Skyscraper
Day is celebrated on 3 September annually to appreciate the architecture and
engineering of high-rise urban buildings.
Skyscrapers
have only been around for about 130 years. The world's first skyscraper was
completed in 1885 in Chicago and it stood only 138 feet tall, a mere 10
stories. Even though it was small by today’s comparisons, the term
‘’skyscraper’’ was invented. Today building must have at least 40 floors to be
classified as a skyscraper.
Skyscrapers
give people a top-down look at the city in which they live, while addressing
the challenges of accommodating a rising population. There is a certain amount
of attention for a city that declares that it has the tallest building in the
region or in the world.
In
architectural and engineering terms, skyscrapers are gargantuan projects that
rely on heavy-duty science and the artistry of design in equal measure. And now
there is increasing scrutiny on health and safety issues, they are becoming a
debatable topic for addressing urban living.
The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is
currently the tallest building in the world at 829.8 metres (2,722 feet) with
160 stories. It is caled a megatall skyscraper. Construction began in 2004 and
was completed in 2009. It has 57 elevators (lifts) and 8 escalators. The
designer of the Burj Khalifa was Adrian Smith under Skidmore, Owings &
Merrill.
I am not a fan of megatall skyscrapers or even a city full
of skyscrapers; 10-15 floors seems more okay – but where do the children play?
MARTINA NICOLLS is an international
aid and development consultant, and the author of:- Similar But Different
in the Animal Kingdom (2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament
(2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a
Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).
Comments
Post a Comment