Reaching For Heaven
Since the beginning, man has been building one skyscraper after another. Each one taller than the previous one.
Place: Babel, later known as Babylon, present day Iraq
“Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth. But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. The Lord said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel--because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.”
- Genesis 11:1-9 (New International Version)
Location: Paris, France
Name: Effiel Tower
Height: 318 meters
Built: 1887
Location: Dubai
Height: 321 meters
Built: 1999
Location: Shanghai, China
Height: 421 meters
Floors: 88
Built: 1998
Location: Chicago, Illonois
Height: 443 meters
Floors: 110
Built: 1973
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Name: Petronas Twin Towers
Height: 452 meters
Floors: 88
Built: 1998
Location: Shanghai, China
Height: 492 meters
Floors: 101
To be completed: 2007
Location: Taipei, Taiwan
Name: Taipei 101
Height: 508 meters
Floors: 101
Built: 2004
Location: Guangzhou, China
Height: 514.8 meters
Floors: 131
To be completed: 2010
Location: World Trade Center, Manhattan, New York, United States of America
Height: 541 meters
Floors: 69
To be completed: 2010
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Height: 600 meters
To be completed: 2007
Location: Dubai
Name: Burj Tower
Height: 800 meters
Floors: 160
To be completed: 2008
Location: Shanghai, China
Height: 1228 meters
Floors: 300
To be completed: 2020
Place: Babel, later known as Babylon, present day Iraq
“Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, "Come, let's make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth. But the Lord came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. The Lord said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other." So the Lord scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. That is why it was called Babel--because there the Lord confused the language of the whole world. From there the Lord scattered them over the face of the whole earth.”
- Genesis 11:1-9 (New International Version)
Location: Paris, France
Name: Effiel Tower
Height: 318 meters
Built: 1887
Location: Dubai
Height: 321 meters
Built: 1999
Location: Shanghai, China
Height: 421 meters
Floors: 88
Built: 1998
Location: Chicago, Illonois
Height: 443 meters
Floors: 110
Built: 1973
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Name: Petronas Twin Towers
Height: 452 meters
Floors: 88
Built: 1998
Location: Shanghai, China
Height: 492 meters
Floors: 101
To be completed: 2007
Location: Taipei, Taiwan
Name: Taipei 101
Height: 508 meters
Floors: 101
Built: 2004
Location: Guangzhou, China
Height: 514.8 meters
Floors: 131
To be completed: 2010
Location: World Trade Center, Manhattan, New York, United States of America
Height: 541 meters
Floors: 69
To be completed: 2010
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Height: 600 meters
To be completed: 2007
Location: Dubai
Name: Burj Tower
Height: 800 meters
Floors: 160
To be completed: 2008
Location: Shanghai, China
Height: 1228 meters
Floors: 300
To be completed: 2020
posted by Mockingbird at
10:06 AM
7 Comments:
every country is building skyscrapers, meanwhile we built a short durian.
at least the ferris wheel is something to look forward to.
We are building new skyscrapers too. Already have OUB Center and UOB Plaza 1. Of course they are shorter than the super-skyscrapers of the world :p
Any buildings that are above 1000 metres is completely impossible.
First, the building is unable to withstand tremedous amount of air pressure and the changing temperature.
Second, the aerial space would be threatened by the building. Aeroplanes need to be careful when cruising near to the building.
Thirdly, if an earthquake strikes, the building will collapse immediately. The lower of centre gravity of the building is weak. Take the theory of car drifting, if you take a SUV for a drift, it will flip over, unlike a racing car.
For you info, that sharp building in Dubai is about 1100 metres.
The 1228 metres in Shanghai is the financial centre? The Shanghai financial centre is currently under construction is will be standing at around 400 metres. I am not referring to the 492 weird-shaped towers.
Search Wikipedia for more info. I did not find any info for the Shanghai's skyscrapers.
Singapore permitted buildings up to 280 metres, for safety reason.
Here's a podcast, 1,800 Feet and Counting, from Businessweek on the race to build skyscrappers. They are built for a reason.
To Lao Xing Zhou: It's not impossible to build something taller than 1,000 meters. To protect such a building against earthquakes, it must be earthquake-proof of course, its foundation has to rest on gigantic suspension systems. Arthur C. Clarke, the man who first conceptualised the earth's communication satelites, has also conceptualised a lift that goes into space.
Oops. Some of the stuff stated here might not be true ;p
To Parka: I think one of the reasons for building them is for national pride. It's one of best ways of boasting and showing off to the world a country's achievements.
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