1. An Architect friend told me this many years ago. He presented his design proposal for a multi-storey commercial building. The client asked it he could make the exterior less “Bland”. He replied “Yes”, if the client would let him increase the external walls to 1foot thick. The client took a piece of paper and a pencil. He calculated the loss of usable floor space on each floor, multiplied that by the number of storeys, multiplied that by the annual rent per square foot. Sighed and said “Bland is Grand”
@qwertyTRiG
Жыл бұрын
That makes sense. Nothing wrong with flat steel and glass, I suppose, but it is a pity that that's all we see these days.
@glenncordova4027
Жыл бұрын
In the past century more people had a sense of civic pride. There was a feeling that they were contributing to the community, nation and society so cost was less of a factor. Also your building was part of the face of your company. You wanted to display success. Now it is all about the numbers. Who is going to see your building and identify it with your company or product? Now the building you work in is just that, the building you work in.
@theviniso
Жыл бұрын
@@glenncordova4027 Yeah, nah, sorry to burst your nostalgic bubble but compared to older forms of cladding glass is cheaper, lighter, easier to build, to clean and to repair and, of course, lets a ton of natural light in. It's not just economics, it's simply a better choice for a skyscraper.
@vaderbuckeye36
Жыл бұрын
@@thevinisoyou refuted none of the previous comment
@theviniso
Жыл бұрын
@@vaderbuckeye36 Feelings aren't refutable.
@mmjj7685
Жыл бұрын
Neoclassical and Art Deco are my favorite architecture styles. I hope the new generations of Architect will revive those styles.
@tjenadonn6158
Жыл бұрын
One of the things I've kept finding myself saying over the years is "The future should've been Art Deco." Nothing compares to those architectural monuments to progress and the future
@cheeks7050
Жыл бұрын
@@tjenadonn6158 Couldn't agree more
@mmjj7685
Жыл бұрын
@@tjenadonn6158 so true. For me, government buildings and universities should be Neoclassical while commercial and residential buildings should be Art Deco. I would love to live in a city like that.
@AngryBerb
Жыл бұрын
@@mmjj7685 Honestly, I'll settle for just more Goth Targets
@TheGrenadier97
Жыл бұрын
Hopefully we will. Modernism has done too much harm already, and it's time to pass away from this corpse.
@christopherstephenjenksbsg4944
Жыл бұрын
Growing up in NYC in the 1960s, I fell in love with the great Art-Deco skyscrapers that dominated Manhattan at the time. My favorite was the Empire State Building, and not just because of its height. The detailing is actually pretty sober -- much more so than the Chrysler Building, for example. But it's the massing, with its beautifully proportioned set-backs, culminating in that fantastic spire at the top, that really floats my boat. I was lucky enough to have a beautiful view of it from my bedroom window. I didn't realize how lucky I was until I was an adult. However, my favorite skyscraper design is Eliel Saarinen's unexecuted design for the Chicago Tribune Tower, which I far prefer to Howells and Hood's as-built tower. Saarinen combines the massing of an Art-Deco skyscraper with ornament that recalls a late Gothic cathedral, with that tremendous vertical energy surging to the top. Magnificent!
@BostonMark
Жыл бұрын
Vertical Energy of Mayan temple # lV
@bispo5671
Жыл бұрын
I'm an architecture student and having to design buildings ONLY with "Modernist" rules is the most boring thing ever... I'm even thinking about dropping out of college because of it...
@LeninCake
Жыл бұрын
Really depends on the school I think, my school was open to anything as long as it was well-executed
@bispo5671
Жыл бұрын
@@LeninCake Here in Brazil we have like a "modernist dictatorship" in colleges....They even hate Niemeyer just because he didn't follow all the modernist rules...They only have Mies, Corbusier, Lina Bobardi and Lelé (famous brazilian modernist architect) as references.
@gun10ck
Жыл бұрын
I felt the same way. Be true to what you love and design it well. Make jurists confront their subjective bias and grow.
@kevinmanan1304
Жыл бұрын
you should. school isn't exactly the best place to learn. You just pick up a bunch of debt & when you graduate get paid crap until you "gain more experience" EDIT -- Look at Zuckerberg & Musk, they're both college drop outs & architecting the worlds space race & Virtual Reality.
@bispo5671
Жыл бұрын
@@kevinmanan1304 So, here in Brazil we have free college. I won't have debt to pay later but it's very demotivating to be in a place where you're supposed to experiment and innovate but in fact you're forced to follow outdated Modernist rules because your teachers are outdated boomers who don't like new things....
@briggs5534
Жыл бұрын
this Chicago native has been gone since the 70's, but this city has always been a place of pride for me in no small part because of it's magnificent architecture. the Wrigley building, the Water Tower, the Michigan Avenue bridge and my favorite, Tribune Tower, wher you could actually touch stones from all over the world!
@chrispnw2547
Жыл бұрын
I lived in River North during the late 80s and worked in most of the premium skyscrapers in Chicago. The adoption of precast construction has resulted in many modern (cheap and basic) looking structures (State of Illinois, Two Prudential, . I suspect cost savings drive these design decisions.
@JohnFromAccounting
Жыл бұрын
For a time, Ulm Minster was the tallest building in the world. Tall buildings absolutely don't have to be ugly. They can be beautiful landmarks.
@Maxime_K-G
Жыл бұрын
Wow, really? I was there just a few weeks ago and I didn't know that. All I learned about was the Ulmer Spatz on the roof. To be fair though, beautiful church spires serve a very different function from modern skyscrapers. Their whole job is to advertise the power of God and the church.
@karlkarlos3545
Жыл бұрын
@@Maxime_K-G Well, in this case it was more competition with the city of Cologne. Everyone wanted to be the town with the tallest church and by the end Ulm beats the cologne cathedral by a couple of meters.
