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  #1  
Old Posted Sep 18, 2019, 3:19 PM
Dariusb Dariusb is online now
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Skyline: uniqueness vs number of buildings?

Which is more important to you when it comes to a skyline: unique architecture or number of towers? I promise, this is my last thread for today, lol!
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  #2  
Old Posted Sep 18, 2019, 3:23 PM
Chisouthside Chisouthside is offline
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a combination of both.
size, big enough for it to feel mighty but with unique and layered architecture from different periods. SF is a good example i think.
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  #3  
Old Posted Sep 18, 2019, 3:27 PM
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both.

i'd also add height variability.

lots of towers. lots of different kinds of towers. lots of different heights of towers.


not surprisingly, something like this is close to my ideal:


Skyline from the south by Jonathan Lurie, on Flick
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  #4  
Old Posted Sep 18, 2019, 3:34 PM
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That's tough.

I know it's a tired, boring comparison, but I think the best example of this is Chicago vs. NY.

Chicago (above) is varied, balanced... almost artful. It's large enough to make a big impact, but:

NYC is MASSIVE. It's more a "wall" of towers than a place like Chicago (or any other smaller city with a respectable skyline), so it doesn't quite have that "artful" balance. But that giant web of dense urban development massages a part of my brain that I think only weirdos like people on this forum have, ha.

I might go size on this one, although even having seen it 1m+ times, I still have a moment of awe one I catch the Chicago skyline at night, early morning or dusk.
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  #5  
Old Posted Sep 18, 2019, 3:55 PM
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Originally Posted by Handro View Post
I know it's a tired, boring comparison, but I think the best example of this is Chicago vs. NY.
That's like the worst comparison. Neither NYC nor Chicago are known for repetitive highrise clusters. If anything, they're quite unusual in not having a significant share of the Hong Kong or Moscow style residential mass-production highrise clusters.

The best North American example of such a style would probably be Toronto. Toronto presents a pretty meaningful contrast to American-style skylines.
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  #6  
Old Posted Sep 18, 2019, 4:03 PM
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Originally Posted by Crawford View Post
That's like the worst comparison. Neither NYC nor Chicago are known for repetitive highrise clusters. If anything, they're quite unusual in not having a significant share of the Hong Kong or Moscow style residential mass-production highrise clusters.
I sense from this and other threads that you tend you disagree a lot, which is fine, but you have a very confrontational style which is pretty grating when I'm here to chat with like-minded people about something we find interesting. Maybe calm down a little bit and realize we're not fighting to be right about these very arbitrary and subjective things.

Anyway.

I think it's a good comparison between North American cities. New York certainly doesn't have the same height discrepancy between towers that Chicago has a lot of, which creates less of a layering effect.

A photographic example, although I've noticed it more in person:

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  #7  
Old Posted Sep 18, 2019, 4:11 PM
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Originally Posted by Handro View Post
I think it's a good comparison between North American cities. New York certainly doesn't have the same height discrepancy between towers that Chicago has a lot of, which creates less of a layering effect.
I think most would agree Chicago has greater "height discrepency" than NY. Chicago doesn't have a huge amount of midrise fabric, thus creating greater contrast between very tall and very low landscapes, which is typical in the U.S. (and even more exaggerated in the Sunbelt).

But what does this have to do with the topic? Neither city is known for repetitive elements in the skyline. There are repetitive complexes, like Presidential Towers in Chicago, but they don't dominate the skyline, as one sees in, say, Hong Kong.
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Old Posted Sep 18, 2019, 8:33 PM
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Originally Posted by Handro View Post
New York certainly doesn't have the same height discrepancy between towers that Chicago has a lot of, which creates less of a layering effect.
well, with NYC's current supertall rampage, it will certainly be adding A LOT of new height variability to its skyline.


source: https://newyorkyimby.com/2018/10/che...irca-2022.html

the old midtown plateau is currently being annihilated, which is nice......
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Old Posted Sep 18, 2019, 4:08 PM
Obadno Obadno is offline
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When I think of aesthetic skylines its Chicago

Nyc is simply massive and impressive in that right, plus its so culturally ubiquitous that its cool to see it in person. (I would guess LA is similar to people back east but I've been to it so many times I dont get that sort of feeling from it)
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  #10  
Old Posted Sep 19, 2019, 10:55 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Crawford View Post
That's like the worst comparison. Neither NYC nor Chicago are known for repetitive highrise clusters. If anything, they're quite unusual in not having a significant share of the Hong Kong or Moscow style residential mass-production highrise clusters.

The best North American example of such a style would probably be Toronto. Toronto presents a pretty meaningful contrast to American-style skylines.
Miami is also like that too. Just any overwhelming amount of "mass production high rise clusters". No supertalls, just huge number of mostly residential 400-800 footers.

I kind of like Cincinnati. Nice example of a smaller skyline with a decent mix of old and new. Carew Tower is a nice 1920s example.

L.A. missed out on taller early 2oth century skyscrapers because of the old 150 foot height limit it imposed (dumbly). L.A. even in the 1920s could have had several 400 foot+ art decos/neo gothics etc. if not for that law. So the L.A. skyline is dominated by lots of post 1950s modernist/postmodern towers, mostly flat topped and lots and lots of pre 1950 150 footers with a couple that were allowed to go a bit higher with clock towers/spires (e.g. Eastern Columbia). Not that they are bad--they are good (e.g. Eastern Columbia) & are being refurbished--but the height is pretty uniform 150 feet. City Hall was the only tall building in the 1920s significantly exempted from the law (454' tall). Would love to see L.A. put up some art deco inspired towers today to make up for the earlier height ban.

