[Great68]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ac/OneWorldTradeCenter.jpg

13 years after the September 11 attacks, the new tower finally opens today.

Construction basically began in 2004 (after debris was cleared out)

Said to be a symbol of American resiliance...





In contrast, the Burj Khalifa at almost 1000ft taller started in 2004 and opened in 2010.

American resiliance, or fading world power?

[murd0c]

they really should of opened it on Sep11th or Remembrance day would be a lot more fitting...

[multicartual]

[IMG]
In contrast, the Burj Khalifa at almost 1000ft taller started in 2004 and opened in 2010.

American resiliance, or fading world power?


I bet a lot of those American workers who built it are damn proud of their work and enjoyed their time building it.

While we are not against progress, innovation and growth, we feel that during all the excitement about the opening of the the Burj Khalifa (formerly known as Burj Dubai), it is forgotten that those who built it, mainly south-Asian migrant workers, have paid a high price for this ambitious project. Those workers toiled 12 hour a day, 6 days a week for pay as little as $4 per day.

Built by slave labour.

Behind the Glamorous Facade of the Burj Khalifa | Advancing the rights of migrant workers throughout the Middle East | Migrant Rights (http://www.migrant-rights.org/research/behind-the-glamorous-facade-of-the-burj-khalifa/)


A Human Rights Watch report from November 2006 about construction workers in the UAE found that “on average a migrant construction worker earns $175 a month (the average per capita income in the UAE is $2,106 a month).” The report found several abuses that construction workers suffer in the UAE, including “unpaid or extremely low wages, several years of indebtedness to recruitment agencies for fees that UAE law says only employers should pay, the withholding of employees’ passports, and hazardous working conditions that result in apparently high rates of death and injury.”


Wonder how many people died building the WTC1 VS the Burj K?

[Mr.HappySilp]

they really should of opened it on Sep11th or Remembrance day would be a lot more fitting...

agree. I think opening it on Remembrance day is better though. A lot of ppl is still not over Sept 11 yet.

[StylinRed]

I bet a lot of those American workers who built it are damn proud of their work and enjoyed their time building it.


Wonder how many people died building the WTC1 VS the Burj K?


2 ppl died in 1WTC's construction and many injuries, also the NY Daily Newspaper uncovered at least 34 serious injuries had gone unreported including broken backs EXCLUSIVE: Dozens of injuries at World Trade Center construction site went unreported - NY Daily News (http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/exclusive-dozens-injuries-wtc-site-unreported-article-1.1996945)

with the Burj only 1 reported death occurred in 2007 when someone fell off of it however HRW (human rights watch) thinks there must have been many more deaths due to heat exhaustion Burj Khalifa (Dubai) ? The Truth Behind the Bling | Archi-Ninja (http://www.archi-ninja.com/burj-khalifa-dubai-the-truth-behind-the-bling/)

[quasi]

In contrast, the Burj Khalifa at almost 1000ft taller started in 2004 and opened in 2010.

American resiliance, or fading world power?


We're talking a blank cheque book in Dubai, you dump money at any project whether it's a paint job on a car, a home renovation or the tallest building in the world and you can speed up production.

[StylinRed]

We're talking a blank cheque book in Dubai, you dump money at project and you can speed up production.

Right which is what you think would have done in this particular case to show resilience instead of showing it took the US 13yrs! to recover (even though their economy is still in the dump)


Although it only cost $1.5bn to build the burj and $3bn to build the new wtc

[RRxtar]

WTC1 cost $3.9billion vs BK's $1.5billion. Tells you a little something about the costs associated with using high quality trades, vs slave labor.

[quasi]

Right which is what you think would have done in this particular case to show resilience instead of showing it took the US 13yrs! to recover (even though their economy is still in the dump)


Although it only cost $1.5bn to build the burj and $3bn to build the new wtc

Who owns that building? Private investors probably are not willing to increase there budget by say 50% to get it done a few years sooner in Dubai they have so much money they can wipe there asses with it.

