Chicago Skyscrapers: Reasons for Development - Essay Example

Skyscrapers in Chicago Reasons for Development Introduction Big buildings have always been an attractive thing for the rich to show off their power and wealth. Great structures and monuments have been built to honor leaders or religious beliefs. Egyptian pyramids, Taj Mahal in India, the skinny towers stretching towards the sky in Italian hill towns, and the gothic cathedrals of France have all been influenced by great men of power and wealth. Another factor that comes in which relates to power and perception is 'ego'. A city known for its grandeur and magnificence will always spend heavily to uphold its name and construct bigger and higher buildings to stamp its authority to rule the world's skyline. [2] (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Sears_Tower_ss.jpg) According to Think Quest Library, a skyscraper is a "multi-storied building constructed on steel skeleton, combining extraordinary height with ordinary rooms such as would be found in low buildings, the term originated in the United States in the later 1880s after buildings in New York reached ten stories a skyscraper". These are very tall habitable building which stands out clearly above its surrounding built environment and significantly changes the overall skyline of this particular city. [2] (Source: http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu/sk/li/id=101030&bt=2&ht=2&sro=1) Inventions That Made Skyscrapers Possible Originally buildings were made with a broader base to support the entire building. As time progressed and technologies evolved higher and thinner buildings started to become more practical. The crucial developments for modern skyscrapers were steel, glass, reinforced concrete, water pumps, and elevators. Steel and reinforced concrete allowed higher buildings to be built on a small patch of land. The water pumps were essential to pump water up to higher levels for the use of constructions and as well as utility. Primitive elevators of various designs had been used for centuries, and starting in the mid 19th century, steam-operated elevators were used to move materials in factories, mines, and warehouses. But these elevators were not considered safe for people; if the cable broke, they would plummet to the bottom of the elevator shaft. Then in 1853, an American inventor named Elisha Graves Otis developed a safety device that kept elevators from falling if a cable should break. This new development had an enormous impact on public confidence. And later in the century, the switch to an electric motor made the elevator a practical solution to the problem of getting up and down tall buildings. [1] [5] The Great Fire - The Primary Reason The Great Fire of Chicago is named as one of the worst tragedies to hit the city and even more importantly it is remembered for the role it played in the rebuilding. The devastation occurred on October 8, 1871. The damage figures appalled the whole city. Nearly 300 persons had died while around 18,000 buildings were destroyed. This made about 100,000 people (one-third of the city) were homeless with a property valued at $200,000,000 (about a third of the valuation of the city) destroyed. The situation was looking very bleak. However histories telling the tales of dangers and grief shared and overcome gave heart to the people. And mysteriously in cases like these the worst of times can bring out the best in people anywhere. [1] [3] After the fire devastated Chicago in 1871 building regulations were changed to allow multistory structures. Reconstruction was started almost immediately. Development committees were formed and plans for rebuilding were made even before the fire was out. [1] [3] (Source: http://memory.loc.gov/ndlpcoop/ichicdn/n0084/n008404.jpg) By October 1872, new buildings worth nearly $50 million had been erected. Between 1872 and 1879 more than ten thousand construction permits were issued. Between 1871 and 1891 some $316,220,000 was poured into the construction of new buildings. Chicago, instead to recovering slowly from the tragedy, started to experience explosive growth, and it quickly began to strain against its natural boundaries. By the 1880s, the available land for new buildings in this area could not keep up with demand; the only alternative was to build upwards. To achieve the desired height construction techniques had to change and new methods of building were developed that used a grid of steel beams and columns that were strong enough to support any stresses or forces a building might experience, including both the weight of the floor and the building contents, as well as the force of wind or even, in some areas, earthquakes. With this new building technique, the modern skyscraper that we know of today was born. [1] [3] Other Reasons The city started to become crowded as a result of tremendous growth. The price tag of the land started to take a bigger figure and economists proposed to build up to make more space at affordable rates. However arguments have been raised about this. Since Chicago is located in the Midwest, it had plenty of room to sprawl outwards on almost Euclideanesque flat ground leaving little reason to build up. But with the Chicago River nearby, the geographic restriction imposed and the strict