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HSBC TOWER wins 39th Hall of Fame contest

21K views 12 replies 12 participants last post by  fish 
#1 ·
Best "Box"-style skyscraper



1. HSBC Tower (8 Canada Square), London - 123 votes (29.29%)








2. Aon Center, Chicago - 88 votes (20.95%)








3. Trump World Tower, New York City - 87 votes (20.71%)








4. Seagram Building, New York City - 80 votes (19.05%)








5. Cheung Kong Center, Hong Kong - 42 votes (10%)


 
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#8 · (Edited)
Amazing how after all these years, the original boxy scraper, is still the best looking (most elegant, magnificently austere) building of the the ones mentioned in the original post. What a majesty, especially when looked at from a perfectly diagonal (exactly 45° angle) corner, not to mention the ground level of the building with it's columns which are seamlessly integrated with the surrounding open air space and the then innovative idea of "set back" plaza.

Even among these "children-scrapers" it is the the grand macdaddy building that is head and shoulders above all of them, EVEN VISUALLY. Of those other buildings I like the elegant shape of the Aon and the Trump tower, but the others, especially that grayish-blue, dime-in-a-dozen HSBC box in London is the easily the ugliest of them all. It's so mediocre that I doubt any passer-by would even bother to notice it's existence let alone be impressed by it.

Amazing how buildings are like movies. It's often said that sequels are almost always inferior rip-off of the originals. Guess what - that really is true for scrapers as well! And so, after all these years the original glass and steel boxes are still the best ones (i.e. Seagram and the nearby 'Lever house' for example).

Always imitated, but never superseded!

 
#9 ·
I also like the Seagram building, it's one of the first box-style skyscrapers with glass facade and has been "the box skyscraper" for years. I have to admit that HSBC tower in London also looks great but it's a skyscraper of a more modern generation.

To snake and lcatie: this forum is about skyscrapers and I think no one's really interested in buying replica football jerseys - although I am interested in football betting and watching NFL games regularly, these advertising posts would be better placed in football forums.
 
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