[DragonChi]

2 ppl died in 1WTC's construction and many injuries, also the NY Daily Newspaper uncovered at least 34 serious injuries had gone unreported including broken backs EXCLUSIVE: Dozens of injuries at World Trade Center construction site went unreported - NY Daily News (http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/exclusive-dozens-injuries-wtc-site-unreported-article-1.1996945)

with the Burj only 1 reported death occurred in 2007 when someone fell off of it however HRW (human rights watch) thinks there must have been many more deaths due to heat exhaustion Burj Khalifa (Dubai) ? The Truth Behind the Bling | Archi-Ninja (http://www.archi-ninja.com/burj-khalifa-dubai-the-truth-behind-the-bling/)

There are unreported casualties on both sides. But which one is importing cheap disposable labour?

[nabs]

It's a beautiful building I must say when I saw it in person, Almost appears to dissapear on a clear day.

[shenmecar]

That's comparing apple and oranges. That's like saying, "by contrast, the Chinese could have built that in a week"

[TOS'd]

It's a beautiful building I must say when I saw it in person, Almost appears to dissapear on a clear day.

I see what you did there.. :suspicious:

[Nlkko]

I'm sure they have considered the option of building the tallest, baddest motherfucking tower in the universe but this was chosen in place instead for better reason than showcasing the US is a fading world power.

[pastarocket]

Is it a coincidence that the timing of the new WTC tower is close to the U.S. and its allies' war against ISIS?

America's symbolic way of saying "fuck Terrorists?"

http://epicmemebattles.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/When-I-saw-the-rendering-of-the-new-World-Trade-Center.jpg

[SkinnyPupp]

In contrast, the Burj Khalifa at almost 1000ft taller started in 2004 and opened in 2010.

American resiliance, or fading world power?
I think a smaller tower built by Americans is more symbolic than all the ridiculously ostentatious structures built by slaves in that godforsaken shithole.

[Hondaracer]

since this has become a burj discussion..

i was amazed when at the top of the eifel tower they had the comparison charts inside, i havent been to the CN tower since i was like 10, but the CN tower is only very slightly taller than the Eifel tower, and the Burj is almost 3 times the height of both

:S

[StylinRed]

I think a smaller tower built by Americans is more symbolic than all the ridiculously ostentatious structures built by slaves in that godforsaken shithole.

As if undocumented workers weren't used in 1wtc.... (they were, it was on the news sometime ago about a bunch getting arrested) if you Google it though you'll only get a load of results regarding all the illegals that died in the wtc during 9/11 fighting for gov't. Support


Cool gif showing the construction

http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/807933560.gif

[SkinnyPupp]

As if undocumented workers weren't used in 1wtc.... (they were, it was on the news sometime ago about a bunch getting arrested) if you Google it though you'll only get a load of results regarding all the illegals that died in the wtc during 9/11 fighting for gov't. Support


Cool gif showing the construction

http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/807933560.gif
:seriously: illegal immigrants is quite a different thing from government sanctioned slavery. Come on

[AzNightmare]

13 years after the September 11 attacks, the new tower finally opens today.

Construction basically began in 2004 (after debris was cleared out)

Said to be a symbol of American resiliance...


In contrast, the Burj Khalifa at almost 1000ft taller started in 2004 and opened in 2010.

American resiliance, or fading world power?


You noob...

The WTC1's roof is exactly 1368 ft tall, which was the same height as the original North Tower.
An antennae was added on top to bring the structure's exact height to 1776 ft. I'll let you figure out the significance of 1776 (for Americans).

It was never intended to challenge the Burj Khalifa or to show "world power" by having the tallest penis sticking up in the sky.

[multicartual]

I love America and everything it represents. Even with all of the Anita Sarkeesians and other social justice warriors, with all of the rednecks, queers, retards, pop star faggots and Dan Bilzerians, I'm so happy America exists.

<3

Life is a playground, thank America for that.

[StylinRed]

:seriously: illegal immigrants is quite a different thing from government sanctioned slavery. Come on

its not that far off, illegals are paid less than min wage in the states with no rights and if they get injured they're simply told to fuck off in an expensive inhospitable environment

with the uae sure they were paid shit wages too about 15 Emirati for a full day but that's not too far off from pay in surrounding countries and prices aren't as high as they are in the states (except in the wealthy areas)

my point is they're both bad, I would agree UAE is worse but you can't praise one while demonizing the other

[BrRsn]

its not that far off, illegals are paid less than min wage in the states with no rights and if they get injured they're simply told to fuck off in an expensive inhospitable environment

with the uae sure they were paid shit wages too about 15 Emirati for a full day but that's not too far off from pay in surrounding countries and prices aren't as high as they are in the states (except in the wealthy areas)

my point is they're both bad, I would agree UAE is worse but you can't praise one while demonizing the other

Uhh .. yeah you can -- I'd rather be a foreign worker in America than UAE any day of the week

Foreign workers are considered 'untouchables' in their culture -- it is socially acceptable to beat them for any reason and in general treat them like shit. They go to their home country, promise them good money, and once they get to Dubai essentially their passports are taken away, they are charged for their shelter/food and are basically stuck in a cycle where they can never get enough money to get out. On top of that, no running water, no sewer systems, and living in all-male shanty towns in the desert where the heat easily surpasses 40 degrees celsius with no AC either.

