The History of the European Skyscraper

ctbuh.org/papers Title: The History of the European Skyscraper Author: Nathaniel Hollister, Designer, Goettsch Partners Subject: History, Theory & Criticism Keyword: Urban Planning Publication Date: 2013 Original Publication: CTBUH Journal, 2013 Issue II Paper Type: 1. Book chapter/Part chapter 2. Journal paper 3. Conference proceeding 4. Unpublished conference paper 5. Magazine article 6. Unpublished © Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat / Nathaniel Hollister History, Theory & Criticism The History of the European Skyscraper Due to the compact and historic nature of its cities, some unpopular designs, and an unfortunate association with public housing, Europe had historically been slow to build skyscrapers. But currently, the continent is outpacing North America in skyscraper construction. Within Europe, relative newcomer skyscraper cities such as Moscow and Istanbul are outpacing their forbears in Frankfurt and Paris. Written by Nathaniel Hollister, CTBUH Contributor European cities, while certainly not afraid of cities. Today, Europe is building more tall Europe’s tallest building from 1953 until 1997 building tall structures (as demonstrated by buildings than North America. While tall (see Figure 1). Interestingly, after its initial centuries of cathedral construction), were building construction is diversifying, there are ambitious skyscraper enterprise, Russia would historically reticent to accept the skyscraper a select number of key cities that have not build again until the 1980s. typology as developed and embraced by their historically championed European skyscraper new world colleagues. Prior to 1950, while the development: Moscow, London, Paris, Through the rest of the 1950s, a number of tall United States had already completed well Frankfurt, and Istanbul. buildings over 100 meters were completed in over 200 skyscrapers in excess of 100 meters both Eastern and Western Europe. The and a handful of others were complete in motivations and architecture of these projects Canada, Brazil, and Argentina, Europe had The Beginning: 1950–1970 is noticeably diff erent. Those in the East, located only one (Genoa’s 108 meter Torre Piacentini, primarily in Moscow, but also in Warsaw, Riga, completed in 1940). While this lack of It was not until the 1950s that Europe began and Bucharest, were built as celebrations of skyscrapers was certainly exaggerated as the to experiment with buildings over 100 meters government and culture: administrative continent recovered from two world wars, six at any signifi cant scale. In 1952, the fi rst of facilities, universities, and notably (in Moscow) decades later Europe has taken a decidedly Stalin’s “Seven Sisters,” Kotelnicheskaya residences and hotels. All of these Eastern diff erent approach to tall building develop- Naberezhnaya at 176 meters high, offi cially European projects are examples of Socialist ment – completely unique from the North opened its doors. The ambitious project, Classicism (or Stalinist Architecture). The American model. The history of the European spurred by Stalin’s desire to compete with the Warsaw Palace of Culture and Science (1955, skyscraper, while perhaps not as fast-paced as skylines of capitalist cities, would see seven 231 meters) (see Figure 2), dubbed “a gift of the in other regions, has provided the world with buildings over 100 meters open in Moscow Soviet Union to the people of Poland,” is a a number of unique examples of integrating – giving Russia a huge jump on its neighbors prime example of imported Stalinist skyscrapers into historic urban contexts. – and ushering in a new age for the European Architecture. The project remained the tallest skyscraper. The tallest of the Seven Sisters, MV European building outside of Moscow until Skyscrapers have come to play a vital – and Lomonosov State University (originally 1990, and is still the tallest building in Poland carefully planned – role in many European Moscow State University) at 239 meters was and 18th tallest in Europe. Figure 1. MV Lomonosov State University, Moscow. © Antony Wood Figure 2. Palace of Culture and Science, Warsaw. © Nnb 52 | History, Theory & Criticism CTBUH Journal | 2013 Issue II Figure 3. Torre Velasca, Milan. © Ghirardini Ossola Figure 4. La Défense skyline in 2016, Paris. © EPADESA/JM Charles/Pixium Alongside the signifi cant construction in largest European developer in the 1960s was business districts, including London’s Canary Eastern Europe, Western Europe was also the United Kingdom, which completed 9 of Warf, Moscow City, and Vienna’s Donau City, beginning to build. In the 1950s, encouraged the 29 skyscrapers in 1960s Europe – more have since been developed along similar lines. by a booming economy, Italy completed six than 30%. buildings over 100 meters, bringing the In 1960, the City of London, the one-square- country into second rank, next to Russia. Two very diff erent methods of developing mile district within London that is the historic These projects, including