adherence to the Chicago grid across the river made sense to build up. [4] [5] There were also environmental concerns associated with the initial development. As the fumes from the fire were still fluttering around the city, building higher structures was thought as the one which would produce less pollution than many small buildings containing the same number of people. These higher buildings full of people would also use up less energy thus conserving the expensive energy. [4] [5] (Source: http://library.byways.org/view_details.htmlMEDIA_OBJECT_ID=62619) Architectural Design The type of architecture initated by Chicago has greatly influenced that of the American architecture as a whole. The most known city in Illinois, Chicago contains and offers hold future prospects for various buildings of different forms and styles shaped and created by important architects. The buildings and skyscrapers of Chicago are very much known for their original design rather than antiquity because most of the early buildings in the city were burned or damaged by the Great Chicago Fire. [3] Most of the buildings noted here combined the old masonry construction with newer techniques in fireproofing, grillage footings, and the use of iron-and-steel skeleton construction. [3] The architects who rebuilt Chicago and urbanized the city comprised one of the greatest concentrations of creative architectural talent in U. S. history. The best known of those architects included William LeBaron Jenney, Louis H. Sullivan, John Wellborn Root, and Daniel H. Burnham. From their ideas and work emerged the Chicago School, with which is associated the development and mastery of steel framing and the consequent development of the skyscraper as the leading feature of the urban skyline. [3] Development During 1892, the new Chicago building the Masonic Temple was able to surpass the New York World Skyscraper, which in the records was listed as the tallest building in the world for two years. After a few years the Masonic Temple was taken over by another New York skyscraper from the title of tallest building. [4] When it comes to skyscrapers, Chicago is king, being the first U.S. city to reach new heights. Chicago, along with New York City and Hong Kong, makes up the "big three" when it comes to city skylines. Today Chicago can boast to having 5 of the 10 tallest buildings in the United States and 10 of the 50 tallest in the world. [4] The Sears Tower, which stands at 1451 feet, was the tallest skyscraper in the world which lasted for 24 years, starting in 1974 up to the year 1998. The Sears has an antenna which is 278 feet in height, contributing immensely to the overall height of the tower. Chicago still holds the record of being the first city to have more than one skyscraper building that contains more than one hundred floors. [4] Some of Chicago's other notable skyscrapers are the Aon Center (1,451 feet), AT&T Corporate Center (1,007 feet), the Two Prudential Bank (995 feet) and 900 N. Michigan Avenue (871 feet). [4] (Source: http://www.mapposter.com/chicagotallest.html) (Source: http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/ci/bu/sk/id=101030) (Source: http://www.arcspace.com/architects/calatrava/fordham/1fordham_spire.jpg) Conclusion Call it coincidence of circumstances or call it destiny, Chicago created the opportunity for a new urban architecture that would be followed across nations. Several factors played important roles in bringing about this transformation. The ironic tragedy of the Great Fire swept the ground clean making it easier to build up newer buildings. The pressing need for office space was dealt by constructing higher buildings. The economics of real estate and escalating land values required faster construction that also made possible new construction cheaper. The technological growth of the steel industry provided material and techniques that has revolutionized construction options also played a vital role. And not to forget the creative intellectual vision of the founders of the Chicago School developed the skyscraper out of these needs and possibilities. [3] Today Chicago is facing a rapid skyscraper building boom. Projects like 55 East Erie (the tallest residential building in the U.S. outside New York City) and Trump International Hotel (to be completed in 2007, it will be the fourth tallest in Chicago and the tallest building built in the U.S. for nearly three decades) breaking ground frequently will serve the long term vision of the city to stick to its historic trends. All this can really be attributed to standard set which began after the Great Chicago Fire, and since this time developers simply follow the pattern set before them. [3] Works Cited 1. Barss, Karen. "The History of Skyscrapers" [Internet], Fact Monster, Available at , Accessed on August 9, 2007 2. Miller, Eric. "Chicago's Ego" [Internet], New Colonist, Available at , Accessed on August 9, 2007 3. Rayfield, Jo Ann. (1997) "Tragedy in the Chicago Fire and Triumph in the architectural response" [Internet], Available at , Accessed on August 9, 2007 4. "Skyscrapers In Chicago - The Epitome of Chicago Architecture" (2007), Available at , Accessed on August 9, 2007 5. WIIST, BILL. "Skyscrapers" [Internet], The Courier-Journal, Available at , Accessed on August 9, 2007 Read More