Deaths aren't reported because they don't have to be, there's footage of some of these workers being interviewed and they admit each one of them knows of at least 1 or 2 people that have died on a construction site, or because they decided to just kill themselves because of the situation they were stuck in

[Hondaracer]

Who cares?

The bottom line is, despite what the bleeding hearts might think, is that NOT everyone is entitled to basic human rights. Especially when your government couldn't care less whether you live or die. In fact it's probably far better that you die than live.

The guys working on the burj, the kids in India working on salvage yards shoulder deep in mercury. If they weren't doing that, they probably wouldn't be doing anything and as a result wouldn't be eating.

*Sinatra voice * That's lifeeeee!

[VR6GTI]

I see what you did there.. :suspicious:
I think he was being serious, because thats how it really looks
Its crazy that when a plane fly's by about every minute or so the planes shadow goes across the building

[ZN6]

In contrast, the Burj Khalifa at almost 1000ft taller started in 2004 and opened in 2010.

American resiliance, or fading world power?

:facepalm:

The full height of the building including antenna signifies a date in American history. Like, literally the beginning of Nation we call USA, today. Not a pissing match on who could build a higher tower. Is wikipedia failing you? Or is it that you've failed in Wikipedia'ing?

I've personally been there and actually learned something while I was there on why it is the way it is and what the two holes in the ground that were turned into waterfalls represent. Everything that is a landmark in New York has some form of significant symbolism tied in with it and was done for a reason.

[godwin]

Don't forget what is underneath WTC1 is a whole transport hub with subways etc, not to mention legacy systems. There is nothing as complicated underneath BK.

[StylinRed]

Uhh .. yeah you can -- I'd rather be a foreign worker in America than UAE any day of the week

They go to their home country, promise them good money, and once they get to Dubai essentially their passports are taken away, they are charged for their shelter/food and are basically stuck in a cycle where they can never get enough money to get out. On top of that, no running water, no sewer systems, and living in all-male shanty towns in the desert

So like we treat foreign workers here and in the states...sure if it's revealed the government will clamp down on issues but largely it goes on unchecked... like the farms in pitt meadows treating Mexican workers like shit and stuffing them in shacks with no heating/water/washrooms

or more recently with the foreign worker program that was allowed to go on until the CBC broke the news (workers also had their passports seized and forced to live in apartments run by their employers for high fees)

the same stories can be found in the states (but at least in canada these workers can get medical treatment)


where the heat easily surpasses 40 degrees celsius with no AC either.

Deaths aren't reported because they don't have to be, there's footage of some of these workers being interviewed and they admit each one of them knows of at least 1 or 2 people that have died on a construction site, or because they decided to just kill themselves because of the situation they were stuck in

no ones denying its bad my point is its bad in the states too but ignored and treated as if shit like that doesn't happen but it does

so again you can't praise one and demonize the other...they're both bad

[CivicBlues]

So like we treat foreign workers here and in the states...sure if it's revealed the government will clamp down on issues but largely it goes on unchecked... like the farms in pitt meadows treating Mexican workers like shit and stuffing them in shacks with no heating/water/washrooms

or more recently with the foreign worker program that was allowed to go on until the CBC broke the news (workers also had their passports seized and forced to live in apartments run by their employers for high fees)

the same stories can be found in the states (but at least in canada these workers can get medical treatment)




no ones denying its bad my point is its bad in the states too but ignored and treated as if shit like that doesn't happen but it does

so again you can't praise one and demonize the other...they're both bad

No one's ignoring the plight of illegal immigrants in North America, otherwise you wouldn't be hear anything in the news about it and we wouldn't be discussing it here (why are we again? I thought this was a thread about One WTC?). But creating a false equivalency between that and the utterly horrible conditions of South Asian workers in the Gulf States is facetious at best and smacks of more of your Anti-Western bias.