the distinctive Pirelli skyscrapers in historic cities emerged in the center and fi nancial heart of the city, had Building, were primarily Modernist offi ce 1960s: Paris’ La Défense experiment and tall already been one of the world’s primary buildings. Milan’s Torre Velasca was a notable building development in the City of London. business centers for decades. Heavily exception to the Modernist towers built in Paris, like many European cities, was damaged in World War II, London had no Western Europe in the 1950s. While the Torre struggling to deal with a desire for signifi cant choice but to carefully rebuild – integrating Velasca (see Figure 3) was reminiscent of the centralized offi ce space within its dense and old and new. The 1960s saw London build a city’s Gothic architecture, the building’s top historic urban fabric. The La Défense solution number of skyscrapers scattered about the third protrudes from the rest of the building in was to create a business center on the city. One of these, Aviva Tower (or St. Helen’s), a nod to ancient watchtowers. outskirts of the city. Interestingly, Paris did not became the fi rst 100 meter building built have a law restricting height until 1973 – within the borders of the historic City of The 1960s saw Western Europe continue to shortly after an outburst of disgust over the London (see Figure 5). Over the next decade build with the United Kingdom, Germany, eff ect of the newly-completed Tour de Belgium, the Netherlands, and Monaco, all Montparnasse on the Parisian skyline. completing their fi rst 100-meter skyscrapers. Interestingly, no offi ce towers had been built While Europe completed 29 buildings over inside the city limits prior to Tour de 100 meters in the 1960s (as opposed to 20 in Montparnasse. However, the creation of La In 1952, the fi rst of the 1950s) it is interesting to note that the Défense created a strong draw for investors average height of these buildings was only and made it the natural location for high-rise Stalin’s“ Seven Sisters, 111 meters – compared to an average of 142 construction. meters during the 1950s. This signifi cant Kotelnicheskaya change refl ects the move from a decade of La Défense, which in its 50-year history has construction dominated by the architectural undergone a number of development phases, Naberezhnaya at 176 style of the East – complete with its massive served as one model to deal with high-rises profi les and signifi cant spires – to a decade of and historic skylines – keeping the new meters high, offi cially rectilinear modern boxes of the West, none of typology a safe distance from the historic opened its doors. which were over 150 meters tall. By far the center (see Figure 4). Many other European ” CTBUH Journal | 2013 Issue II History, Theory & Criticism | 53 completed in ten years across 35 cities. These fi gures demonstrate that by the 1970s the …Istanbul has now skyscraper was becoming an accepted established“ itself as the element of the European city. This trend of expansion continued in the new center of tall 1980s and 1990s, though not at the same rate building activity. By as in the 1970s. The growth occurred in both established skyscraper cities and new markets. 2015, Istanbul will France built more than 40 skyscrapers over 100 meters, many in its now well-established contain more than 60 La Défense district. London also continued to build, both within the City of London and in buildings over 100 its own “skyscraper district,” Canary Warf. Rotterdam, now known as perhaps the meters, and may very quintessential European skyscraper city, saw soon surpass Moscow its fi rst substantial 100-meter buildings take shape in this time period. Istanbul, now one of as the European the most active skyscraper cities in the world, began building tall in the 1990s. Figure 5. Aviva Tower, London nestled in the historic leader. City of London. © fl ipr_uno ” One of the most signifi cant developments during this period was the establishment of 100 meters. By 1999, there were 22, including Frankfurt as a major center of the European the tallest and second-tallest buildings in the City of London would see a number of high-rise. Frankfurt adopted a diff erent Europe. The average height of the buildings other signifi cant skyscrapers integrated within approach from most other cities. By and large, completed in Frankfurt during this time its dense urban fabric. Today, this the European skyscraper had continued to be period was 154 meters, signifi cantly higher development, which is presently receiving a focused more on functionality and immediate than the continent average of 126 meters. new generation of skyscrapers, has become context, and less on achieving impressive Four of Europe’s ten 200-meter tall skyscrapers one of the foremost examples of skyscrapers heights or establishing iconic status. were in Frankfurt by the end of the century existing alongside historic structures. Additionally, because of the context in which (see Figure 6).

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