Skyscrapers


Book Description

Looks at the history of skyscrapers, describes fifty notable structures from around the world, and looks at the technology necessary to build such tall structures




Chicago Skyscrapers, 1871-1934


Book Description

A detailed tour, inside and out, of Chicago's distinctive towers from an earlier age For more than a century, Chicago's skyline has included some of the world's most distinctive and inspiring buildings. This history of the Windy City's skyscrapers begins in the key period of reconstruction after the Great Fire of 1871 and concludes in 1934 with the onset of the Great Depression, which brought architectural progress to a standstill. During this time, such iconic landmarks as the Chicago Tribune Tower, the Wrigley Building, the Marshall Field and Company Building, the Chicago Stock Exchange, the Palmolive Building, the Masonic Temple, the City Opera, Merchandise Mart, and many others rose to impressive new heights, thanks to innovations in building methods and materials. Solid, earthbound edifices of iron, brick, and stone made way for towers of steel and plate glass, imparting a striking new look to Chicago's growing urban landscape. Thomas Leslie reveals the daily struggles, technical breakthroughs, and negotiations that produced these magnificent buildings. He also considers how the city's infamous political climate contributed to its architecture, as building and zoning codes were often disputed by shifting networks of rivals, labor unions, professional organizations, and municipal bodies. Featuring more than a hundred photographs and illustrations of the city's physically impressive and beautifully diverse architecture, Chicago Skyscrapers, 1871–1934 highlights an exceptionally dynamic, energetic period of architectural progress in Chicago.




Skyscrapers


Book Description

This history of skyscrapers examines how these tall buildings affected the cityscape and the people who worked in, lived in, and visited them. Much of the focus is rightly on the architects who had the vision to design and build America's skyscrapers, but attention is also given to the steelworkers who built them, the financiers who put up the money, and the daredevils who attempt to "conquer" them in some inexplicable pursuit of fame. The impact of the skyscraper on popular culture, particularly film and literature, is also explored.




National Geographic Readers: Skyscrapers (Level 3)


Book Description

Learn all about the world's most amazing skyscrapers – from the first, to the tallest, to how they're built, and everything in between – in this new National Geographic Kids Reader. The Level 3 text provides accessible, yet wide-ranging, information for fluent readers.




Skyscrapers


Book Description

Describes the design, construction, and operation of famous skyscrapers.




Skyscrapers


Book Description

An investigation of thirty skyscrapers from around the world—both recently built and under construction—that explains the structural principles behind their creation




Skyscrapers


Book Description

An investigation of thirty skyscrapers from around the world--both recently built and under construction--that explains the structural principles behind their creation




Building the Skyline


Book Description

The Manhattan skyline is one of the great wonders of the modern world. But how and why did it form? Much has been written about the city's architecture and its general history, but little work has explored the economic forces that created the skyline. In Building the Skyline, Jason Barr chronicles the economic history of the Manhattan skyline. In the process, he debunks some widely held misconceptions about the city's history. Starting with Manhattan's natural and geological history, Barr moves on to how these formations influenced early land use and the development of neighborhoods, including the dense tenement neighborhoods of Five Points and the Lower East Side, and how these early decisions eventually impacted the location of skyscrapers built during the Skyscraper Revolution at the end of the 19th century. Barr then explores the economic history of skyscrapers and the skyline, investigating the reasons for their heights, frequencies, locations, and shapes. He discusses why skyscrapers emerged downtown and why they appeared three miles to the north in midtown-but not in between the two areas. Contrary to popular belief, this was not due to the depths of Manhattan's bedrock, nor the presence of Grand Central Station. Rather, midtown's emergence was a response to the economic and demographic forces that were taking place north of 14th Street after the Civil War. Building the Skyline also presents the first rigorous investigation of the causes of the building boom during the Roaring Twenties. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the boom was largely a rational response to the economic growth of the nation and city. The last chapter investigates the value of Manhattan Island and the relationship between skyscrapers and land prices. Finally, an Epilogue offers policy recommendations for a resilient and robust future skyline.




Skyscrapers


Book Description

Soaring high into the sky, giants of glass, metal, steel, and mortar revolutionized urban architecture in the twentieth century. From classics (the Empire State Building) to more recent constructions such as the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lampur, nearly fifty world-class skyscrapers--including the World Trade Center--are celebrated in a vertical volume that emulates its subject matter. Led by an expert on architecture and urban development, travel around the world from Hong Kong to Moscow, and dozens of destinations in between to pay tribute to such imposing structures as San Francisco's Transamerica Pyramid, Riyadh's Kingdom Center, Tokyo's Town Hall, Paris's Tour de Montparnasse, and Frankfurt's Messe Turm. Photographed in crisp color, these architectural icons are captured from every angle: distant shots establish stature within a skyline; breathtaking views from the ground skyward emphasize the awesome height; and artistic close-up shots reveal an elegant, abstract, geometric beauty. Take your place on the observation deck of the Sears Tower. Marvel at the Rialto Towers in Melbourne. Watch as death-defying workers navigate beams high above the city to construct these modern wonders. Imagine what skyscrapers of the future might be like. From the comfort of your armchair, you'll enjoy an unsupassed view.




How to Build a Skyscraper


Book Description

"45 skyscrapers are examined for their pioneering technology, sustainability, and other characteristics that set them apart. Each building is presented with a large photograph with cross-section drawings plus fact boxes listing location, year of completion, height, stories, primary functions, owner/developer, architect, structural engineer, and construction firm. The buildings examined are distributed over the world's most developed regions of North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia."--




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