Would you compare sexual harassment of women in Western societies with the sickening oppression of women in Taliban Afghanistan or ISIS-controlled Syria? No? They're both bad. :bullshit:

[StylinRed]

Anti-Western bias.

is it an anti western bias? i don't think so it's more of understanding the facts as they are and voicing them against a a pro-western bias that likes to ignore their own failings

Would you compare sexual harassment of women in Western societies with the sickening oppression of women in Taliban Afghanistan ... ? No? They're both bad. :bullshit:

yes when it comes to the Taliban; we see circumstances just as bad or worse going on in western societies against women but they get portrayed differently than when similar circumstances happen in a 3rd world country like afghanistan

as for why its a topic of discussion...i don't know the OP brought it up :P

[underscore]

The WTC1's roof is exactly 1368 ft tall, which was the same height as the original North Tower.
An antennae was added on top to bring the structure's exact height to 1776 ft. I'll let you figure out the significance of 1776 (for Americans).

It has a 408ft antenna on top? That's impressive in itself.

Don't forget what is underneath WTC1 is a whole transport hub with subways etc, not to mention legacy systems. There is nothing as complicated underneath BK.

Good point, the cost to be able to modify things to take that weight (not to mention the increased footprint of the building) would be immense.

so again you can't praise one and demonize the other...they're both bad

That they are, but you're comparing the Girl Scouts to Seal Team 6 here. Not to mention the scale of the problem isn't even comparable.

[StylinRed]

That they are, but you're comparing the Girl Scouts to Seal Team 6 here. Not to mention the scale of the problem isn't even comparable.

can't argue with you there :lol

[CivicBlues]

OP implied it took 13 years to build this tower when in actuality it took closer to 8 years since construction started in 2006 after several delays in the planning and design process.

In terms of NYC building projects however, this pales in comparison to the Second Avenue Subway, which has been in the works since the 1920s and has a tentative completion date of 2029! (construction started 2005)

We can't really compare the building processes of a First World country with those of an emerging economy where there are lax labour laws, building code deficiencies and little to no respect for existing property rights. I mean how long is it taking to build our site C dam in the middle of nowhere without pissing off a slew of environmentalists and First Nations groups.

Architecturally speaking, I don't think the round podium on which the antenna sits upon matches the sharp angles of the building itself. But overall, love the reflective glass facade, wish we had more buildings in a similar vein in Vancouver. We do have the new MNP tower on West Hastings St. coming up though which is a beaut.

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7558/15498318128_e25fbc3dce_z.jpg

[bananana]

StylinRed you need to shut the fuck up. All you ever do is blindly regurgitate your anti-captalist bullshit over and over. I get that offering some sort of contrarian opinion makes you feel superior but from the other side all we see is just some jackass that has NEVER produced anything of value in life.

Your entire rant in this thread is so fucking uncalled for. I seriously don't know what the fuck goes on inside your head :fulloffuck:

[nabs]

I see what you did there.. :suspicious:

I think he was being serious, because thats how it really looks
Its crazy that when a plane fly's by about every minute or so the planes shadow goes across the building

Pics from ground level from June 2013

http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t471/nabmohammed/IMG_1210_zpsacc9cd23.jpg

http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t471/nabmohammed/IMG_1209_zps54ab4db3.jpg

[m!chael]

Right which is what you think would have done in this particular case to show resilience instead of showing it took the US 13yrs! to recover (even though their economy is still in the dump)


Although it only cost $1.5bn to build the burj and $3bn to build the new wtc

That's a dumb thing to say.

[m!chael]

is it an anti western bias? i don't think so it's more of understanding the facts as they are and voicing them against a a pro-western bias that likes to ignore their own failings



yes when it comes to the Taliban; we see circumstances just as bad or worse going on in western societies against women but they get portrayed differently than when similar circumstances happen in a 3rd world country like afghanistan

as for why its a topic of discussion...i don't know the OP brought it up :P

Can you please provide some evidence? I am actually curious to know what happens in Western Countries (let's focus on the U.S. and Canada here) that is worse than not being able to vote, work, leave the house without a male chaperon, etc.

[Sunfighter]

Sorry, I'm a little worked up here as well ... StylinRed's comment about the treatment of women in "western societies..."

