Tall buildings

[mrswdk]

Why do Europeans hate skyscrapers so much?

[AndyDufresne]

In Star Trek, the Ferengi's homeworld, Ferenginar, has a Tower of Commerce, which is very tall and which is a sort of icon in their "religious dedication" to acquiring wealth: http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Tower_of_Commerce

Moreover, in Star Trek, some "Ferengi criminals and financial deviants were taken by the FCA to the top of the spire of the Tower of Commerce and shoved off to plummet into the Sacred Marketplace, where people bet on where the victims would land."

Ferengi are usually a stand in for one aspect of human culture.

Also, Europeans evidently prefer their old buildings.


--Andy

[tzor]

Why do Europeans hate skyscrapers so much?

They are an American invention.

In 1852 Elisha Otis introduced the safety elevator, allowing convenient and safe passenger movement to upper floors. Another crucial development was the use of a steel frame instead of stone or brick, otherwise the walls on the lower floors on a tall building would be too thick to be practical. An early development in this area was Oriel Chambers in Liverpool. Designed by local architect Peter Ellis in 1864, the building was the world's first iron-framed, glass curtain-walled office building. It was only 5 floors high.[22][23][24] Further developments led to the world's first skyscraper, the ten-story Home Insurance Building in Chicago, built in 1884–1885.[25] While its height is not considered very impressive today, it was at that time. The architect, Major William Le Baron Jenney, created a load-bearing structural frame. In this building, a steel frame supported the entire weight of the walls, instead of load-bearing walls carrying the weight of the building. This development led to the "Chicago skeleton" form of construction. In addition to the steel frame, the Home Insurance Building also utilized fireproofing, elevators, and electrical wiring, key elements in most skyscrapers today.[26]

I can't speak for Europe, but I know in London The Gherkin is a 40 story building and there were a lot of skyscrapers along Canary Warf where Reuters used to have its headquarters before it got bought out by Thompson.

[Lootifer]

Cant speak for Euros but there are some god awful looking tall buildings* around where I live.

Old European architecture >>>> "modern" tall buildings that look dated 2 years later.

*tall buildings in NZ are like 10-20 stories

[DaGip]

Why do Europeans hate skyscrapers so much?

[Dukasaur]

Superman can leap them in a single bound.

[Metsfanmax]

They kill lots of birds.

[mrswdk]

I was drinking in a bar on the 118th floor of a skyscraper tonight. The view was epic. Tall buildings are cool, everyone knows it.

[TA1LGUNN3R]

I was drinking in a bar on the 118th floor of a skyscraper tonight. The view was epic. Tall buildings are cool, everyone knows it.

Agreed. They're also a testament to how awesome we are. f*ck the ground, it's dirty.

-TG

[nietzsche]

I was drinking in a bar on the 118th floor of a skyscraper tonight. The view was epic. Tall buildings are cool, everyone knows it.

I just hacked the cctv system (admin:admin lol) of the Ozone Bar.

We have 6 possibilities to who Mrs. WDK might be, based on her small boobs. saxi is dealing with the guessing game, I'm just providing the screenshots. If you want to help us find out PM saxi.

[crispybits]

Here I was thinking the Greeks invented skyscrapers, after all they invented everything else (including fire and God)

[nietzsche]

Here I was thinking the Greeks invented skyscrapers, after all they invented everything else (including fire and God)

I'm interested to know why you say they invented God. Would it be a cliche for me to said the gods they invented were killed?

[crispybits]

It was a reference to this lovely thread:

viewtopic.php?p=4620026#p4620026

[DaGip]

I was drinking in a bar on the 118th floor of a skyscraper tonight. The view was epic. Tall buildings are cool, everyone knows it.

Agreed. They're also a testament to how awesome we are. f*ck the ground, it's dirty.

-TG

f*ck the ground?

[waauw]

As a european I got to say I'm jealous about the rest of the world. Those skyscrapers look so nice. Here they are forbidden because of extremely strict architectural laws
For some reason our politicians think it would ruin the view. In fact, looking at a list of the highest buildings in my country, most of 'm are old church towers

[notyou2]

That Chicago 10 story sky scraper was designed by a McGill University Graduate

[DaGip]

As a european I got to say I'm jealous about the rest of the world. Those skyscrapers look so nice. Here they are forbidden because of extremely strict architectural laws
For some reason our politicians think it would ruin the view. In fact, looking at a list of the highest buildings in my country, most of 'm are old church towers

This?



over This?



Only the Antichrist would say such a thing.

But putting the "church" thing aside, I have to say I enjoy being able to see the lay of the land as opposed to seeing giant LEGO sets messing up the horizon. There is a certain appreciation and understanding in Europe of the principles of Gestalt that most American cities (and other countries) do not have.

[mrswdk]

Ozone bar

lol. My lawyer will be contacting you about the restraining order within the next few days.

[JBlombier]

About these church towers waauw mentions. In Utrecht, where I live, we have the Dom Tower. It used to be part of the Dom Church, but after a storm long ago they were separated. This is now the symbol for Utrecht, with its 112 meters in height. Because it is our symbol and we value that, no other building in Utrecht is allowed to be higher than 111 meters! I think that's awesome and I hope they will never change that law.

[DaGip]

About these church towers waauw mentions. In Utrecht, where I live, we have the Dom Tower. It used to be part of the Dom Church, but after a storm long ago they were separated. This is now the symbol for Utrecht, with its 112 meters in height. Because it is our symbol and we value that, no other building in Utrecht is allowed to be higher than 111 meters! I think that's awesome and I hope they will never change that law.

Instead of building skyscrapers up, why don't they build large bunkers downward? Like Umbrella Corp.

[notyou2]

About these church towers waauw mentions. In Utrecht, where I live, we have the Dom Tower. It used to be part of the Dom Church, but after a storm long ago they were separated. This is now the symbol for Utrecht, with its 112 meters in height. Because it is our symbol and we value that, no other building in Utrecht is allowed to be higher than 111 meters! I think that's awesome and I hope they will never change that law.

Thus the Treaty of Utrecht was born.

[crispybits]

Instead of building skyscrapers up, why don't they build large bunkers downward? Like Umbrella Corp.

Didn't you see the series of documentaries (all true of course) about how badly that went when they tried it?

[notyou2]

Ozone bar

lol. My lawyer will be contacting you about the restraining order within the next few days.

OHHHHH, this is what you were referencing, now I understand.

[saxitoxin]

About these church towers waauw mentions. In Utrecht, where I live, we have the Dom Tower. It used to be part of the Dom Church, but after a storm long ago they were separated.

Is there a bar at the top?

This is now the symbol for Utrecht, with its 112 meters in height. Because it is our symbol and we value that, no other building in Utrecht is allowed to be higher than 111 meters! I think that's awesome and I hope they will never change that law.

According to Wikipedia, until 1984 no building in Philadelphia could be taller than the statue of William Penn. And then things went to hell. So keep the Dom Tower safe from mrswdk and her minions.

[muy_thaiguy]

Tallest building in Wyoming is the student dorm building, White Hall. At 200 feet, or 61 meters. So, yeah.