ESB: better w/ or w/o the antenna?

Look at this...with or without all the broadcast antennae and transmitters that alter the building image...with a sort of restoration!!!

Now...


After the restoration...

the esb's top looks stubby without the antenna. the antenna completes the building's "reach to the sky" look, and without it, the building loses some of its dominance, towering, and soaring appeal.

they really should strip the building of all transmitters and microwave dishes located below the antenna though. that way, the building will have an even cleaner look to it.

gundust, that's a really cool doctored photo. It looks just like those old photos of the ESB from the 30's and 40's.

To be completely honest, The ESB is an awesome dominant building, built 75 years ago and not much shorter than the WTB of 2005. But in all honesty it's become rather ugly with age, I love it to death but when you look at it closely the top is covered with little antenna's and dishes, there is rust, and boarded windows for mechanical purposes in some parts of the highest floors, it's not in top shape anymore. From a distance the building is beautiful, the design is beatiful and with it's great size almost menacing. but when you look closely you can tell the great tower is getting old.


It is NY'c tallest, at least for another 3 years and soon enough it will fall out of the top 10 but it will always be a gem to the skyscraper world. I love the ESB, probably more than any skyscraper on earth. When you think Insanely high building, most people think of this one first before any building thats more moders and slightly taller, sears, taipei, petronas, 2IFC (<no one really knows about that one yet)


You get my point.


Freedom tower will be a nice addition and reach over ESB with it's sheer height, and other towers will come along in NY that will be higher than ESB, but none will ever have the history.


lets have a drink to this grand tower. :cheers:

The ESB looks much better with the antenna. The antenna, specially since it looks a bit messy from close up with all those additions (small antennas, dishes..) gives that building some serious character! I would fix some parts of the interior but would be very careful not to mess up with the essence of the building; it's glorious past. We would'nt like the have the ESB become like any other contemporary building, plain and staid...right?

Definitely with the antenna. The antenna is a big difference, just like with the Conde Nast Building. It seems as if you could almost tell something is missing when you look at pictures without the antenna. It makes you just wanna stick a spire or something right on top. It even looks unfinished/incomplete without the antenna.

The antenna serves as an exclamation point. The setbacks visually lead your eyes to look up to be topped off by the antenna. The antenna rightfully establishes the building's dominance in the sky and helps it soar more gracefully.