishes it if it can. Real Estate. Quirks of the Chinese Leasing System. Subscribers Only. The Case for Unconditioned Air. Smart City. The Future of Commercial Facility Management. What Are Smart Building Certifications? The Resilient Workplace.
Developers build skyscrapers is not only for its functionalities, they also want their buildings higher than others, so that to show prestige and draw more attention.
The developer of Shanghai World Financial Center had ever intended to build spires atop the building to make it higher than Taipei , so that their building will become the tallest building in the world by any measurement by that time. However the plan was not permitted by the local authorities due to the concern of aesthetic aspects.
Ornamental purpose Most skyscrapers have spires installed on the top is for ornamental purpose. For many buildings, spire is a necessary architectural element, these skyscrapers will look weird once the spire is removed, for example, what would it be if the Chrysler Building had no spire built on it?
It would appear incomplete and kind of strange.
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