A ~ I noticed that you reference "western societies." You did so probably because by being vague it's more difficult for somebody to challenge your statement. Given that in the broadest sense "western societies" could include literally dozens of countries it genuinely invalidates your alleged fact. Further, because you are unable to identify those specific nation-states that you allege to treat women "just as bad or worse" than has the Taliban I strongly suspect it's because you have no actual factual information to support your claim.

B ~ exactly which academic journals are providing you with this incredibly inaccurate information? Before you considered making the statement here, did you elect to first validate the references?

C ~ please provide some tangible, first-hand experiences that provide evidence that "western societies" treat women "just as bad or worse" than Taliban-administered regions have historically.

D ~ please provide a definition of exactly all of those countries that you identify as "western." Are you speaking in a geographic sense? Are you speaking about a collection of nation-states that share similar political frameworks? Using the term "western societies" is about as ignorant as using the term "first world country."

[Ronin]

How much do you not want to get in this building?

[AzNightmare]

Architecturally speaking, I don't think the round podium on which the antenna sits upon matches the sharp angles of the building itself. But overall, love the reflective glass facade, wish we had more buildings in a similar vein in Vancouver. We do have the new MNP tower on West Hastings St. coming up though which is a beaut.


This will probably be the most interesting upcoming structure in Vancouver, to be completed in 2018.

http://assets.vancitybuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Beach-and-Howe-Tower-at-Night.png

Structurally, supposed to be spectacular due to it's triangular footprint, that changes into a 4 sided tower.
Architecturally, I don't really like it. But at the same time, I'm glad Vancouver is going to get something unorthodox.

Vancouver House: This one?s big - The Globe and Mail (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/real-estate/vancouver-house-this-ones-big/article20076386/)

[Ronin]

That's a fucking cool looking building. The Vancouver skyline is pretty dull.

[StylinRed]

:lol jimmies are rustled

i'll PM you guys so as not to derail this further as the usual bunch seem to have the same issue regarding which has nothing to do with these 2 towers :D


actually i'll just include it in here for the curious and spoiler it so as not to take up space but if you want to reply i encourage you to pm

A/D) I didn't bring up the term 'western societies' i was merely replying to CivicBlues who used the term western societies so if you want to know which states in particular you'd have to ask him

B/C) i was replying to civic blues comments of

Would you compare sexual harassment of women in Western societies with the sickening oppression of women in Taliban Afghanistan ... ?
and i replied


we see circumstances just as bad or worse going on in western societies against women but they get portrayed differently than when similar circumstances happen in a 3rd world country like afghanistan

I'm not saying western governments actively targets / oppresses women I'm saying we can find instances just as bad or worse than taliban actions or afghani actions but they are portrayed differently in the media which skews peoples impressions

to try and make sense of what i said, for example:

When a girl gets, say, an acid attack in Afghanistan, it's not endemic for the region or the Taliban, however in the media it gets portrayed as such, almost all heinous crimes get blamed on the Taliban, but not everyone is the Taliban in Afghanistan, there are the Warlords of the Northern Alliance, other opposing groups, common criminals, etc. that do far worse things but their actions have been blamed on the Taliban in the past. Also acid attacks are actually rare in Afghanistan but common in Pakistan.
(im straying)

Acid attacks happen in the UK/US/Can/HK (yes i include HK as "western") and when it happens here it's portrayed in the media simply as a sick attack/crime and not a part of some culture or attributed to a specific group or blamed on the governing party

[CivicBlues]

I'm going to leave the whole clash of civilizations conversation alone with StylinRed and try to stray back to topic (somewhat).

This will probably be the most interesting upcoming structure in Vancouver, to be completed in 2018.

http://assets.vancitybuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Beach-and-Howe-Tower-at-Night.png

Structurally, supposed to be spectacular due to it's triangular footprint, that changes into a 4 sided tower.
Architecturally, I don't really like it. But at the same time, I'm glad Vancouver is going to get something unorthodox.

Vancouver House: This one?s big - The Globe and Mail (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/real-estate/vancouver-house-this-ones-big/article20076386/)

Call me a traditionalist, but a sleek opaque glass office tower beats a post-modern avant-garde residential building any day. I think balconies on a building are ugly ugly ugly. It's too bad we have so many of them in downtown Vancouver and come to think of it, I think our city is the only place in North America where our tallest buildings are all Residential/Hotel (a sad fact that our city has never been a business head office centre and in recent decades seem to have been reduced to "resort" status.

