Paper Topic:

Discuss the historical significance of the growth of high-rise buildings beginning with the early 1900s.

Twentieth-century architecture , especially in developed and developing countries showcased an era of great experimentation . Until the early 20th century , it was rare to see a building taller than six stories ( The Complete Guide to High-Rise America , 2005 . With new technological advances it was soon possible to build taller and sturdier buildings ( Cityscape , n .d

In the United States , Chicago can be considered as one of the most architecturally important cities ( The Complete Guide to High-Rise America , 2005 . Aside from being home to John Hancock Center , it houses an interesting history of architecture

and high-rise buildings In the autumn of 1871 , a fire , starting in a ghetto spread to the city 's business district and reduced blocks of buildings to ashes . Within a week , the fire destroyed 17 ,000 buildings , killing 300 and leaving almost 100 ,000 homeless . As an effect , the rebuilding of Chicago was immediately planned and the best architects in the country were given the task . The Chicago School style of architecture gave birth to fascinating innovations : a steel structure which was lighter and more fire-resistant than masonry and wood , and taller , more streamlined buildings - the first modern skyscrapers

New York is also a close rival to Chicago in terms of skyscrapers . In the early 20th century , Manhattan is a rather skinny land . In to utilize the rather smaller land area , New York 's early modern architects extended their buildings upward , creating symbols of power , wealth opportunity and inspiration ( The Complete Guide to High-Rise America , 2005 . Perhaps inspired by the resurgence of architectural advances in Chicago , dime-store magnate Frank W . Woolworth was the first to erect a towering skyscraper as a monument to his increasing wealth and prosperity . New York is also famous for one of its tallest buildings , the Empire State Building , which has been featured in famous movies such as An Affair to Remember ' and Sleepless in Seattle

The erection of skyscrapers , not only in Chicago and New York , became a symbol of upsurging economic growth as well as rapid technological advances

References

Cityscape (n .d . Exploring 20th century London . Retrieved October 13 2007 from HYPERLINK "http /www .20thcenturylondon .org .uk /server .php ?show nav .30 http /www .20thcenturylondon .org .uk /server .php ?show nav .30

The complete guide to high-rise America (2005 . The Independent Retrieved October 13 , 2007 from http /travel .independent .co .uk /americas /article296150 .ece...

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