the best attempt at high-rise design?

[francojean23]

of date...many architects and critics still feel the architectural profession lacks in design of high-rise building, of certain this was the case moving away from the beaux-arts style, but most say the problem is still strong today...

interested in what people feel is the best attempt at high-rise design, maybe none...?

would like to know any projects, realized and not...

[P.C.]

Hi

When the WTC collapsed it was the floors, how the floors was attached the obvious different aproach ,a strong outher "tube" and how inside a compleatly different engineered inner tower and floor hangers that made the towers go down when the weaker spots gave away.

--------- I say use a method that omit the hangers and bolts, make the structure even . Without being tree different aproaches bolted together with a bracked ,simply learn from how this unfolded skip doing to different structures hang together with a weak fitting, ---- now the hangers maby would be strong enough in other applications but if a rigid inner structure expand and the outher tube will hold a mountain somthing will break, ----- then my suggestion is to do it in a method that carry no hangers or bolts one that transfere the force in multible points all over the structure, one that allow for expantion in some parts, that allow huge sections missing even the rest will still stand, as the force will be equaly distributated.

[francojean23]

get away from the technical aspects about high-rise design...

of course we know how to build high...take a lesson from chicago...

i'm talking about design, we have no precedents for building high...

trying to get this forum away from the technical aspects of architecture and more on the design aspects...

i would like to hear about what buildings people feel are the best designed high-rises...considering the relatively little time they have had to develop compared with the rest of architectural design...

[Justus]

Well, the technical apects can't be neglected in highrise.
Personally I am very impressed by buildings such as Burj al Arab and Turning Torso (minus the facade). The joke is they are only made possible by a vast amount of engeneering.

I probably need not remind you that most architects carry 'ornament und verbrechen' in their mind. Indeed, in the more interesting examples of highrise, construction is used as a form of ornamentation, while beauty lies in the character of the interior space, and the view.

Ofcourse money, floor space, construction time and weight are also factors in highrise buiding.

You say there are no precedents for buiding high... effectively denying 150 years of highrise building, forgetting about medieval church spires, passing on thousands of years experience in pyramid building.

[P.C.]

Hi

You are quite right, --- still then the tread shuld expand to a discussion about "why not highrise" , and if decor as we know it shuld develob in terms of enginering details or a return to the artistic aproach.

My problem with this is that I cirtainly se enginering issues as decor with many modern structures on the other hand this don't work well concerning the interiours ,where it seem that the enginering rule so that there are hardly any room for other arts , ---- it is like if there is no enginering use for somthing the glue between the structure and what make the inviroment don't work ,there is a place for a choice of materials and style but not for decor.

But you are right, why continue discussing highrise, when they turn out so cold and edgy, when a family flat cost millions ,when highrise buildings make no livable human spaces, -- we already had enough medium hight concrete monsters time is up for a new architecture.

[francojean23]

you might want to try just over a 100 years of high-rise design...and i would not place all high-structures in one group...a church spire and a high-rise office or housing building are two entirely different things and shouldn't be used to design the other...

perhaps all should take a look at the proposals for the tribune tower in chicago...and see how little these architects knew about building high...

and little progress has been made i believe...

[P.C.]

Hi

Now you mention highrise and church towers, --- try look at this splendid link ; why did the architect go from stone to wood and copper sheeding well check out ;

http://www.vestfilm.dk/himmelstigen/english/stairwaytoheavenafilm.html

[svenglezz-ASMEIL]

Hello,

Not an Architect but have worked on many high rises in Toronto (mechanical) and most being Condo types, and only on the "larger" size projects the Architect get's some say in how they look.

Main reason "Costs" from the type of material offered to window types. And in some cases they change the look all together due to what is available and "when" (due to a shortage of supply).

So to answer the question on "high-rise" buildings designs realy dep. on the type of building Hotel, Office, Condo.

But must say one or two I've worked on in the past are just plane nice

One is by Bernard Watt Arch. in Toronto at 100 Hayden St. Office/Church with Condo Suites Above 24 Levels. Very nice design not one of the "all" glass looking types.

The other one'z where done by diff. architects at the Concord Adex Project next to the Skydome, nice designs but th'r all looking the same in the downtown area now it's like th'r borrowing the CAD files

Sven

Enclosed my web site have some pics of the buildings and arch. lists etc and/or search for "Concord Adex" in Yahoo or Google, they have many pictures of the Highest buildings in Toronto being built at this time.

my Web page: http://ca.geocities.com/cad-design@rogers.com/

[Architorture]

what is wrong with the early high rise structures of sullivan and such?

that was when they still understood how to build tall but with respect to some natural situations... like don't make the section so deep as to not allow natural light into the core...or the use of interior spaces for ventilation and such...

of course many of sullivan's principles are difficult to apply to a building that is 50 stories tall, but it is a start when thinking about the high rise