@dennisenright7725
Жыл бұрын
The male tendency to think "Mine is bigger than the other guys" applies even to archbishops overseeing the building of cathedrals
@Icetea-2000
Жыл бұрын
@@dennisenright7725 It’s human nature to strive to be the best. I don’t think that’s specifically male
@steverainbow2.0
Жыл бұрын
@@Icetea-2000 bigger doesn't mean better
@edramirez1240
Жыл бұрын
I think the issue involves what is practical, stylish, or popular. I remember when the AT&T was built. Many architects and historians ridiculed Johnson’s design. In some circles, it was maligned for years. Now, it’s safe say it adds to the uniqueness of Madison Avenue other structures like the IBM Tower, the old Art Deco Newsweek building, the Lotte Palace, the rear of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and the rest of post WW II International Style structures.
@JohnFromAccounting
Жыл бұрын
The 80s design cues are very unsightly to me. It's a matter of personal taste, but I hate looking at that awful blocky styling.
@brunoglopes
Жыл бұрын
I think the AT&T looks great from street level but the top just looks awful. It’s certainly unique, though
@zuluhyena305
Жыл бұрын
Exactly. There is a ballance between something looking visually appealing and being finacially efficient/viable. Why bother putting an extremly ornate top on a super tall building when noone can see it. There is a fine line between too much detail and too little
@deborahmatatall
Жыл бұрын
I loved the details of the Jewelers Building that you shared. It’s really interesting to discover the details and history of the skyscrapers that I’ve seen for my entire life (which is a very loooong time). The view of Chicago’s skyline from over the Marina is breathtaking. The conception of the Marina Towers with spires was terrifying! Can you imagine walking across those little bridges?!? Another wonderful video, Stewart.🌸
@ThePaulv12
Жыл бұрын
2:47 The flying buttresses are very cool. What gets me about them is no one can see them, they're obviously decorative and completely non functional at that altitude but they're made to look authentic as a structural feature. The smaller ones further down 'could' be functional but they're obviously far too small do a thing and are therefore deliberately decorative. The clever interplay of reversing the positions of decorative looking functional and the functional being only decorative isn't lost on me. It's great stuff.
@lostgem8225
Жыл бұрын
Heh buttress
@LapisTheRanger
Жыл бұрын
Chicago's one of those cities where you'll walk into what looks like a roman cathedral and find out it's literally just a Walmart. The city's a pretty fun place if you like architecture.
@BadAtRunescape
Жыл бұрын
Also get stabbed in the financial district or shot on lakeshore drive, the new homeless encampments really spice up the citys landscape :)
@WrainTravels
Жыл бұрын
@@BadAtRunescape people get so pressed about these cities 😂 they're not that bad
@sharpasacueball
Жыл бұрын
@@WrainTravels That is what I say about most places. Humans are super adaptable and no where is as bad as they seem once you get used to it
@Jimmy_Jones
Жыл бұрын
I @@BadAtRunescape
@BadAtRunescape
Жыл бұрын
@@Jimmy_Jones highlydoubt it
@winterwatson6811
Жыл бұрын
just finished the video, and i really loved the section on setbacks. in addition to the wind and sunlight advantages you mention, stepped designs also allow for creative uses of outdoor space. i used to live in a downtown apartment building with retail and offices on the lower floors that acted as a pedestal. the residential portion was set back on top of it and surrounded by a private courtyard with gardens and fountains. the lower pedestal blocked most traffic noise from reaching the courtyard, which created a quiet, bright, and airy space outdoor space for residents in the middle of the city
@TheRealBrook1968
Жыл бұрын
Agree. So many possible aesthetic and pragmatic uses.
@ilovemokona2
Жыл бұрын
'Boring' is a very kind word, most skyscraper built since mid 2010s have forgettable silhouette, while ugly is subjective, chance are you won't be able to tell which is which and forget its name in days, there is indeed some reviving movement to being back the details of the building. Aesthetics do in fact serve a function, it is the cultural identity of the city it situates, it inspire audience, think of it as a hierarchy of needs in terms of actualization, the art deco movement in 1920s symbolized the progression era, even the cross bracing facades of John Hancock building in the 60s 70s represented the re-emphasis of forms follow function while not omitting the details. While there is indeed a need for skyscrapers as functions, and of course social need should be taken care of before decorations, but that do no justify putting another glass box in the middle of historic skyline and tearing the old one down, you would not worship a stainless stain ladle over a pearl necklace, would you? Saying we are progressing and therefore must forgone the aesthetics is a pathetic dystopian excuse for lazy and banal designs. it is not an issue of against new, but against poor design and bad decision.
@joaquimsilva6081
Жыл бұрын
Kind of a lie. Lots of new skyscrapers respect their environment while being easily recognizable landmarks, even if you think they are ugly. In the 20s there were a buttload of people criticizing the Art Deco movement for "destroying the historic skyline"just like you're doing right now. Criticizing new movements is necessary for us to determine what works and what doesn't, so that we can move on with new, better structures, but completely writing off a movement is not the way to go \
@ilovemokona2
Жыл бұрын
@Joaquim Silva That is exactly why I said 'most' instead of all skyscraper, and for your record, I also mention ugly is subjective. I do agree some contemporary designs take into good consideration like Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel in Chicago is magnificent indeed, and the Leadenhall building in London respect the visual corridor toward the St Paul is another great example. And that is my point exactly, how many of the latest render actually did pay much attention like those 2 examples I mentioned? Yes, just like people criticised the Art Deco movement (I am not sure if they actual do since Mid town in 1920s is pretty empty and thus a perfect sandbox), The Chrysler building become the pinnacle of Art Deco style and get along well with the Grand Central terminal beaux arts style, just like the Eiffel tower as well, Eiffel tower is in front of the Champ de Mars, it provide a new axis linking the Place du Trocadéro toward the École Militaire, forming parallel to the historic Arc de Triomphe axis, Eiffel tower created new things by co-exisiting with the old, things will be quite different if Eiffel tower has to torn down Notre Dame and that is my point exactly, I don't mind new and progress, but bad and poor design. How about the Penn station in New York? Madison Garden Square is a decent mid century design but by tearing the Neo classical old facade that is on par with Grand Central terminal is generally viewed as a great mistake by public indeed, how about Singer building as well? We actually have a term called Brusselization that unplanned and cheap building spamming historical region so bad that Paris has to ban new skyscraper in central district after the Mont Parnasse building is built for decades. Bad design is an obstacle for progress. Better structure? Yes, go ahead! Poor design? Nay. Justification for poor design with the excuse of progress? Double nay
@eclogite
Жыл бұрын
another factor I've heard contributed to the thoroughness of the lack of postwar ornamentation is that the mass-produced ornament factories mostly shut down due to decreased demand, so it got quite expensive to even consider that kind of decoration
@eclogite
Жыл бұрын
@@i3sf252 whose website are you referring to?
