The Manhattan skyline is one of the great wonders of the modern world. But how and why did it form? Much has been written about the city's architecture and its general history, but little work has explored the economic forces that created the skyline. This book chronicles the economic historyof the Manhattan skyline. In the process, the book debunks some widely-held misconceptions about the city's history. Part I lays out the historical and environmental background that established Manhattan's real estate trajectory before the Skyscraper Revolution at the end of the 19th century. Thebook begins with Manhattan's natural and geological history and then moves on to how it influenced early land use and neighborhood formation, and how these early decisions eventually impacted the location of skyscrapers. Part II focuses specifically on the economic history of skyscrapers and theskyline, investigating the reasons for their heights, frequencies, locations, and shapes. The book discusses why skyscrapers emerged downtown and why they appeared three miles to the north in midtown, but not in between. Contrary to popular belief it was not due to the depths of Manhattan's bedrock,nor the presence of Grand Central Station. Rather midtown's emergence was a response to the economic and demographic forces that were taking place north of 14th Street after the Civil War. The book also presents the first rigorous investigation of the causes of the building boom during the Roaring Twenties. Contrary to conventional wisdom, the boom was largely a rational response to the economic growth of the nation and city. The last chapter investigates the value of Manhattan Islandand the relationship between skyscrapers and land prices. Finally, an Epilogue offers policy recommendations for a resilient and robust future skyline.
This book aims to fill this void by documenting not only the 'what' but also the 'why', regarding this important aspect of New York City's history; in the process this book debunks several misconceptions about the city's real estate history ...
The personal stories reveal the lives of ironworkers and the dangers they face as they walk across the windswept, swaying summits of tomorrow's skyscrapers, balanced on steel girders sometimes only six inches wide.
Any city walker knows the delight that a flash of colorful ornament can bestow on an otherwise gray promenade. More often than not, these glazed splashes of color are made...
Their competence and commitment made it possible for me to leave the challenges of the historical society for the rigors of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission with the knowledge that this project would be responsibly ...
Refuting some common cliches of skyscraper history such as the equation of big buildings with big business and the idea of a "corporate skyline," this book emphasizes the importance of speculative development and the impact of real estate ...
The Race to the Top of New York City's Skyline chronicles the construction and history of the Big Apple's most famous building.
From the urban affairs correspondent of the New York Times--the story of a city through twenty-seven structures that define it.
In this fascinating work of urban history and design, TED resident Stefan Al—himself an experienced architect—explores the factors that have led to this worldwide boom.
Thomas J. Misa. A NaTion of STeel: The Making of Modern America, 1865— 1925 (Paperback ed., BalTimore: Johns Hopkins UniversiTy Press, 1999). RoberT Craik M'Lean. “Dankmar Adler.“ Inland ArchiTecT and News Record. Vol. XXXV, no. 4.
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