America's Supertalls

[Godzillaman 21]

Lots of glass buildings are finally getting good designs...

[ledge69 0]

Love 80 South Street although I can see it is more Asian/European in style. That Chigago Spire is just really unattractive.

[wir3d 2]

I like when you scroll up and down on the spire. It looks like it is spinning.

[marshall1167 0]

Originally posted by: Micah

American Commerce Center looks nice, but I doubt it will get built. If im right, philly is having population troubles? were are they going to find tenants for these buildings?quote>

That's been Philadelphia's problem (population) for decades, and yet they built the Comcast tower.quote>

The city is losing population, but Center City is growing nicely in pop and jobs (downtown business district). Its true that the city definitely doesn't need any more Class-A office tho (the top half of Two Liberty, the 3rd-tallest in the city recently was converted from office to condos), Comcast just did it for the ego trip. The owners of most of the other Class-A office fought hard for Comcast to not get built.  I'll be shocked if ACC ever gets built at present height... but same with almost any other building on this list not already in construction now that the market bombed, steel skyrocketed and labor is thin.

[Godzillaman 21]

Anybody post this yet?

Hudson Place, NYC

Edit: My thoughts, nice design, but a terrible place for them...NYC should cut down on the random buildings in places they don't fit in....

[GMT 389]

ugly...

I mean, no, the buildings themselves are nice, but they sooo don't fit in...

what are they planning to do there? establish a new burb called little dubai?

cuz that's (dubai) what they remind of at first sight...

or maybe bahrain

[lucky7 73]

hmmmm... interesting...

[Duke87 1,070]

Well, that's the Hudson Yards Area- currently occupied by a below grade rail yard for Amtrak, LIRR, and NJ Transit just west of Penn Station which could be covered over but is open to the sky at the moment. Here it is on Google maps satellite. This is where the Jets wanted to put that new stadium a few years back. At the moment, plans exist to extend the 7 train so as to have there be a subway stop at 10th Avenue and 34th Street, but the MTA is in the middle of a budget crunch and construction materials are at record high prices- therefore that's starting to look like it probably won't happen unless some outside source pitches in and helps pay for it- which would rather dampen any large scale proposals for that site.

As such, to you people who claim they're ugly and don't fit in- fear not, chances are those buildings will never be more than computer renderings.

[GAT-X105 3]

Don't they want to build a new Madison Square Garden there? (Burn it down for all I care. Go Devils.)

Relocating the Garden would be a great development...they could build a new, non-rat trap Penn Station.

[EliteGeorge616 1]

Building : Burj Dubai
City : Dubai DU
Country: United Arab Emirates
Status: Under Construction ( Expected to be done 2009 )
2650 Feet , 162 Floors

Burj Dubai is scheduled to be opened on 30th of  December 2008

If you cant see the pic 
http://www.ecivilnet.com/images/art_burjd_dubai.jpg
( Not Actually in America ) =)  
Info Provided By http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=7787

[krbe 193]

Three posts in a row in about something from the UAE when the title clearly says "American"? Sorry, not good enough.

[un1 41]

Not American... I say we should start a Earth's Supertalls. So you can post any building there...

[EliteGeorge616 1]

when i first posted i didnt see american =(

[banks 0]

Originally posted by: GAT-X105 Don't they want to build a new Madison Square Garden there? (Burn it down for all I care. Go Devils.)

Relocating the Garden would be a great development...they could build a new, non-rat trap Penn Station.quote>

 

yes they wanna build to buildings over 1400 feet but i dont think it will happen anytime soon but i hope they do something with it i would love to see a 1400 footer building in new york the taller the better

[Duke87 1,070]

Originally posted by: banks yes they wanna build to buildings over 1400 feet but i dont think it will happen anytime soon but i hope they do something with it i would love to see a 1400 footer building in new york the taller the betterquote>

The Freedom tower will be 1776 feet tall. So you'll get your 1400 footer regardless.

The existing Penn Station is a dive of a place, that's for sure (kids, this is what happens when you tear down historic structures to replace them with "modern" ones). It feels rather like an airport in a few ways. Thing is, they're not actually planning to replace it, they're planning to expand it into the old Farley Post Office across 8th Avenue. The existing Penn Station would remain the home of Amtrak and Long Island Railroad, the new station in the post office would be home to NJ Transit and would be called "Moynihan Station", after former NY Senator Pat Moynihan, who was the key original proponent of the idea of expanding Penn Station (he died a few years ago, so naming it after him is legit).

[LegoMyDego28 1]

Philadelphia has a very diverse and growing economy. Center City is growing by leaps and bounds. ACC is basically being railroaded straight through the Philadelphia planning commission because the office space is needed. Population in Philadelphia's Center City has been growing by roughly 5,000 people a year. Neighborhoods in the immediate ring of Center City have seen extensive gentrification. Like every American city Philadelphia has seen population decreases since the WWII years because of suburbinization but many have been coming back to the city. There are also many other towers being built in Philadelphia already Cira Centre South will rise taller than its already built sister tower. We are also seing a massive expansion of our convention center.