@warrenlemay8134
Жыл бұрын
I remember the first time I saw the Jeweler's Building as a kid 20 years ago while on a boat tour on the Chicago River, I was six years old, yet I instantly recognized it as the inspiration of one of the buildings in SimCity 2000. On a related note to the car elevator in the Jewelers Building, the Art Deco-style Carew Tower in Cincinnati once had an automated car parking garage that would lift cars on an elevator up to parking spots, which opened alongside the rest of the building in 1930. A control panel at the bottom of the garage allowed people to store and retrieve cars, much like a giant mechanical filing cabinet, though people often did not understand how to use it, which led to it becoming operated by attendants. Sadly, that portion of the Carew Tower complex was demolished in the 1980s after becoming obsolete and useless, a victim of a changed culture around cars where parking and retrieving your car manually from a garage or surface lot was seen as more desirable, as well as the increased size of automobiles, which the limited size and capacity of the machinery designed for smaller 1920s and 1930s cars could not accommodate.
@cresswga
Жыл бұрын
It's so great to hear that you think of it as the Adventures in Babysitting building too! I was so excited when I visited Chicago years ago and saw it. As a kid I had no idea that it was a real building and thought it had been made up for the film.
@GeekFilter
Жыл бұрын
I was surprised when I saw it IRL a few years later as well! It does have that 'movie' vibe!
@winthropthurlow3020
Жыл бұрын
Interesting you should include the State Tower building in Syracuse (my home). This Art Deco beauty is designed to draw the eye to its top. For example the bricks that clad its facade become increasingly lighter in color as the building rises. This feature, along with its strong verticality, force your view upward. Kudos to the building's owner for camouflauging the cell antenae affixed to its upper floors.
@rangercommandervelvlarumai7589
Жыл бұрын
New York or Sicily?
@winthropthurlow3020
Жыл бұрын
@@rangercommandervelvlarumai7589 New York.
@Albanian_History
Жыл бұрын
Everything classical and neoclassical is so amazing we need to start doing this all over the world again
@BGTuyau
Жыл бұрын
Another fine video by Mr. Hicks -partly illustrated with the innovative photography of Chris Hytha- addressing a fascinating theme. At once academic and entertaining and full of interesting insights. Nice work. Keep it coming ...
@markrichards6863
Жыл бұрын
I have a fabulous view if the Empire State Building. It's art Deco details and spire are a thrilling thing to see every day. But the building I really love for its detail is the Chrysler Building.
@skipads5141
Жыл бұрын
New York City has incredible details on the crowns of buildings. They're great for occupants in nearby buildings, but almost unknown to anyone going by. Of course, looking up to appreciate all the thought that people put into the buildings makes everyone think you're a tourist, which Manhattan residents seem to never want to be caught doing. Ironically, very few people actually in Midtown & Downtown New York actually grew up among those buildings. Maybe it's a reflex of denial.
@jj6282
Жыл бұрын
Love your channel Stewart. I just told a friend that the Jewelers Building is probably my favorite in Chicago. Thank you for the insight
@Alex-cw3rz
Жыл бұрын
A large element is that skyscrapers are built as a commodity and having ornamentation gains you very little to nothing in price. Therefore a boring cube gains you the best ROI and that's all the developers care about. Leading to boring cities.
@pietervoogt
Жыл бұрын
Actually I have read research that ornaments can add monetary value, I think it was 10% higher value. You should be able to calculate it, take two buildings in the same block (so location is no influence) one from the 1970s and one from 1870 and compare the prices. Also consider publicity/advertisement value. I don't even know if Chrysler still exists but I know the Chrysler building. Imagine millions of tourists sharing pictures of your building.
@Alex-cw3rz
Жыл бұрын
@@pietervoogt can you find me this research, as I can't find it, I just did a cursory glance at prices in new York and there is zero correlation, and it doesn't work like that in the city I'm in.
@bengoacher4455
Жыл бұрын
@@Alex-cw3rz well ask yourself this. Would you rather live/work in a beautiful ornate building, or a bland boring cube? If you would rather live/work in a beautifully ornate building, how much extra would you be prepared to pay to do so? If you are prepared to pay 10% more to live/work in an ornate building, and the ornamental features add 9% to the cost of the building, then it is in the developers interest to build ornate buildings. The problem then becomes one of a lack of choice when it comes to living somewhere. The prices of rent in these cities effectively negates any difference in perceived value between buildings. If there is such limited supply of available accommodation even the wealthy can't afford to be choosy about where they live. They may have a multi million dollar budget, but if the only apartments on the market are modern cubes then they will have to buy a modern cube even if they want to live in a neoclassical apartment. As for working, well the decision there isn't based on what the employees want, it's based on what the accountants say. You may want to work in a beautiful building, but the decision isn't yours, and the people making that decision don't care what you want they care about the bottom line. If we want a world that values anything other than money then we need to rid ourselves of people who make it their job to manage money. I say all accountants get rounded up and locked away and Excel gets permanently deleted from every computer globally and then we may start to be able to design better buildings and value things like employee happiness and sustainability and cultural impact rather than the bottom line.
@pietervoogt
Жыл бұрын
@@Alex-cw3rz No, I'm sorry, I can't find it anymore. I read it years ago and I don't remember the quality of the research, nor the exact words (ornament? decoration? traditional details? classical elements?) which make it hard to search for it. I can also imagine that it is more complicated than I just described it because, on second thought, almost no building is the same in quality of plumbing, maintenance, isolation etcetera so small price differences could be ascribed to anything. I hope someone will repeat the research.
@BorisG13
Жыл бұрын
I’m SO happy that people are finally bringing this up! I’ve seen quite a few videos criticizing modern architecture recently and I hope that it has an impact and that the people in charge of defining the skylines of our cities notice it and change.
