MetaFilter posts tagged with Skyscrapers

The Other Architect of 9/11

Doktor Zed — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:59:10 -0800

While newly released images of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed have brought "the principal architect of the 9/11 attacks" back into the public eye just before their anniversary, it was his skyscraper-hating lieutenant Mohamed Atta who had trained to be an architect before becoming an airborne suicide terrorist. Slate's Daniel Brook goes on a three-part expedition in search of Atta's architectural education, from despised tourist projects in Cairo's dilapidated Islamic Quarter to utopian urban planning for an idealized "Islamic-Oriental City" like Aleppo. The piece is also accompanied by a slideshow displaying examples of the tension between modern and traditional building that helped inflame Atta's malevolent worldview. Bonus: Although Osama Bin Laden would later claim that he chose the Twin Towers as targets after watching the destruction of Beirut high-rises during the 1982 invasion of Lebanon, the World Trade Center's combination of traditional Islamic architecture and Modernism may have offended his fundamentalist sensibilities (even though the Islamic influence is not uncommon in American architecture)(previously).

om sweet om

nickyskye — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 23:32:04 -0800

Contemporary architecture in India, a little look: Odd and unusual buildings l Mumbai 1, 2, 3 l Kerala backwaters l Kolkata l Architectural renderings from the Indian Skyscraper blog. Scroll down for the lotus shaped Bahai Temple in Delhi. An index of links.

Termite Mounds

homunculus — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:11:34 -0800

Busy Bugs: Termite Mounds vs. the Burj Dubai Tower.

Papercraft Designs, Models and Instructions

Effigy2000 — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 18:16:11 -0800

Got some time to kill? Well then, maybe you should start exploring the exciting world of papercraft! To get you started, here's a link to 100 free paper models and toys. Once you're done there, you might want to start checking out card modeling, build some skyscraper models, animals and motorcycles and when you get really good, faces of real people such as these. There's even some creative paper modeling websites out there for the kids and people who like Pokemon and Nintendo. And if all those links still aren't enough to satiate your new found lust for papercraft, check out this papercraft search engine for even more designs.

728 ton pendulum

homunculus — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:58:04 -0800

728 ton pendulum in action: Taipei 101's tuned mass damper during the Sichuan earthquake. [Via The Long Now Blog]

Ironworkers Above The City

jonson — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:21:39 -0800

Amazing photo sequence from the Philadelphia Inquirer on the ironworkers building the top floors (45 - 55) of the Comcast Center. Not safe for those with Vertigo. Via.

Comprehensive collection of isometric skyscraper illustrations

cadastral — Mon, 31 Oct 2005 22:56:42 -0800

If you were to make a huge database of skyscrapers where users could submit their own isometric drawings, I'd tell you that you'd done a wonderful thing.

If you compiled these isometric drawings in to neat collections (see: World's Tallest, New York 1935, and Evolution of World's Tallest) I would then acknowledge that you had made something of substantive import and value, and extend my sincere thanks.

But it is when you provide a robust and responsive search functionality that allows me to include any type of structure, and sort by city, by project status, (eg. "Built", "Under Construction", "proposed", "destroyed") that I drop to my knees and reverently fellate you while holding back tears.

World's most impressive skylines

barjo — Tue, 22 Mar 2005 11:10:12 -0800

The world's most impressive skylines. If Hong Kong is #1, and Mandaluyong, the Phillipines, is #100, where's your city? (via Bostonia, based in city #43)

New York, Viipuri, sailing ships, and Trini Alvarado

languagehat — Wed, 05 May 2004 11:58:46 -0800

iNetwork calls itself "an in4mation network by E.T.D." I discovered it through its amazing New York Skyscrapers subsite:

In addition to individual building entries and background info, it contains links to other resources, NYC webcams, clickable maps of locations of NYC skyscrapers, a forum for NYC skyscraper-related discussion and more.

But it's also got sections on Functionalism and the city of Viipuri ("a study of the 1930s Functionalistic architecture in the city of Viipuri in pre-war Finland"), the development of the square-rigged sailing ship from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the 19th Century, and, uh, Trini Alvarado ("an amazingly underrated NYC film and stage actress"). Something for everyone!

Future of Sky Scrapers?

npost — Wed, 29 Jan 2003 13:59:58 -0800

Future of Sky Scrapers? Is this the future of sky scrapers, or are they now irrelevant with the current threats that are presented? Would you work in this building?

stupidsexyFlanders — Tue, 08 Oct 2002 13:16:37 -0800

Executive Chute. Sorry, middle managers, staff, administrative support. Why don't you, uh, go ahead and try that elevator again.

HTuttle — Thu, 13 Dec 2001 02:38:46 -0800

Prince Charles attacks soaring egos of skyscraper architects "Prince Charles also called for the squares beneath skyscrapers to contain real public amenities such as restaurants and shops instead of incomprehensible pieces of art."..."what [the American novelist] Tom Wolfe entertainingly described as 'a turd in every plaza'."
Does plaza art provide anything for you but direction landmarks? Are there any that you like/hate -d (now) ? I enjoy seeing large works here, but also enjoy coming across a nice city piece by surprise.

Sal Amander — Tue, 16 Oct 2001 00:10:56 -0800

The Skyscraper Museum is a very educational site about high-rise buildings and offers some great information about the history of the skyscraper. But the most interesting part of this site is the Manhattan Timeformations, which offers a series of well done Flash animations that are both interesting to watch and educational. I hope this post won't be deemed too touchy of a subject for this time, because this site gives some real insight into a subject that is very American...the skyscraper.