Compare Seattle's skyline
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--K-PylcejJo/UcrlywkIIwI/AAAAAAAAMTA/U5-wHgAY4l8/s1600/Seattle+Skyline+1-700.jpg

to ours:
http://nathanz.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/vancouverskyline.jpg

Now you tell me which one looks more "Boss" :hotbaby:

[Hondaracer]

Lol seattles skyline is gross. The space needle is so dated now, looks even worse in person

[CivicBlues]

Lol seattles skyline is gross. The space needle is so dated now, looks even worse in person

That's your opinion, but there's a sort of retro '60s Space Age Jetsons thing going on that's a bit nostalgic. The LAX and JFK TWA terminal (which is actually a historical landmark) is an example of that style. Besides I'm referring to the sleek office buildings that seem to be innundated with residential buildings in this city. Most other North American cities don't try to cover their office buildings up with condos.

What will look dated (and already does IMO) are all the seafoam green condos lining False Creek.

[MG1]

Now you tell me which one looks more "Boss" :hotbaby:

To me, those majestic mountains are truly "boss". I like the skyline from the other side (across from Coal Harbour). In fact, the skyline looks great from all sides - seen from Grouse Mountain, SFU, Queen Elizabeth Park, UBC, etc, etc, etc.......even from 1st Ave. and Clarke Drive.

Seattle only looks decent from one angle, maybe two.

Just saiyan

[Hondaracer]

Will agree that the majority of Concorde pacific developments are rather uninspired

[CivicBlues]

Yes our mountains have many cities beat, but that's not really something we built 'amirite?

Again, this is just a matter of opinion but our skyline "tabletops" a lot which I think is aesthetically less pleasing than other skylines that have buildings of varied height - although we've been gradually moving away from that with the Shangri-La and the Trump.

But if the above two were built with more opaque glass and without the horrible protuding balconies I think they'd be even better. Again Seattle was just a point of comparison since they're in a geographically similar area, but there's no need to bash the place.

I think Chicago has one of the best skylines on the continent and they manage to do it with a mix of residential and commercial towers:
http://monkeywrenchplumbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/IMG_44852.jpg

[StylinRed]

The MNP tower looks much better than the one from BIG but hopefully that will look better once completed (the ground floor buildings with the green roofs look great though)

[Ulic Qel-Droma]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xaf1/t31.0-8/470510_10100662934595761_1790604477_o.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Hong_Kong_Night_Skyline.jpg

http://acruisingcouple.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Sky-100-Victoria-Harbor-Hong-Kong-Skyline.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8095/8398746960_de154f0fbb_k.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8466/8150342011_8e19bdba50_b.jpg


let's NOT compare skylines. we can never compare to super cities.

let's stick to single buildings.

[Ulic Qel-Droma]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/JinMao_Tower_von_oben.jpg

i still think the jin mao tower is the most bad ass building in existence.

if i were an evil warlord, that would be my base. looks like the decepticons infected the 101 tower and injected steroids into it.

[CivicBlues]

Tokyo, HK, Shanghai. I've been to all the cities posted above many times, and while their skylines are impressive, they really are just derivative of the architectural styles developed in the mid to late 20th century in NYC and Chicago. Special mention though to Shanghai from breaking out of that mold with several of the newer buildings in Pudong. Surprisingly, a lot of the innovative architecture is coming out of 2nd tier cities in China and the Arab Gulf States.

Doha, Qatar:
http://assets.stregisdoha.com/XLGallery/md/09_12_Dhow-and-Doha-skyline.jpg

[StylinRed]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/JinMao_Tower_von_oben.jpg

i still think the jin mao tower is the most bad ass building in existence.

if i were an evil warlord, that would be my base. looks like the decepticons infected the 101 tower and injected steroids into it.

It reminds me of the empire state building


I actually like Paris' skyline (or lack of one) and how now that they're pushing for more skyscrapers they're not just blindly opening the doors but being rather selective of what gets the okay and putting a tight limit on them


http://thefabweb.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/vygyl.jpg

https://nadinetravelsforfood.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/paris.jpg

[Ulic Qel-Droma]

^

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/--CEUoz4ySjI/U1BuMHf9i_I/AAAAAAAAuT4/RS1jT2OPnrI/w2048-h1280/2048%2B%25287%2529.jpg

yeah i always liked this picture here.

feels like the future is encroaching on the past

there will be a day, where the Eiffel tower is surrounded by buildings taller than it.