@jonreznick5531
Жыл бұрын
Chippendale Tower aka the Dutch Chair appears in nearly every stylized NYC skyline because of how easy it is to draw.
@potts995
Жыл бұрын
311 S. Wacker Dr. is such a striking building to be so commonly overlooked. I can’t help but feel if the building were located somewhere else, it would’ve been considered an iconic postmodern skyscraper.
@jeremygrecte
Жыл бұрын
Losing the ornaments is not just a thing for skyscrapers. It's a general trend for all kind of buildings, from the smallest to the biggest, and also inside them.
@nolesy34
Жыл бұрын
What about the ornamnents inside the building
@toddhensley880
Жыл бұрын
I am not an architect, but I love this video and I want all of you who ARE architects to know the beauty and details of buildings DO matter and are appreciated by many of us.
@dilliam1702
Жыл бұрын
I love the interviews with Chris. I followed him on twitter a while ago and love seeing his work.
@pandarosamusic5751
Жыл бұрын
5:48 Now this is pure art.
@matthewgarcia3356
Жыл бұрын
I feel like it was only touched on slightly, but are we forgetting that a large reason for the departure from more ornately designed buildings was just the simple fact that after WW2, developers wanted to maximize profits by maximizing rentable square footage? What is the easiest way to do that? Just extrude the building upward. There are plenty of nice skyscrapers that are built these days, its just that a lot of them are just glass curtain walls with some slight ornamentation using mullions or structural expressionism. Also it doesn't help that a lot of modern skyscrapers are simply just too huge to have lots of thoughtful ornamentation without coming at a massive cost. So developers and clients alike choose size instead of style to show off their power. Look at the new chase building in Manhattan for example. Also, for all their faults as a toxic work environment, SHoP Architects does tend to design nice skyscrapers, look at the Brooklyn Tower that is soon to finish its facade work. That one is also a supertall, but they use modern technology to create a neo-gothic look. Unfortunately, those kind of buildings are always reserved for the rich tho lol.
@ElAnvaBar
Жыл бұрын
TLDR: most people don't look up at or in buildings. Being raised by a construction engineer and later being a project manager. I was always asked to look at what kind of brick pattern /bonds an old building has. Or to spot the detailing in it. It made me appreciate the work that got into buildings. As an HVAC engineer myself. I now look up inside buildings. The amount of visible plumbing in supermarkets is a lot. And not so pretty. Most people won't notice though so it doesn't matter. Sadly it's also the same with pretty buildings, most people don't care, so it doesn't matter to them. But when it is done and they are among such buildings they do experience the prettiness. Or when it's not there, the coldness of the buildings is palpable.
@hammerth1421
Жыл бұрын
As an autist, I am very much aware of all the exposed piping and wiring in stores. In some, it's quite an eyesore. In others, the exposed tidily installed technology almost has an elegance to it.
@sandrahiltz
Жыл бұрын
I feel like not just skyscrapers but all modern architecture in general is extremely boring down to even the interiors where decorative door and window trim has be replaced with just a standard board, and decorative crown molding has be replaced by nothing, just removed with a sharp corner between the wall and ceiling.
@ricardogens9834
Жыл бұрын
They are empty shapes, devoid of any meaning, character or personality. And then people apply that same idea to the interior. You'd think a blank canvas would awaken people's creativity, but instead it just makes people more empty-minded. Its quite sad, people don't realize that the quality, beauty and meaning in the built environment around them has a direct effect on their mindset, their outlook on life and their mental health.
@JohnFromAccounting
Жыл бұрын
Minimalism has also caused the death of craftsmanship and carpentry. Why get an ornate carved chair when you can get a minimal design from IKEA?
@jasonreed7522
Жыл бұрын
The quality of the interior comes down to budget, even minor upgrades from the basic package to architectural can quickly add up when applied across an entire building. And minimialism doesn't have to be boring, it's just often selected because its easy to be cheap when the goal is minimal clutter. (An empty room isn't cluttered sort of logic, but its also not an attractive space)
@rokos.1239
Жыл бұрын
I can imagine how beautiful those skyscrapers would be. I can even imagine how pricey their rooms would be.
@Heritage367
Жыл бұрын
As a Chicago native, I fell in love with architecture at an early age. It probably had something to do with the fact I spent a lot of time in both Beverly on the South Side and Oak Park in the near western suburbs, two places filled with beautifully designed homes. Thank you for this wonderful video sharing this breathtaking photography. I've always thought it would be cool to fly like Superman and visit the tops of these buildings!
@adamcheklat7387
Жыл бұрын
Have you heard of the Burnham Plan? It was an urban design plan that would’ve made Chicago a “Paris on the Prairie”. Kings and Things did a video on it.
@MildMisanthropeMaybeMassive
Жыл бұрын
I always thought that the rectangular international style took over skyscrapers of the 1950s to 1980s because their flat roofs could be used as helicopter pads for the rich and trendy occupants of those buildings. But because cities began to ban helicopters outside of emergency usage due to noise pollution and notable crash incidents, architects started to experiment with different shapes again.
@dadboyrob
Жыл бұрын
With the advent of accessible CNC routers and design programs, will we see an uptick in sculpted design elements in buildings?? The barriers to entry for sculpting could be reduced thanks to automated processes that minimize the need for specialized human skills like sculpting currently is.
@winterwatson6811
Жыл бұрын
while cnc is great for custom design on a small scale, it does not scale as well as other construction methods. molds, like mentioned in the video with terracotta, can produce elements faster and cheaper at scale
@dadboyrob
Жыл бұрын
@@winterwatson6811 Good distinction to make. Fast, reliable, and precise large format CNC’s are the ticket then. Impossible? Hard to say.
@ricardogens9834
Жыл бұрын
Let's not forget industrial 3D printing. Digitally scuplt an art piece and have it printed in a cement mixture, might be cheaper and less labour intensive once the manufacturing process has been figured out.
@ricardogens9834
Жыл бұрын
Let's not forget industrial 3D printing. Digitally scuplt an art piece and have it printed in a cement mixture, might be cheaper and less labour intensive once the manufacturing process has been figured out.
