Highrises - Fact, Fiction, Fun, and for Sale

Unlike the term "skyscraper", the term "highrise" has aInsurance Building, only ten stories high, but the first of
fairly widely accepted definition, though the definitionits kind: the world's first skyscraper. At around this time,
DOES vary somewhat depending on the perspectiveEngland was also building towers and highrises,
of the definer. According to Emporis, a real estateincluding Shell Mex House which actually measured
data firm headquartered in Germany, a highrise is ataller than the Home Insurance Building. A complaint
multi-storied building with a minimum of 12 floors, ORfrom Queen Victoria soon put a stop to English
reaching a height of at least 115 feet. While these arehighrises, however, but by this time Chicago's attention
probably the most widely accepted requirements,had turned eastward, to what would become the
there are others.tallest city in America.
The International Conference on Fire Safety inWhile Chicago has the tallest building in the U.S. (the
High-Rise Buildings defines a highrise as "any structureSears Tower - 1,729 ft) New York City has the most
where the height can have a serious impact ontall buildings - a whopping 195 buildings OVER 492 feet.
evacuation", while many in the construction industryAnd while New York will be challenging Chicago's
consider anything between 75 - 491 feet a highrise,tallest building title with the construction of Freedom
and anything over 492 a skyscraper. Regardless ofTower (1,776 ft), Chicago will trump that in 2010 with
the minimum height, the maximum height is going UP allthe construction of the Chicago Spire (2,000 ft.). And
the time, so, if living above the city - or even above theon it goes. While Chicago and New York have the
clouds - is you thing, read on.tallest and the best, most North American cities have a
Highrise history goes back a long way, back at least tocouple of noteworthy skyscrapers. San Francisco has
the Romans who had buildings up to 8 stories high,the regal Transamerica Pyramid, Atlanta has the 1023
despite the fact that technology did not allow forfoot Bank of America Plaza, Philadelphia has the new
water to be pumped up that far. Walled cities in thedeco style One Liberty Place, and Cleveland - yes,
middle ages meant city space was limited, giving "rise"even Cleveland - has the lofty Key Tower.
to highrises from 11 to 14 stories in 16th century Britain.While the bigger skyscrapers have traditionally been
One of the big drawbacks about these historicbuilt as a combination of office space and a massive
highrises was the obvious lack of elevators, forcing thesymbol of a city's economic power, today, many of
unlucky residents to climb many, many steps. The 202the nation's tallest buildings offer condominium and loft
foot London Monument, completed in 1677 (and stillspace. Some, like Chicago's Spire, with 1,200 luxury
standing!), has 311 steps winding up its spiral staircase,condos, are completely residential, others, are a mix of
while Toronto's CN Tower, completed in 1976 boasts acondos, hotel suites, and retail space. Las Vegas's City
ridiculous 2,579 stairs - the tallest metal staircase in theCenter is a prime example of the latter type of real
world! Not surprisingly, it was the invention of elevators,estate development: four unique and spectacular
along with water pumps, steel, and steel-reinforcedtowers, offering a range of luxurious condos atop
concrete that gave us the modern highrise.500,000 square feet of retail space, services and
Steel was very important in the development of theamenities. These are just some of the more
highrise. In 1884 Architect William Le Baron Jenneyextravagant examples of the types of amazing
designed a building whose entire weight washomes available today in America's highrises.
supported by a steel frame. It was Chicago's Home