Standing on the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street the 102 Story Empire State Building is the tallest building in New York which it has held the title of for more than 50 years, (from its opening in 1931 to 1972 and then again from 2001 to present after the destruction of the World Trade Centre twin towers in lower Manhattan). Only the Chicago Wills or Sears Tower is higher in the USA and has only just fallen outside the top 10 tallest buildings in the world. The Art Deco structure has been named as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers and any visitor to the magnificent building will have no doubt why it is an amazing and beautiful engineering feat. The Empire State offers a magnificent observation deck with 360 degree views from the 86th floor and for a few dollars extra you can visit the 102nd floor, but from the Empire State Building you see all of Manhattan except the beautiful Empire State itself- so here at Tripandom we have a tip for you- try the Rockefeller Tower instead- It has a great observation area on the 70th floor offering an amazing look at the Empire State Building- this is where we took today’s photo.
Posts Tagged ‘Skyscrapers’
New York Week- Empire State Building
The Gherkin
30 St Mary Axe in London is better known as the Gherkin, one of the city’s most controversial buildings. The 180 metre high tower is the second tallest building in the city of London and was designed by Lord Norman Foster and Ken Shuttleworth and constructed between 2001 and 2004. The building is a technological wonder with some pretty smart designs built in including using about half the energy of a similar size tower. The building uses natural ventilation and extensive use of double glazing which also helps heat the building in winter. The building is primarily office space but the 40th floor has a restaurant with some of London’s most spectacular views. The futuristic design of the building has caused some ho har in the often conservative London town, even good old Prince Charles has had a bit of whinge about the building and some of other futuristic plans for the city, instead preferring London to turn back to the dark ages. The Prince does have a point but as most visitors to London would agree this tower has been carefully planed and the designers and architects with much talent have been able to complement the skyline and surroundings with this building, and in a lot of ways it helps highlight the beautiful churches and historic structures nearby with the contrast. Read the rest of this entry »