@winterwatson6811
Жыл бұрын
cnc is certainly revolutionizing prototyping, but the process is inherently inefficient at scale because cnc’ing builds parts through reduction. there will always be elevated time and material requirements at scale when each piece needs to be individually machined down from a blank. molds produce little to no waste material. where they certainly open new potential is in the production of nonstandard elements. with terracotta, the architect is limited to repeating elements. this restriction does not exist with cnc, but the same cost and time disadvantages will likely always apply.
@dwdei8815
Жыл бұрын
The British cartoonist and critic Osbert Lancaster suggested that if you visited New York in a hot air balloon (in the 1920s), it would look as though you were drifting along the Grand Canal of Venice. He supplied a nice drawing you can find online.
@willburgess1074
Жыл бұрын
This was like a visual episode of 99% Invisible: thoughtful, easy listening, with great interview interstitials. All it needs is more Lullatone!
@AR-wp3lm
Жыл бұрын
In Barcelona museum dedicated to Antoni Gaudí, concerning the Sagrada Familia you can read something like that : While Gaudi was overseeing the project a visiting bishop once asked of him,” Why do you trouble yourself so much about the tops of the towers? After all, no one will ever see them”. “ Your Grace,” he replied, “ The angels will see them.”
@room5245
Жыл бұрын
Love the video's Stewart! I'm sure you've made a lot of us appreciate architecture in a new way. You choose niche topics and elaborate on their relevance in an easy to digest yet in depth manner. Absolute youtube legend!!! Now THATs what I call content
@c.i.demann3069
Жыл бұрын
Stewart, I've been watching the show "Severance" and the bizarre layout of the office building has me constantly thinking of you. I would love a video where you talk about what the show's creators were thinking when they designed that building set.
@stewarthicks
Жыл бұрын
Omg, yes for sure! I have so many thoughts about it and love the show.
@RobShuttleworth
Жыл бұрын
Pretty amazing drone footage!
@chrispnw2547
Жыл бұрын
Olympia Centre (161 E Chicago Ave) may not be considered ornate but it is elegant as the choice of materials on the facade have held up and look timeless. The Watertower condominium was constructed around the same time and premium facade materials were the standard for a luxury condominium. As a young professional at the time, I went to the sales office and was handed massive/detailed book that provided all the building floor plates and plans. The outside cover matched the color of the granite and the interior pages were cream colored. The documents were on a high quality paper befitting the property and I have kept them 30+ years later. For perspective: The monthly HOA fees average $2,000 per month. Don't ask about the taxes as they are brutal. 🤨
@TrainsFerriesFeet
Жыл бұрын
There are some beautiful skyscrapers being built, today. The Brooklyn Tower, for example.
@CubeAtlantic
Жыл бұрын
that's true in my POV it would be dope if we had more elaborate & unique building's in North America but it's rare to see.
@jasonreed7522
Жыл бұрын
Its rare because its shockingly expensive to upgrade above the basic functional options. For instance 2'x2' recessed lights in drop tile ceilings will generally cost an extra $70 per light to upgrade from basic "flat panel" to "architectural" style. (Multiply by several thousand lights in a new skyscraper and that cost adds up) So sadly due to basic economics it costs extra to make things pretty and its rare to find someone willing to foot that bill for _only_ aesthetic benefits. We all want prettier buildings but its just not always in the budget.
@fbyi2940
Жыл бұрын
@@jasonreed7522 yet USA miltary gets $$$ for tool meant for chaos
@devonflood8232
Жыл бұрын
Great video, I just love and wish there'd be more Ornate buildings now and I get a bit sad seeing what has been lost over the years!
@aurelienf284
Жыл бұрын
Very interesting. You could also mention the lost of influence of Christianity in our modern/western society. As your guest suggested, those towers were a display of power. They tell a story for the future generations. In the past (in our western society) the religion had this kind of power and the only tower in town and city were churches and cathedrals. Those buildings mimic the religion idea of power. Nowadays religion is not anymore synonym of great power and corporations don’t want to be associated with this idea anymore, they prefer show how organize they are… and when you think about it modern building look like spreadsheets sometimes :)
@JohnFromAccounting
Жыл бұрын
Once corporations stopped being beholden by moral order, they immediately devolved into profit maximization at the cost of a pleasant society. Going from inspiring towers into featureless modern skyscrapers that are intended for efficiency was a real cultural whiplash.
@jareddeemee8582
Жыл бұрын
Just found your channel from the new strong towns video, hoping your content is very similar😁
@jonathanraithel5726
Жыл бұрын
Also, individual clients building high rises before the 40s often worked in the buildings they paid for, so they cared about appearance. Now, they are usually a corporation who will hardly ever see the building, so they don’t care about an appearance that would double the cost.
@mickanvonfootscraymarket5520
Жыл бұрын
I don't think we will ever see an Art Deco or Neoclassical Revival, because we don't use masonry like we once did. But I think we can do a mass contemporary adaption of those styles. NYC and Berlin are good examples of this, go street view explore Soho NYC, where the newer additions relate to the historic neighbours. Also, this is one of the (if not) best video on KZitem about this topic.
@orion10x10
Жыл бұрын
What you said: "material was expensive but labor was cheap" What I heard: there was rampant worker exploitation
@xxculpritexx
3 ай бұрын
I would enjoy seeing this kind of in-depth look into the bromo-seltzer tower
@AmyPieterse
Жыл бұрын
I was wondering where those photographs were coming from in my feed on reddit! thank you so much for this video!!!!
@roccobierman4985
Жыл бұрын
Developers chose money over appearance. And some architectural firms were more than happy to cater to the frugalness.
@xandercruz900
Жыл бұрын
And the buildings you love so much were paid for with what? Lots of money they decided to spend on ornamentation than paying more to the workers, right? If Amazon spent the equivalent on a highly-ornamented building today, you all would blow your stacks.
@roccobierman4985
Жыл бұрын
@@xandercruz900 Amazon has a $500 BILLION dollar annual revenue. They could CERTAINLY make nicer looking buildings AND pay their workers more. They are instead choosing to put their money elsewhere like expanding and investing.
