What day is it?

Skyscrapers have become quite common nowadays, and Skyscraper Day, which is celebrated by the international community on September 3, is a great opportunity to give a worthy assessment to architectural wonders and real feats of modern engineering. Skyscrapers adorn big cities with their bold presence and define the horizon with mighty buildings that literally seem to “scratch” the sky. But these giant buildings have only existed for about 130 years. In congested urban areas where there is a shortage of land space, the only thing left to do is build upwards, turning a small patch of land into 40 or more floors of potential residential space. For Skyscraper Day, you can visit places with these amazing buildings in your city. If you live in a small settlement, be sure to visit the nearest city with powerful buildings on this day.

How did the idea to celebrate Skyscraper Day come about?

Historically, people have always strived “up”. Starting with the Egyptian pyramids and ending with countless modern skyscrapers. Architects have always tried to build something truly impressive.

The term “skyscraper” refers to a tall structure with a minimum height of 150 m. Although height is not an invariable and single criterion. The appearance of the building, as well as the method of its construction, are of great importance. For example, in the 80s of the 19th century, this category included buildings built using steel-frame construction technology. Also, if the largest building in a particular area has 14 floors, it is often called a skyscraper.

According to European standards, which are also in force in Ukraine, buildings with a height of 25 floors or more are called high-rises.

Louis Henry Sullivan

The date of the celebration was not chosen by chance, because it was on this day in 1856 that Louis Henry Sullivan was born – a famous American architect who is also considered the father of skyscrapers. In his works, Sullivan always adhered to rationalism and developed American modernism in architecture.

The very term “skyscraper” originated in the USA in the late 1880s. It was a time when there was a real construction boom in New York and Chicago.

The first skyscrapers

The first skyscraper in the world appeared in Chicago in 1885. It was a 10-story building over 40 meters high. This building was also called “Home Insurance Building”, which means Home Insurance Building. Its architect was Major William LeBaron Jenney, an American engineer known throughout the world as an outstanding urban planner and supporter of building skyscrapers. However, this building lasted only 46 years, it was demolished in 1931.

With the appearance of extremely tall buildings, the very term “skyscraper” appeared. It was first used in the USA. Until the 1880s, the construction of high-rise buildings was limited to 6-story buildings, because technologies that would allow supplying water to the upper floors did not yet exist at that time. It was also physically difficult for people to climb high floors on foot. The year 1880 was a breakthrough in the construction of high-rise buildings, because it was then that the German company Siemens Halske developed and manufactured the first passenger elevator that operated from an electric network based on a rail mechanism.

Building the largest building in the world is the secret dream of every architect. Therefore, it is not surprising that with the appearance of the first skyscraper, an unspoken competition between specialists began. A gigantic building is a sign of victory over human limitations. And such victories, starting from 1885, became more and more frequent.

So, in 1930, the residents of New York first contemplated the construction of a skyscraper in their city. We are talking about the Chrysler Building (Chrysler Building), the height of which reached 319 meters and had 77 floors. Next appeared the famous Empire State Building, which is still a real decoration of Manhattan (one of the districts of New York). This building held the title of tallest until 1972, when the 417-meter-high North Tower of the World Trade Center was built.

Interesting Facts

Today, there are more than 4,000 skyscrapers in the world. In 2020, the capital of Ukraine ranked 8th in the number of high-rise buildings after New York, Toronto, Dubai, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Today in Kyiv there are more than 1,200 buildings with a height of more than 35 m.

The largest skyscrapers in the world

• In 2003, the tallest building in Hong Kong was built, which today houses the International Financial Center. The height of the building, which was designed by the famous Argentinian architect Cesar Pelli, reaches 420 meters (88 floors).
• The 92-story high-rise of the International Hotel and Trump Tower flaunts itself in Chicago. American architect Adrian Smith designed a tower 423 meters high (including the spire).
• The next gigantic building in Chicago is called Willis Tower, it has a height of more than 443 meters and consists of 110 floors. It is interesting that the total area of ​​the building can accommodate about 60 football fields. There are 100 high-speed elevators in the skyscraper, with which you can quickly move between a large number of floors.
• Next comes the largest building in China, located in the city of Shanghai – Jin Mao. It is not for nothing that this building is called the business card not only of this million-strong city, but also of the entire country. The skyscraper reaches 421 meters.
• In China, there is another leader of skyscrapers – the International Trade Center, which is located in the developed trade and industrial center of the country – the city of Guangzhou.
• The height (over 500 meters) of another Chinese skyscraper – “Taipei 101”, located in Beijing – is incredible. This is a very strong building that can withstand significant fluctuations for millennia.
• Burj Khalifa, built in 2010, is considered the tallest building in the world today. The tower is more than 820 meters high and impresses with its appearance.
• The second highest place in the world is occupied by the Tokyo Sky Tree (Tokyo Sky Tree), which is located in the capital of Japan. The height of the building is symbolic – 634 meters. If you read these numbers in Japanese, you get the ancient name of Tokyo. The building is included in the list of buildings with a high level of earthquake resistance.

The tallest buildings of Ukraine

• The building of the National Television Company Building, the construction of which began in 1983 and was completed in 1992, was the first high-rise building of Ukraine that appeared in the time of independence. The 97-meter-high building houses various Ukrainian television channels.
• In 1994, a 24-story high-rise was built on the street. Heroes of Stalingrad in Kyiv.
• The tallest metal structure in our country is the 385-meter-high Kyiv TV Tower. As for ordinary buildings, the crowning glory belongs to the skyscraper located in Kyiv at the address of st. Klovska, 7a – its height exceeds 162 meters.
• In 2008, the list of high-rises in Ukraine was supplemented by another high-rise, which was the 136-meter high Parus Business Center.

Skyscraper day in history

• 1856
  September 3

  Louis Henry Sullivan was born – a famous American architect who is also considered the father of skyscrapers.
• 1880

  The term “skyscraper” originated in the USA.
• 1885

  The first skyscraper in the world was erected – “Home Insurance Building” (Chicago). A 10-story building with a height of more than 40 meters.
• 2020

  The capital of Ukraine took the 8th place in terms of the number of high-rise buildings after New York, Toronto, Dubai, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai.

How to celebrate Skyscraper Day?

• If you live in a city where there are skyscrapers, then be sure to visit a tall building. Climb to the top floor, admire the view. Many skyscrapers have restaurants or coffee shops on the top floors – why not have lunch while enjoying the view of your city?
• Learn more about the science and technology behind these architectural wonders.
• Make your own skyscraper with children using toy blocks or other materials.

When will we celebrate Skyscraper Day??