[punkwax]

I disagree and believe the French government wouldn't allow the Eiffel Tower be dwarfed by surrounding buildings.

[CivicBlues]

There's no way in hell the Paris city council will demolish huge tracts of Haussmann's buildings. It's basically the signature style of the city. That's the reason why all of Paris' skyscrapers are in La Defense, outside of the Peripherique (the ring road that defines Paris' city limits). In a way, unless something drastic or catastrophic happens, Paris proper will forever be a static "museum" city. Contrast this with London and it's more dynamic city centre skyline:

http://thestripedcouch.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/London-Skyline.jpg

[RRxtar]

There is a point where too much is too much and its no longer a skyline but just a mess of tall buildings. You definitely can compare the skyline of smaller cities to larger ones.

[GS8]

Some of these posted skylines :heckno:

This is my type of skyline

http://www.wallpaperhi.com/thumbnails/detail/20120714/mountains%20clouds%20landscapes%20nature%20trees%2 0skyline%20forest%20day%20hills%20lakes%20reflecti ons%202101x1313%20wal_www.wallpaperhi.com_33.jpg

[Ulic Qel-Droma]

I disagree and believe the French government wouldn't allow the Eiffel Tower be dwarfed by surrounding buildings.

if space ever becomes so valuable that they are forced to build skyscrapers everywhere... then yeah.

it might not be 50 years from now. maybe 100 200 300.. who knows how far in the future

given enough time, yes, there will be a day where they'll build shit around.

this is just a park, but u can use your imagination.

http://i.imgur.com/S9NgC.jpg

anything can be done when the economy favours it.

[Ulic Qel-Droma]

the only reason you guys shy away from mega city skylines are because you only see with your eyes.

there's so much more going on, and so much more life than you think.

it's the epitome of mankind. it's the center of the colony, and you're an ant. it's literally YOU.

centers of cities are hives of mankind. you should embrace that shit. that is the power, the knowledge, the intellect of all of mankind, leading up to THAT. a hive.

if i left you stranded in a real jungle, real nature, a tundra, and barren wasteland, the depths of the congo.

you'd be crying to see a city within 12 hours. the tougher people will be crying to get back to a city within a week, that is if they survive 3 days.

nature has a stereotype of being all rainbows and happiness... when it is exactly the fucking opposite. it's an arena of death.
you can appreciate it from far because anything from afar is superficial. if i told you to live in it for as long as you've lived in civilization, you'd be eaten alive or die from starvation or temperature...

our ancestors realised nature is no place for man, so we fucking created our own jungles. appreciate that shit. it's the womb that protects your ass from the demonic horrors of nature.

[MG1]

spikes coming out of the ground

no real rhyme or reason to any of it............. 4th one is just sad.

The point is never wanting to become like any of those examples. Thank god Vancouver proper has nowhere to go and up is not an option. Any mayor who suggests going higher should be crucified at one of the transmission towers on Boundary Road.

Lougheed and Willingdon area in Burnaby is going to be interesting, though.

[MG1]

^^I'd much rather see a city that blends in with nature. Man in harmony with nature. So much green in our part of the world. That's one thing tourists say is a definite positive about our neck of the woods (pun not intended at first).

[Hondaracer]

If uliqs posts are more than 3 lines

"Lol didn't read"

[GS8]

If uliqs posts are more than 3 lines

"Lol didn't read"

BRB Imagining book title

....

`Chronicles of Czarnia`

:victory:

[Great68]

Looks like I rustled some Jimmies at the beginning, but I like where this thread ended up.

[CivicBlues]

Looks like I rustled some Jimmies at the beginning, but I like where this thread ended up.

You're Welcome.

[sonick]

Some of these posted skylines :heckno:

This is my type of skyline

:fuckthatshit: This is my type of skyline

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Nissan_Skyline_R34_GT-R_N%C3%BCr_001.jpg

#timporolled #notanR35 #closeenough

[underscore]

^ I'll take this instead.

http://i332.photobucket.com/albums/m353/Jason456_photos/KGC10/KGC10-05_zps1e8cde5b.jpg~original

[Bouncing Bettys]

I never really liked that Faberge Egg-looking building in London. Seems so out of place.