@mikeokeeffe4692
Жыл бұрын
I just wanted to say I thoroughly enjoyed this video. I subbed instantly. Brilliantly presented and researched topic. Thank you, I mean. As a man who always wanted to be an architect, and was as a child, and now, as a 38 year old man, is still so interested in this I went into the care sector for young people but still to this day I think about the possibility. More like what if I had overcome my adolescent difficulties in maths and got my grade to consider going onto become a real architect and such. I don't regret more like ponder this. Channels I have found like yours are genuinely wonderful. I could carry on but what I mean is simply to say the work you have done and the way you present it is just brilliant and a joy to take in. Thanks a lot. Very cool.
@seankramer6571
Жыл бұрын
This video sponsored by Bottoms.
@echothreezero
Жыл бұрын
It would be great if you had included a little more on some of the functional aspects of tower tops beyond holding communications or MEP equipment or reducing windage. Like energy conservation, natural ventilation, outdoor living space and so on.
@albertosanchez276
Жыл бұрын
Drone virtual tours would be a great way to explore a new city!!
@nolesy34
Жыл бұрын
Not safe.. what if they malfunction and you fall
@JosephHuether
Жыл бұрын
It is worth noting that if you are one of those fortunate well-heeled urbanites...take NYC for example...who can afford an apartment on the 20th floor or above, these ornate and idiosyncratic skyscraper tops, absolutely ARE part of the urban landscape. From the street, definitely NO. But there is a significant number of urban occupants who view their city through office and apartment windows and this is often overlooked since one building may, in effect, be providing a visual amenity to occupants of another building. Few NYC buildings actually provide vistas, river or park views etc. They DO however provide views of other buildings. You might be on the 15th floor of a drab 1962 Emery and Roth white brick cookie-cutter apartment building with no "park view"...but if you are fortunate enough to be looking out at a Henry Hardenberg (or similar) confection, you've really hit the jackpot.
@stickyfox
Жыл бұрын
In Central NY there are thousands of foursquare-style homes with two stories and a cupola. The cupolas almost always have broken windows and damage to the trim and siding. I figured it's because people just don't care about architecture, or can't afford a ladder, or never look up.
@russellgeisthardt9828
Жыл бұрын
Philip Johnson also designed the Wells Fargo Center in Denver, which is known locally as the Mailbox building or the Cash Register building, and has a unique, though not ornate, top.
@a.soraparu773
10 ай бұрын
Im bias as im from Chicago, but I truly love that city. Its such a beautiful place full of great buildings, blends of nature, great sights, and great food. Out of the 10 major cities in the US, Chicago looks the most gorgeous.
@mathulhu1
Жыл бұрын
Being from Chicago I got a kick out the Willis Tower being referred to as the Sears Tower. I will always think of it as the Sears Tower.
@kindlin
Жыл бұрын
I'm actually an engineer that works on designing the mounting frames for installations such as 3:49. The Radio-Frequency (RF) transparent material we use for these is called FRP (Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (or Plastic)). You can make tubes and plates and bolts that function basically just like steel would, all from super strong and durable plastic, but it's not nearly as strong or stiff (about 1/10th as much). As steel is just much stronger, structurally, we typically anchor the FRP to a steel frame anchored to the building's frame/walls/whatever structure we can find to calc out. We usually insert some thru-bolts back into the beams or columns supporting the outer facade, roofs, etc. There's a rule called the 5% rule (or 10% for lateral loads) where once you calculate that the _increase_ in load from the original design condition is less than 10%, you don't need to calculate nay more. So if you add a small box or even a decent sized frame, you'll probably need/want to check the beam is fine, but as the beam is supporting many thousands of pounds, you don't really need to check any further, that little frame on there is just going to be taking out some of the design slack from the columns and foundations, etc.
@xandercruz900
Жыл бұрын
Just like in the "WTF Happened to our skyscrapers?!" video most people here saw, you need to understand that this is not the 1920s, and that those buildings aren't necessarily "better" more than you just like tons of needless ornamentation for the sake of it that just look "prettier" to people 100 years out, to h3ll of the costs to the person actually footing the bill for it. Not to mention increased regulation in terms of construction practices, and safety standards + architects and engineers working with better materials that are more energy efficient and allow for more natural light, and larger floor plans have made those early buildings functionally obsolete. Which is kind of the point of these buildings. To house actual paying tenants with changing needs, and not to just be pretty on a postcard or poster. But to people with surface level takes on this, it's just "new stuff is ugly and boring. Boooooooooo!!!!". And I'm sure the 10000 posts about "corporate greed, blah blah blah" will be made wholly ironically by people praising corporations that spent a massive amount of Gilded Age era currency on the "pretty" they admire as being the height of culture.
@wingerie542
Жыл бұрын
Ornamentation isn't needless, it's part of a visual language of building. It creates a character, a memorable image. Modernist skyscrapers have it also, it's just there are different people with different tastes. Hyperoptimization for efficiency isn't good either, especially when we're talking about public spaces and services. Most cost-effective buildings are mass produced, however having kilometers of the exactly same copy-paste architecture creates alienating environment, with lack of character, lack of navigational cues. And spending money on "pretty" things is totally ok as well, it funds artists, it helps us push our culture forward.
@JohnFromAccounting
Жыл бұрын
The opulent buildings of the past were the height of technology and craftsmanship. They were inspiring and filled the imagination. That's why they survived and are preserved today. Generic rectangular office building #227 will not be remembered. It will be demolished in 70 years time and won't even occupy a page of a history book.
@theviniso
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! I'm tired of seeing this kind of opinion on YT, it seems the almighty algorithm loves people complaining about modern architecture.
@xandercruz900
Жыл бұрын
@@JohnFromAccounting > That's why they survived and are preserved today. No, that is not why as there are numerous examples of even more ornate buildings before the "streamline age" of the 20s that only exists in photographs because they have gone to the wrecking ball, quite a few before they got anywhere near 60 years old.
