In April, six years after construction began at the 9/11 site in New York City, the new world trade center reached the height of 1,271 feet, becoming Manhattan's tallest tower. Within two years, it will reach the symbolic height of 1,776 feet, making it the world's third tallest building.Oh my goodness, good heavens -- why in the world are we building tall, taller, tallest buildings? For tourists -- to get them flocking into the area?
This is the Nina Tower. in Hong Kong, that Hong-Kongers brag about to the tourists.Or, gee, maybe the tall buildings are built so that hugely important, rich -- the richest corporations -- can flaunt their -- um -- prowess?
Is there a Freudian, symbolical significance to these massively marvelous, unique structures, that penetrate, poke into, impregnate the sky?
What thoughts, what ambitions, what inspires the guys, who give us these
penile needles?Would you want to stay at the only 7 star-hotel in the world on the left?
(It's the Burj al, in Dubai.)Hey, maybe it would be fun to have your Dubai office in one the Emigrates Twin towers on the right.
Excuse my French, but I can't help wndering what it costs to rent space in one of these peckers ....
Or get your thrills at the top of one of these other sky pecker-pokers.
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6 comments:
Years ago, when I was a little girl, my parents took us to NYC and we went to the top of the Empire State building....that was tall enough for me! I don't like heights that well so a hotel close to the ground is right for me. Interesting blog about the world's tallest buildings-enjoyed this and the info!
Great question and you hit my number one answer, Em!
Outside of my tower's bigger than your tower, here are some other possible reasons as to why we, and by we, I mean mostly male architects, are building taller and taller buildings.
We want to get closer to God.
We yearn to return to the ancestral trees for height and protection.
We need to build taller buildings in order to see the lake, river, mountain, ocean past last year's taller buildings.
Our cities are getting so crowded the only way to build is up.
As technology to facilitate monstrous buildings improves, people who love gadgets and engineering will use this tech to build, just because they can.
Humankind is evolving a social insect mentality; when you live in a giant tower like a termite, you can look down at the people below who appear the size of ants.
Humankind is yearning to leave the planet, so builds and lives in structures that are reaching to the stars.
The above are all intriguing possibilities, and maybe all contribute to the reasons we are building taller and taller structures.
But I like yours, Em, the one where my tower is taller, bigger, more powerful, than your tower.
: )))
Louise Sorensen
louise3anne twitter
So what happens if you're in a hotel in a tall, tall building, and there's a fire and all the elevators shut down--you have to run down all those stairs. Which is what happened on 9-11.
Interesting observation, Em. Your story makes me think of David Kaplan's Book, Mine is Bigger--a picture story about the contest to see which multi-millionaire can hire-out the building of the biggest yacht.
Having spent most of my life in rural areas and small towns, I can only remain in the congestion of a big city for a short time, and definitely stay out of tall buildings.
Your story reminds me of the time I read Ayn Rand's, The Fountainhead, when I was an impressionable teen-aged boy. I was so seized-up by Howard Roark's passion for changing the city skyline with his own ego and his own brand of tall buildings, that I spent a good part of my life studying and practicing architecture.
I quickly learned that it was much more gratifying to design and build beautiful structures that blended into the hillside in such a way that you had to look closely to notice them.
To each his own.
If I may be so crude..THESE PRICKS ARE HAVING A PISSING CONTEST! ;-)
So ridiculous! And yes, most of these architects are men...dollars to donuts all of those who designed those "erected" buildings were all men.
Sorry, I couldn't resist!
Been up top on the Twin Towers.
Find it fascinating the engineering talent that folks have to construct such sky reaching buildings.
A pising contest? Maybe, but the engineers are rather ingenious these days.
My favourite tall building is most likely The Bural. There is a Trump built one in Chi town that I like as well.
Regardless, the talents of those who design and build are immense. Keep reaching for the ky....pardon the pun!
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