[bananana]

First off, staying on topic: SOM's WTC1. I've enjoyed the pleasure of watching a large portion of the construction due to working on and off in NYC for the past couple of years. One thing to keep in mind is for supertalls there aren't many possible shape variations for obvious reasons. Also, things like usable square footage are chosen by the developers before any proposals are even considered.

If any of you get a chance to check it out, the Calatrava designed concourse and "Brookfield Place" are def. must sees. Although I love Calatrava this was my first interaction with his work -- it is absolutely stunning. The quality of workmanship is about as high as these projects get. There's a joke in the architectural industry that the lowest paid craftsman working on a (NA) project is paid higher that most of the senior level architects -- however, this money is very well deserved.


To address the derailment: So I don't really get where the comparisons between ours and other cities are coming from. All design is contextual to both its environment and individual set of (usually economic) requirements.

Not a single one of these comparison cities has any natural geography that would be considered picturesque. There isn't an amount of money that could be spent to create such a beautiful scenery as what we have in Vancouver. All of these cities have large populations and every single one is or at least was a major hub in some point in time. Vancouver, with it's tiny population and even smaller amount of industry obviously isn't comparable in any sense.

If it were possible for any person in any of these major cities to work in the same environment but live in Vancouver I'm sure most, if not all people would rather live in Vancouver. Our locally designed residential buildings (most of them by Bing Thom -- one of the few award winning Canadian Architects alongside my personal favourite, Arthur Erickson) are rated among the highest quality worldwide. Decent square footage and amenities and amazing light and view corridors. I for one wouldn't give up a functional balcony as a concession to other people's aesthetic concerns. We produce these similar designs because they work. There's also something here about design reflecting the prevalent level of socio-economic equality in our beautiful country. Window wall buildings of Vancouver's calibre would be unaffordable elsewhere.

Source: I've worked in Architectural design with one of the world's leading firms and one of the only firms capable of supertall projects. We've contributed iconic buildings to every skyline mentioned in this thread as well as some of the individual buildings shown. Vancouver's residential design is lauded worldwide by people in the industry as some of the best in the world.

[multicartual]

centers of cities are hives of mankind. you should embrace that shit. that is the power, the knowledge, the intellect of all of mankind, leading up to THAT. a hive.


You get voted down so fucking hard for telling the truth

I'd like to pay you to write an article for my site, www.modernheartbreak.com

PM me bruh

[multicartual]

I love the Waterfall building in False Creek, someday I will lease a live/work space there!


http://bit.ly/1vS5rhd

[Ulic Qel-Droma]

^
i saw a bachelors pad there, loft with it's own private roof garden. very nice, lol, but 1million dollars.

[Slifer]

This is pretty boss

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-A5IJ_Ge6iz4/UrrVcoWayyI/AAAAAAAABTs/44HCZKKUjAQ/s1600/Petronas+Twin+Towers15.jpg

[meme405]

I love the Waterfall building in False Creek, someday I will lease a live/work space there!


waterfall building vancouver - Google Search (http://bit.ly/1vS5rhd)

What about the fat bitch under you though. You can't leave until you teach her a lesson amirite?



I was actually in new york for a trip in september, my first time being there besides previous layovers which I were spent trapped inside the airport.

I did all the traditional touristy things, and of course one of those was visiting the WTC site. (I was actually there the day before sept. 11, this year). It was quite a spectacle. The memorial is a great tribute, the tower is really pretty amazing.

They are still working heavily on the new transportation hub, which is just across the street from the main tower.

The most fascinating thing about the area, is that many of the buildings which were damaged but not destroyed, were never repaired. There are many buildings with black charred marks, and cladding damage. I asked one of the guys, and they said they have no intention of repairing the buildings, they will remain as they are to show the damage from that day.

[Bouncing Bettys]

This is pretty boss
boss Those two buildings are touching swords or foreskin docking, either way its weird.

[sonick]

Those two buildings are touching swords or foreskin docking, either way its weird.

The mind sees what it wants to see :gay:

[Ulic Qel-Droma]

so is his name referring to the landmine or tits?

[murd0c]

Those two buildings are touching swords or foreskin docking, either way its weird.

you seem jealous...

[twitchyzero]

to me the prowess of the skylines in China is useless, why?
because it only looks nice in photo...in real life it's hard to admire it because it's covered in smog on most days.