- Philadelphia needs more office space and rightfully so it is a major cultural, economic, and political hub on the east coast.

[ScurkCity 0]

Las Vegas will probably become like Manhattan if it continues to grow. Too much demand, not enough land. Much of Nevada is either wasteland or owned by the gov't.

[Duke87 1,070]

Originally posted by: ScurkCity Las Vegas will probably become like Manhattan if it continues to grow. Too much demand, not enough land. Much of Nevada is either wasteland or owned by the gov't.quote>

Believe me, Las Vegas will ever be anything like Manhattan no matter how big it gets. For one thing, Las Vegas's very existence revolves around gambling and the casinos there. New York functions on much less shady business and isn't a tourist destination above all else (although it certainly is a tourist destination).

For another, the geography is too different. Manhattan is an island, and other significant urban areas are not that far away. Growing out meant crossing water so it became far more convenient to grow up. Las Vegas, on the other hand, is in the middle of the desert. There is nothing really to stifle it from growing out and make it grow up instead. It is the fastest growing metro area in North America, but bear in mind that it's been growing by sprawl, not by skyscraper. The casinos are still the tallest buildings in town and only are as tall as they are because they look more impressive when built up instead of out, and because it allows more of them in the same area.

Of course there's something else we've hit on here- namely, the "in the middle of the desert" bit. I'd imagine that in the future lack of availability of water may stunt the growth of the area, up or out... unless some crazy expensive public works project is done to carry water in from some really far flung places. I do believe the city's key source of water is Lake Mead, behind Hoover Dam.. which is only about 15-20 miles away, but there's only so much water you can practically take from it since the Colorado River only has so much flow and you need to leave sufficient excess to not have a dry canyon below the dam. And after that, there aren't really any good sizeable sources to tap nearby. Next major river would be the Rio Grande, over 400 miles away and on the other side of the continental divide- and since other cities take water from it that might not be practical even if it were closer. The Pacific Ocean is less than 300 miles away, but that's also across mountains, and directly in the shortest path is Los Angeles. And besides which, taking water from the ocean is generally done only as a last resort when there's no other place to take it from since desalinization is extremely expensive, and the cost of it usually simply isn't justified unless you're talking about someplace like Saudi Arabia where there really is no other option.

In the end, you'd probably resort to pumping groundwater from a lot of sites in and outside of the city- it works (at least so long as there's a sufficient amount of groundwater available), but that can open up a whole new set of problems. Pump too much too fast and you cause the groundwater table to drop, and that increases the effective stress in the soil since the countereffect of the water is reduced. This can cause existing structures to start sinking since their foundations were not designed with the lower groundwater table in mind. Between about 1900 and 1960, some parts of Mexico city sank over 6 meters (20 feet). The reason? The city started pumping water out of the ground. Of course, this is an extreme case. Mexico city sits on  an extraordinarily weak lacustrine clay which contains almost seven times as much water as solids when saturated. Las Vegas wouldn't sink six meters if its groundwater table was dropped, though it could sink a not insignificant amount. Depends largely on the quality of the local soil... and I don't know what it is but I get the feeling it's rather sandy- and sand actually tends not to compress as much as clay, although it does compress much faster (we're talking about minutes compared to decades here).

[patriots_1228 51]

Trans national place is now fighting an uphill battle, as long as menino is supporting it and there is a team of architects, i will consider it alive, although in boston, it could take 20 + years for this to happen. I also heard some mumblings about a second supertall, but those are just that. Mumblings.

[ScurkCity 0]

Originally posted by: Duke87

Originally posted by: ScurkCity Las Vegas will probably become like Manhattan if it continues to grow. Too much demand, not enough land. Much of Nevada is either wasteland or owned by the gov't.quote>

Believe me, Las Vegas will ever be anything like Manhattan no matter how big it gets. For one thing, Las Vegas's very existence revolves around gambling and the casinos there. New York functions on much less shady business and isn't a tourist destination above all else (although it certainly is a tourist destination). quote>

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/May-22-Sun-2005/news/26511044.html

Land is getting very expensive.  I know it won't be as commercially diversified as NYC, but it will have plenty of skyscrapers shooting up.   Demand for gambling and other entertainment has been around for centuries, so it's a pretty stable city.  I know other tourist centers are popping up, but few associate casinos with any other city than Vegas.   I don't care how many they build in Mississippi or on Indian Reservations, it will probably remain so for a long time.