@diametheuslambda
Жыл бұрын
None of the buildings talked about are particularly cheap. They're now made of mythical quantities of enormous chunks of steel and glass, which is about as expensive as common building materials get. You can like trad styles, this or the starchitect lumps that give structural engineers and superintendents aneurysms, but let's not pretend the choice is inherently prosocial or economic instead of aesthetic. None of the buildings talked about are the projects. They're still the same thing, imposition of upper class preference on genpop. Genpop is allowed to opine, yes?
@HontasFarmer80
Жыл бұрын
People taking the Mies Mies van der Rohe "Form Follows Function" (Taking Louis Sullivan's ideas to an extreme) idea as an excuse to just build glass boxes without any of the creativity that Skidmore Owings and Merrill put into the overall shape of the building. The top of the Sears Tower is not only iconic ... but if you blindfolded a Chicagoan and drove them to an unknown part of the city we can tell what side of town we are on from the tallest buildings alone. It's like a compass.
@alastairbattson5123
10 ай бұрын
In my experience within architecture there has seemingly been a democratization of architecture design as well as a sense that in many senses they are are thought of as not needed. Developers of skyscrapers I have known also seem to have a sense that glass is the symbol of modern, anything that is more masonry based is thought of as old. A lot of this, I think, is based on perception from the inside, historic precedent and real estate selling points of floor to ceiling views. I however am always happy when I see new skyscraper than breaks the current glass mold and introduces more "solid" masonry like elements and does not go with the generic glass curtain wall. On some level I think it is on the stars of the industry to develop examples that slowly break this current mold/perception over time.
@classjacksonlawsuit
Жыл бұрын
oh wow I am honored to be first.
@okayfine6342
Жыл бұрын
the little 3d renders bouncing and falling down are adorable! i love it :)
@gatleystone2480
Жыл бұрын
every skyscraper built between 1960 and 1990 is hideous and trashy
@xandercruz900
Жыл бұрын
That's pure ignorance. Swear people that arent seriously interested in architecture always default to cringe takes like this.
@JohnFromAccounting
Жыл бұрын
@@xandercruz900 Name one.
@theviniso
Жыл бұрын
@@xandercruz900 This kind of video always attracts reactionary conservatives afraid of the future. They'll rally behind anyone saying the past was better in any way whatsoever, no matter the subject.
@xandercruz900
Жыл бұрын
@@JohnFromAccounting Here are two easy examples for people with silly takes like that: John Hancock Building and the TransAmerica Pyramid. Two buildings that are definitely not trashy and both have become iconic to the cities they are in. Elite Residence in Dubai. Guangzhou International Finance Center Sears Tower Petronas Towers Taipei 101 Even the Burj Khalifa is a wonder of architecture and engineering. Dubai alone is just packed with amazing structures. But what on Earth is the point of me giving you a list when you have no real ability to decern between good architecture and "only old stuff is good"?
@sayjinoAkiraSK
Жыл бұрын
Sooo.. What about WTC?
@jacobrhoads25
Жыл бұрын
"Sears Tower" Respect.
@alarlol
Жыл бұрын
we are builing a horrible dystopia. thats why. cant have nice things, smart things, reasonable things. all you can have is a terrorsystem for the mind and body
@winterwatson6811
Жыл бұрын
things can definitely feel dire, but there is also such capacity for connection, joy, and learning. i hope you find space to do something nice for yourself today 💞
@alarlol
Жыл бұрын
@@winterwatson6811 sure thing :) thanks for the good wishes
@theviniso
Жыл бұрын
I agree, not because of our architecture, not at all, but rather because of our technology.
@rokos.1239
Жыл бұрын
It's just change. Nothing special. I mean why aren't you dressing like in 1920s with coat and hat.
@alarlol
Жыл бұрын
@@rokos.1239 i am, tho. almost daily
@jenniferlehman3342
Жыл бұрын
❤honestly I never knew how much I loved architecture until I started noticing the history of architecture- well , to be even more honest, I’m not aesthetically over the moon about much modern architecture. I’m an absolute history geek and dwellings and aesthetic always have stories to tell. I’m obsessed with your videos now - have learned so much about my hometown and the buildings I admire - thank you
@gun10ck
Жыл бұрын
Can we all agree post modern and modern are ruining cities and go back to more elegant and timeless design? Maybe throw in some local vernacular for good measure.
@winterwatson6811
Жыл бұрын
nah
@wingerie542
Жыл бұрын
nah
@xandercruz900
Жыл бұрын
>Can we all agree post modern and modern are ruining cities No? Why in the world should we "all agree" like this is some binary? >and go back to more elegant and timeless design? Whatever that means. > Maybe throw in some local vernacular for good measure. "local vernacular"?
@rokos.1239
Жыл бұрын
Nah
@walterzielinski6654
Жыл бұрын
A great subject (exterior decoration, or the lack of it) covered in this excellent video. Many thanks again to Prof. Hicks.
@dmr8914
Жыл бұрын
We cannot discuss this without mentioning the Chrysler Building. Really, there is no skyscraper in the world that went to so much effort to create a top that is so iconic for the period and exudes progress. Its such a joy of art deco design that it cannot be mistaken for being built in any other period. Ok, its small in todays world, but it still stands as a beacon for its brief time as the tallest, its defining art deco style, its embellishments that echo the man that built it and his life's work in automobiles and its fun. A big thank you to the artisans of the past who spent so much time, effort, and money to create these structures because they were PROUD of them. This is why they spent so much on their detail. there is no pride anymore. Build it, whack a great tall antenna on it and it becomes a tall building by default.
@WillieMiller-f5h
Жыл бұрын
One thing that isn't mentioned is how an artichetet's vision sometimes may not make it to the final production due to budget cuts and how this amazing Tops may get defunded.
@pyrodoll2422
Жыл бұрын
Another superb vid with great input from Chris, his work is amazing.
@timothygrier5486
Жыл бұрын
Another great video from Mr. Hicks. It's interesting that he calls the Willis Tower by its former name the Sears Tower. It's also interesting that he calls it one of the tallest buildings in Chicago. It would be easier and more informative to just say that it is the tallest building in Chicago.
