The US: the Original Skyscraper Kingdom
BySkyscrapers are a dominating presence on the skylines of many U.S. cities, having become a century-old staple of Americana. Although most cities boast at least one of these steel superstructures, New York City and Chicago are home to the country’s most representative commercial buildings, an enduring mark of their once-fiery architectural fight.
Their history goes back to 1885, with the construction of the ten-story Home Insurance Building in Chicago. Fueled by economic growth and urbanization, taller buildings neatly combined classic aesthetic and practical commercial design. Soon after, skyscrapers became romantic symbols of New York City. The first building to embody these beliefs was the Flatiron Building, designed by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham, furthering the symbiotic relationship between the two cities and skyscraper culture…