Last edited by CaliNative; Sep 19, 2019 at 11:12 AM.
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  #11  
Old Posted Sep 19, 2019, 12:49 PM
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Old and new - Broad Street, Philadelphia:


http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...65#post8691265
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  #12  
Old Posted Sep 19, 2019, 3:33 PM
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Originally Posted by CaliNative View Post
Miami is also like that too. Just any overwhelming amount of "mass production high rise clusters". No supertalls, just huge number of mostly residential 400-800 footers.
Oh yeah, totally forgot about Miami. Agree that Miami is the closest U.S. analogue to the Asian, Latin American or Middle Eastern style, residential-heavy with lots of repetitive, resorty-feeling complexes, and not too many one-offs or buildings from different eras. Maybe San Diego too, though to a lesser extent.
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I kind of like Cincinnati. Nice example of a smaller skyline with a decent mix of old and new. Carew Tower is a nice 1920s example.
Agree. Cincy has a nice skyline, with the bridges, elevation and building variety. It hasn't built much in recent decades, but it give the skyline a unique feel. Cincy has a cool city center, if a tad depressed. I enjoy walking through its core, with a refreshing dearth of hipsters, urban sophisticates and the like.
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  #13  
Old Posted Sep 19, 2019, 8:59 PM
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Originally Posted by CaliNative View Post
Miami is also like that too. Just any overwhelming amount of "mass production high rise clusters". No supertalls, just huge number of mostly residential 400-800 footers.
for sure, miami has the mass, it just needs to get a lot more "spikey" before it truly enters the skyline big leagues of north america (NYC, chicago , and toronto).

and it has like a dozen supertall proposals on the drawing boards, but so...... much...... waiting......

when?

WHEN?
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  #14  
Old Posted Sep 18, 2019, 3:53 PM
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Originally Posted by Dariusb View Post
Which is more important to you when it comes to a skyline: unique architecture or number of towers? I promise, this is my last thread for today, lol!
Unique architecture. It's why skylines like Atlanta, Philadelphia and NYC (variety of spires, crowns, and glass colors/styles) stand out whereas skylines like Houston, Dallas and Chicago (mostly tall nondescript boxes) don't, IMO.
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  #15  
Old Posted Sep 18, 2019, 4:21 PM
iheartthed iheartthed is offline
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Originally Posted by JAYNYC View Post
Unique architecture. It's why skylines like Atlanta, Philadelphia and NYC (variety of spires, crowns, and glass colors/styles) stand out whereas skylines like Houston, Dallas and Chicago (mostly tall nondescript boxes) don't, IMO.
Atlanta is unique but Chicago isn't? Is this a joke?
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  #16  
Old Posted Sep 18, 2019, 5:45 PM
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Originally Posted by iheartthed View Post
Atlanta is unique but Chicago isn't? Is this a joke?
Yes (skyline architecture-wise), and no.
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  #17  
Old Posted Sep 24, 2019, 2:29 PM
ThePhun1 ThePhun1 is offline
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Originally Posted by JAYNYC View Post
Unique architecture. It's why skylines like Atlanta, Philadelphia and NYC (variety of spires, crowns, and glass colors/styles) stand out whereas skylines like Houston, Dallas and Chicago (mostly tall nondescript boxes) don't, IMO.
Houston, Dallas and Chicago don't stand out? Really?

I'll leave Houston out to avoid sounding like a homer but Dallas is amazing imo, especially at night. And Chicago simply has too many iconic towers not to stand out.

Last edited by ThePhun1; Sep 24, 2019 at 6:14 PM.
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  #18  
Old Posted Sep 24, 2019, 4:11 PM
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Originally Posted by ThePhun1 View Post
Houston, Dallas and Chicago don't stand out? Really?

I'll leave Houston out to avoid sounding like a homer but Dallas is amazing imo, especially at night. And Chicago simply has too mant iconic towers not to stand out.
I disagree with his assessment about Chicago; Sears, JHC and now Trump all have prominent spires/ antennae. Houston however, severely is lacking in this area.
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  #19  
Old Posted Sep 24, 2019, 4:32 PM
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I disagree with his assessment about Chicago
i think you'd be hard-pressed to find many who would agree with his assessment of chicago's skyscraper architecture.

chicago is widely regarded as having some of the best skyscraper architecture throughout history, going all the way back to the very beginnings of the building type in the 19th century.

along with NYC, chicago is one of the absolute best skyscraper museums on the planet. i doubt you could find a single architectural historian at any university on the planet who would disagree with that.

as just one small example of this, in the 2013 edition of judith durpe's very popular book "Skyscrapers" (i'm sure all of us nerds have an edition of it laying around somewhere), there are 10 entries for individual chicago skyscrapers (the 2nd most of any city globally). NYC is obviously #1 with 18 entries.
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Last edited by Steely Dan; Sep 24, 2019 at 5:07 PM.
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  #20  
Old Posted Sep 24, 2019, 4:59 PM
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along with NYC, chicago is one of the absolute best skyscraper museums on the planet. i doubt you could find a single architectural historian at any university on the planet who would disagree with that.
Exactly.

The new Chicago Architecture Center is absolutely amazing. I could spend hours staring at that model.
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