@bruceschneider4928
Жыл бұрын
Atlanta's skyline was boring boxes (not GOOD ones like a Le Corbusier or Van der Rohe) until 1987, when One Atlantic Center (A.K.A. the IBM Tower) was completed. One Atlantic Center is a classic skyscraper design by Johnson/Burgee, and kicked off a great renaissance in Atlanta building designs.
@jessieloveshobbies
Жыл бұрын
Downtown Chicago is amazing because of the way modern skyscrapers sit right next to the ornate buildings. I feel like I can appreciate both more as their specific characteristics are drawn out by the others presence! Some personal favorites are the Aon Center, Aqua Tower, and the Reliance Building :)
@PhilipMurphyExtra
Жыл бұрын
The days of discovering a quality KZitem channel is always great.
@GreenBlueWalkthrough
Жыл бұрын
Some thing people for get is the sky line... A place where you have always ben able to enjoy the tops of buildings. Also "flying cars" also known as big drones you ride would mean that people with their own eyes will see your tower from right next to it... So yeah tops are very important and always have been.
@ChadDidNothingWrong
Жыл бұрын
If the trend of industry is anything to go by, I'd guess the modern regulatory environment has made it so only corporate entities can afford to build and maintain tall buildings, so you don't get anyone's artistic vision. Basically all skyscrapers today are likely all built "by committee", and this change is the result. The liability involved due to modern regulatory structuring as well as modern tort law makes it too dangerous for an individual to build and own even a simple gas station today....we're talking several orders of magnitude more such laws and rules than was true in the 1930's when these were built. I worked as an environmental consultant for a while and was pretty shocked to learn the EPA was fining individuals and their small businesses the _same dollar amount_ as large corporations as a matter of course, (as opposed to a percentage of revenue), and so naturally, only the large corporations are eventually left standing. I'm sure skyscraper development has felt this too, knowing how big such projects are.
@istoppedcaring6209
Жыл бұрын
imagine a skyscraper being designed with modern techniques, steel frame, etc. but with classical/gothical,.... style(s) imagine utilising perspective in a similar way as romans/egyptians/greeks did with collumns, as usual wide base and narrower towards the top, but adapt the artistic elements to their context, for instance the higher you go the less micro detail and the more macro detail, where as you use large panels/blocks of stone for the lower levels, you use larger ones towards the top, allowing for it to seem more uniform, every x number of floors (when removing the circumference as you get higher) you add a large terrace that juts out with pillars and arches
@alanbarker2279
Жыл бұрын
1.27 You should check out the water towers built in the UK in the Victorian and Edwardian ages - many of which survive to this day...
@wheelmanstan
Жыл бұрын
Weird. I mean they people getting their skyscrapers built are usually the self-absorbed braggadocious types. They want the newest and biggest..so you'd expect them to all have their unique tops. I think that once someone starts doing it again that it'll catch on. You know would really be cool is if they'd plant some giant sequoias around the buildings (their roots likely wouldn't affect those buildings). Hey, they grow pretty dang fast...In 50 years it'll look pretty interesting with a 150ft+ tree nearby for scale, real interesting in 100+ years if those buildings are still standing. Yes, I'm a dreamer.
@beckerderbacker4976
Жыл бұрын
I think that there's a certain yearning in Western society, or perhaps just in the US, for a renewal of the aesthetic movement in architecture. Contemporary design does not privilege art for art's sake in most cases but I have to wonder if that might someday change. If the circles I'm a part of, there's a lot of talk about the beauty and the quality of Belle Époque into the 1930s, a sort of idolization of pre-war design and a rejection of Modernism and Post-Modernism. Perhaps this is a feeling that some brave architects might one day explore and start a new movement, a sort of aesthetic movement revival.
@kommandantgalileo
Жыл бұрын
I really love the architectural style of the early 20th century, they are just so beautiful.
@garysprandel1817
Жыл бұрын
There's a building off the tollway on the north side of the road near the Aurora Illinois area while not a skyscraper looks like it's capable of destroying the rebel base on Yavin.
@benjaminharrisongray9079
Жыл бұрын
Please remember folks, this is a great example of the capacity of human achievement. Architecture was this intricate back then and yet did not have anywhere near the level of technology humans have today. We don't have to slap blue glass on everything limiting expression and calling it a day so much.
@akiira69
Жыл бұрын
There are several buildings in San Diego, CA that looked like their top was chopped off. One of them is the The Westin San Diego Bayview Hotel which San Diegan Natives call the Hex Wrench Building.
@zupermaus9276
Жыл бұрын
A society's biggest buildings are a sign of what they look up to. At first sacred sites, then temples and cathedrals. Then fortified castles, then prettified palaces, then palatial parliaments. And now... dun dun daaar: office blocks, our new temples to Mammon and billionaire lairs.
@madeinhawaii
Жыл бұрын
I hope Chris might explore some Hawaii buildings, tall for their time 19th and 20th century tops like Aloha Tower, Alexander and Baldwin Building, Bishop Museum, Hawaii State Capitol...
@radnukespeoplesminds
Жыл бұрын
I think its important to note that genZ grew up with minecraft, 3d video games and as they are begining to graduate architecture and engineering school, they may draw from these virtual experiences to create the real world. People who created skyscrapers with blocks in minecraft as kids are entering the world and they are going to reshape it.
@Steve211Ucdhihifvshi
Жыл бұрын
Ive always been interested in whats in those spaces. Super interesting.
@bentz98125
Жыл бұрын
Brilliant illustration of how the technology of not just construction but also viewing, is a factor in design. City skylines are the closest imitations humans have of forests and mountains. A building detail visible only through the lens of a drone camera is like hearing the sound of a tree falling in a forest that is uninhabited. Maybe someday drone views could grow as influential as the almighty selfie! But of course no technology is ever likely to affect architecture as much (and not in a good way) as the automobile.
@TheGrenadier97
Жыл бұрын
Every time i see something related to modern skyscrapers i can't avoid thinking on how much i hate these bizarre glass boxes.
@jonardcayton1395
Жыл бұрын
In Beijing year 2000 I've noticed that high buildings have distinctive designs on their tops
@nermket4849
Жыл бұрын
Timmy's dad is the real reason they took Dinkleberg's top off
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