‘Iconic structures and built forms are the determinants of imageability and symbolism for an urban infrastructure’. In this era of technological advancement and infrastructure development, the horizons and scope of growth and opportunities in various fields have expanded beyond limits. Such growth all around the globe has assisted the development and creation of business parks, World Trade Center, and I.T parks, forcing worldwide phenomenon for migration, urban development, and growing population. This automatically brings into the picture the need and urge for vertical development. A vertical or high-rise structure is efficient in catering to the functions effectively by decreasing the ground coverage and making the cities breathable with less built-up that covers the same part horizontally. Moreover, a skyscraper in a developing nation like India, where the growing population availability of land in densely populated urban towns and cities, is the current issue of the hour, the construction of an iconic skyscraper is the perfect symbol for defining the grain and texture of the city, to develop a landmark for encouraging trade, investments and user interaction. Such iconic skyscrapers are an integral part of shaping and nurturing the skyline of cities, which is a glorious display of economic power.
Empire State Building – the Image of New York
The identity of built forms and urban masses is not only associated with elegance and refinement, but it is often protracted to the display of power, wealth, and economy. With its soaring height and signature design, the Empire State. The building defines the New York City skyline and is famous for its architecture, height, and overlooking observation decks. The globe’s most impactful Art Deco skyscraper is an outstanding piece of New York history and an infamous and nostalgic symbol of city culture today. Established in the last century, the Empire. The state has a huge cultural impact on the city of New York. The building has set the standards of iconic tall structures that it is compared to rather high.
The Empire State Building is an integral part of New York’s conceptualization with its remarkable exterior façade and silhouette. While the Empire State Building is one the substantial representation of New York City because of its stunning exterior, surprisingly, the interior architecture of the building is more striking. A typical exterior design of a high-rise structure is supposed to be tough, so a few detail-oriented aspects and features of this building are well structured in its interiors. The Empire State Building is responsible for physically transforming the city to a great extent.
Dubai’s ever-changing skyline shows how a humble port town transformed itself into an unmatched world-class city. Exceeding 800 meters in height, the Burj Khalifa in
Dubai is the tallest skyscraper in the world, shaping and moderating the infrastructure of Dubai for centuries to come. This architectural and structural marvel is a portrayal of luxury, indulgence, and wealth. The Burj is famous for its construction techniques, deep foundations, and buttressed core structural style. With its appealing sky restaurants and overlooking galleries, the penthouses offer a luxurious lifestyle to the users. It is a hotel, residence, and the world’s largest billboard, displaying images and tributes on its facade and even, famously, the countdown to the New Year. The Burj Khalifa is designed considering strong wind loads in Dubai, temperature variation throughout the day, and systematic shape three-winged shapes for structural loads. The Burj influenced the skyline of the city, inspiring more designers for high-rise construction on land that has a small composition of solid strata for a foundation base. This iconic structure enabled the construction of skyscrapers on almost any texture of soil and land, this episode brought about a change in the architecture and construction industry.
Importance and Challenges
However, these paradigmatic examples of skyscrapers might occur as structural marvels, but the process of construction and designing might be quite daunting and unsettling. From topographical to climatic surveys, stabilizing a high-rise structure against natural and environmental challenges is a tough code to crack. On the brighter side, it provides a bunch of opportunities for social, economic, technical, and architectural growth. The high-rise construction is not only a matter of symbolism but it has practical uses and scopes at the basic level. There is no iota of doubt that skyscrapers and high-rise construction are the face and glory of urban infrastructure in the modern world. They govern various important economic factors, including tourism and luxurious amenities and empower the growth of the industry. If built and designed carefully, these are the most sustainable forms of neighbourhoods as they promote feasibility and comfort in their design. With lesser walking distances, incorporation of mixed functions into the building, and protection of the environment with lower ground coverage, these vertical towers contribute huge assets to cities and communities. Skyscrapers are indeed the architectural language for the designers of future laying impacts emotionally and practically in the world.
Reference List:
- Takkar, G.K. (2023) Iconic Skyscrapers: Their Design and Impact on City Skylines.
Available at: https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/ (Accessed: 29 October 2023).
- www.esbnyc.com. (n.d.). Architecture & Design | Empire State Building. [online] Available at: https://www.esbnyc.com/about/architecture-design.
- Huyssteen, J. van (2023). Empire State Building – New York City’s Iconic Landmark. [online] artfilemagazine – Your Online Art Source. Available at: https://artfilemagazine.com/empire-state-building/ [Accessed 29 Oct. 2023].
- Britannica (2019). Burj Khalifa | skyscraper, Dubai, United Arab Emirates | Britannica. In: Encyclopædia Britannica. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Burj-Khalifa.
