General Hall of Fame discussions

[New Jack City]

When it comes down to it, it's gonna be between the Chrysler Building and Empire State Building. I know who I'm picking. I'd like to remind people to just not vote a skyscraper as "best" just because of it's aesthetics, which most likely will happen with the Chrysler building.

Consider the other aspects involved. The history of the tower (every great tower has an amazing tale behind it), it's function/use, it's symbolism, it's worth and how much it contributes to the city and of course finally it's architecture.

For these other aspects which is why I'm picking the Empire State Building. I admit the Chrysler Building is far more beautiful, the best in the world.

However, the ESB lives, breathes, sleeps NYC, it led to the skyscraper lifestyle we see today. The city revolves so much around this building at times, it's the center and heart of the city, this is something I can't say about the Chrysler Building.

[th0m]

Why can't I vote for a building just because of its aesthetics? "Best" means something different to everybody. You may find the ESB 'better' because of the reasons you posted, and I will find a different building 'better' because of my reasons, aesthetics or not.

[New Jack City]

It's true everyone has their own definition of something that's "best," but I think judging an overall skyscraper as "best" is much more than aesthetics. Otherwise, wouldn't the question have been, which skyscraper in NYC is most beautiful?

[Skyscrapercitizen]

I go with SavetheWTC, but then I think Rockefeller Center is by far the best.

[MCarr]

Originally Posted by savethewtc

The history of the tower (every great tower has an amazing tale behind it)

Why dont you tell us more about the tales of those towers?

[Vertigo]

I'll vote for ESB.

For me ESB is just THE skyscraper. The design of Chrysler Building is more elaborate, but a bit too much design thingies in it. ESB is just perfect. Great design, not overdone... and indeed, I find savethewtc's arguments also very valid.

[Izeklah]

I think I'm going to vote ESB. The Chrysler Building is absolutely, awesomely, beautiful-- but it's not what people think of when they think of NYC.

[Winus]

The Kingpin had an office in the Chrysler, Spiderman sometimes dropped by.

[Fragmentor]

Originally Posted by MCarr

Why dont you tell us more about the tales of those towers?

hhmm, hasnt said anything has he...

[Islander]

I was thinking about this too! Seems like everyone thinks "best" means only "most beautiful", when there is so much more to a skyscraper. It's the tale of the ESB that makes it, IMO, the best out there. It was the WTB for a record 41 years and won the title by more height than any other WTB, the world's tallest structure of any kind for more than half that time, was completed in only a year and a half during the great depression (a floor a day completed, and those floors are huge), and over 70 years after its completion, at 1,250 feet it's only about 200 feet shorter than the current WTB!
Of course, the Chrysler does beat the ESB in terms of looks (not easy to do either), and it was the WTB and tallest structure for a brief time, but aside from looks, I think ESB vs. Chrysler is a squash...

[noli]

ESB is an ugly building with no style. It justs doesnt measure up to the Chrysler.

[Monkey]

Originally Posted by Koreanczyk

ESB is an ugly building with no style.

What an idiotic statement to make.

[noli]

I look at the ESB and I just dont see what the fuss is about. Is it because its old and tall? Seriously, the aesthetics are garbage IMVHO. I see the Chrysler and it is absolutely beautiful.

[Monkey]

Originally Posted by Koreanczyk

I look at the ESB and I just dont see what the fuss is about. Is it because its old and tall? Seriously, .

Lol ...

You make me laugh, you really do.

[noli]

You make me laugh too. Keep on admiring a buiklding that would get laughed at if it wasnt for so called "history". Its an ugly building and an architectural failure. The ONLY thing it has on the Chrysler is height.

[NYaddict]

The Empire Building was a giant when it was finished with construction.
it still is 2 times if not more higher then many cities' highest buildings while it's 70 years later.
thats amazing.

and without a doubt Chrysler is one of the most beautifull skyscrapers if not the most.

[New Jack City]

Originally Posted by MCarr

Why dont you tell us more about the tales of those towers?

There's a bunch of stuff to read online and tv documentaries of them are excellent.

The ESB - Rising in the midst of the depression, was a part of the 3-way skyscraper race between 40 Wall St. and the Chrysler building. There's the stories of the acrobats and jugglers on the steel during the construction. The historic record time it was built in a span of 4.5 floors per week. The whole concept of the mooring mast and how it was tried once. The B-25 bomber incident, there's so much.

The Chrysler Building - Who could forget the story about how they were constructing the spire secretly inside the tower to eclipse 40 Wall St. and become the world's tallest for a brief period of time. William Van Alen dressing up with the Chrysler building's top as his hat, his big fight with Walter P. Chrysler over the money he was owed for his services, the original private lounge called "Cloud Club," Walter P. Chrysler's toolbox, the car show at the lobby each month.

Really, these buildings go way beyond aesthetics.

[3tmk]

good point, that's why I put in Bloomberg tower, since I witnessed it's construction, I feel a sense of bond with it, and same goes with Metlife, it has one of the best spots and characterizes free-thinking NYC IMO

[noli]

The differenve between the ESB and the Chrysler is in the top portion. In the Chrysler the spire and the roof and the building just blend together so perfectly and it all jyst looks great. The ESB's spire is ugly as sin, it just doesnt look good up there. The Chrysler is really beautiful, the ESB only has the height going for it.

[Islander]

Originally Posted by Koreanczyk

The Chrysler is really beautiful, the ESB only has the height going for it.

You still seem to think that there are only two things that make a skyscraper: beauty and height. The whole point of this thread is that can be much, much more to skyscrapers than just those two things. For example, pretend that a "clone" of the Empire State Building has recently been completed across the street from the original. Which ESB is more impressive? Their heights and aesthetics are identical, so neither is better than the other, right? Absolutely not! If you read some of the posts in this thread you can learn a lot about what makes the ESB stand out in the world of skyscrapers. Between the clone and the original, while being visually identical, the original is 1,000 times as impressive, and that's proof that height and looks are far from everything.

Another anology: a baseball hit out of the ballpark, and then signed, by Babe Ruth. I bet you'd say "Whoopdedoo, it got smacked really hard by a peice of wood and now there's some ink on it, it's no more valuable than any ordinary baseball", when it's actually worth tens of thousands of dollars!