[patriots_1228 51]

1,000 feet too tall for Hub tower, FAA rules By Thomas C. Palmer Jr., Globe Staff | May 16, 2008 Mayor Thomas M. Menino's dream of a 1,000-foot tower in downtown Boston will have to shrink to meet the objections of federal officials, who fear it would obstruct aircraft flying in and out of Logan Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration has told Boston officials that, at 1,000 feet, the skyscraper might be an obstruction, possibly in the flight path of a plane aborting a landing at Logan and unexpectedly veering off over downtown Boston at low altitude, according to people involved in the development. The agency is now analyzing how tall the tower can be without blocking aircraft. The tower is "stalled because of the FAA issue on height," Menino said this week. Businessman Steve Belkin proposed erecting what would be Boston's tallest building on a city- owned site after Menino two years ago challenged developers to produce an ambitious project. Belkin, who operates a variety of businesses through his company Trans National Group, was the only one to respond, and he produced a unique design for a 75-story tower of glass that would float above a ground-level public space and incorporate numerous environmentally friendly features. It was designed by famed architect Renzo Piano. Yesterday, Belkin's development firm issued a statement about the building's height problem. "We are working with the city and the appropriate agencies within the FAA to address these issues," Trans National Properties said. "In the meantime, we are continuing with our plans to fulfill the mayor's vision to build an iconic tower, which will be the most sustainable 'green' skyscraper in Boston." The tallest buildings in the Financial District now are the 46-floor One Financial Center and One International Place towers, as well as the Federal Reserve Bank. Boston's tallest building is the 60-floor John Hancock Tower, at 790 feet. Even if Belkin can't build a 1,000-foot tower, it's possible he could create something in the range of the Hancock, 50 to 60 stories in height. Belkin's development team has been in discussions with the FAA, but the parties have not reached any conclusions about the proposed building's height. "The FAA has a process to evaluate proposed projects, such as the tower the city wants to build, and to determine if they are a hazard to air navigation or not," said a spokeswoman for the agency, Arlene Salac. Matthew Brelis, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Port Authority, which operates Logan International Airport, referred inquiries on the matter to the FAA. After the FAA raised concerns about the height of new buildings on the South Boston Waterfront almost a decade ago, the city consulted with Massport and federal officials and issued height limits for prospective projects. No new buildings there can exceed 300 feet, and they must be even lower the closer the property is to Logan. Kairos Shen, chief planner for the city, said the Boston Redevelopment Authority is doing a similar analysis for the financial district, including the Winthrop Square site where Belkin's building would go. Menino seemed unfazed by the FAA objections. "I said whatever height he gets, let's do it," the mayor said. "Let's build the most significant building in Boston." But this is not the only problem Belkin faces. With the financial markets in turmoil, financing for a billion-dollar building might be harder to come by. Negotiations between the city and Belkin over how much he will pay for the site have made little progress. And Bel

[toxicpiano 125]

Originally posted by: Godzillaman

Anybody post this yet?

Hudson Place, NYC

Edit: My thoughts, nice design, but a terrible place for them...NYC should cut down on the random buildings in places they don't fit in....quote>

Oh god that's hideous!

[Duke87 1,070]

Originally posted by: toxicpiano Oh god that's hideous!quote>

Well, I have some good news for you then: that project is dead. Tishman Speyer's deal with the MTA fell apart last week.

[Duke87 1,070]

Update: New deal for those Hudson Yards. This time it's with Goldman Sachs. No word on just how tall the buildings will be or what they'll look like yet, but hey, the deal just went through earlier today yesterday (it's 2:15 AM.. damn, I should go to bed...)

[Jamonbread 222]

That building in Las Vegas looks like something from a space age 70's movie! I like it though and its being built where it will fit in I guess or not fit in so will fit in. Is any on following.

[Jamonbread 222]

That building in Las Vegas looks like something from a space age 70's movie! I like it though and its being built where it will fit in I guess or not fit in so will fit in. Is any on following.

[JackStraw 19]

Originally posted by: patriots_1228 American Commerce Center looks nice, but I doubt it will get built. If im right, philly is having population troubles? were are they going to find tenants for these buildings? In fact, if everyone builds supertalls, how are they going to fill these? Thats been one of the major problems behind Trans National.

(never considered that).quote>

 

UPDATE on ACC.... Negotiations are in effect to get TD Waterhouse to be the anchor tenent.  Funding is secure, Zonibg ordinances have been rectified to amend the Sq footage restrictions in this neighborhhod.  ACC is going up... Construction could theoretically start tomorrow.

[Mebert 5]

Oh god that's hideous!quote>

Yes, but I wouldn't worry. They've been trying to do something with Hudson Place for years. I doubt that this will be any different than the last twenty planned projects or so.

[ubeans2001 0]

The Crown Las Vegas was a canceled project because it would be an air hazard to aircraft departing runways 1L, 1R, 19L and 19R at McCarran Airport in Las Vegas....That sucks, I was kind of hoping for a nice building here at home.

[Duke87 1,070]

Ugh. Can someone fix patriots' post? It's cut off and the table box is eating the rest of the page here due to the html being unclosed.