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Tons and tons of steel. Buildings that were the tallest in the world one year are overtaken by another the next. And yet these buildings remain memorable for other reasons than the material they were built from. They highlight the design flexibility as well as the endurance of a well-made metal building.
The Eiffel Tower
Paris, France
This structure, the world’s most recognized landmark, must always head up this type of list. It was built in1889 for the World’s Fair and has stood in Paris ever since. In fact, at320 meters it was the tallest building in the world for nearly42 years until the Chrysler Building went up.
The Brooklyn Bridge
New York, United States
One of ten bridges in New York awarded historic landmark status, the Brooklyn Bridge (famously sold to tourists repeatedly) is130 years old and took years to complete because of all the heavy metal. It is the oldest New York bridge still open to vehicle and pedestrian traffic.
Burj Khalifa
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
This is currently the world’s tallest manmade structure at829.8 meters. It was completed in2009 after nearly5 years of construction using a bundled tube design to reduce the amount of steel required. This building contains163 floors including an11-hectare park, an observation deck on the124th floor, and a275 meter long fountain that shoots water150 meters into the air. The elevators must travel504 meters.
The Empire State Building
New York, United States
Built in1931 with its stylish art deco tower, the Empire State Building is a103 story skyscraper that stood as the tallest building in the world for over40 years. It took over from the Chrysler Building and held that distinction until1973 when it was overtaken by the Sears (now Willis) Tower in Chicago. The steel frame alone weighs57,000 tons. Amazingly for its time, it only took13 months to build.
Willis (formerly Sears) Tower
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Taking three years to build, the Willis Tower dominates the Chicago skyline. Completed in1973 it is constructed of several smaller structures held together by large steel beams and supports. This gives it the added strength to stand against those stiff Chicago winds off Lake Michigan.
The Seagram Building
New York, United States
Built with a minimalist design, this building sports a frame that is a combination of steel skeleton and concrete core for vertical and horizontal strength.
The Steel House
Lubbock, TX, United States
It isn’t tall like the other structures on this list but it is very striking in its design. Robert Bruno, the sculptor, used110 tons of steel for this unique building.
The Chrysler Building
New York, United States
The Chrysler Building was completed in1930 which allowed it to be the tallest structure in the world for about a year. It contains many original features that helped pave the way for other skyscrapers. As you can see, it sports the same art deco design as the Empire State Building which took its place as world’s tallest the following year.
U.S. Steel Tower
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
This monolithic tower rising from the Pittsburgh landscape was constructed by the U.S. Steel Company from steel the company itself produced. It has the largest roof of any building its height and was the first building to be constructed with liquid-fireproofed columns.
These10 towers are marvels of construction on their own terms. None would be possible without the strength and durability of steel. They are monuments to that fact because all are still standing. Other well-known steel buildings you may want to see include:
The Shun King Square Tower in Shenzen, China famous for being constructed at the pace of2-3 floors a week.
The Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, United States which has stood for over50 years.
Another New York giant, the New York Times Building is300 meters tall and was built of steel for the security of the computers and printing materials. This is the5th or6th address the New York Times has had; a couple of previous incarnations were in response to another newspaper constructing a taller building.
Teipei101 in Taiwan is500 meters tall with some of the floors built underground. It was also distinguished for a time as the world’s tallest structure until the Bhurjh Khalifa was built.
SEARS TOWER.
