Have we lost interest in architecture in the USA?

Quote: Evenbob

I prefer the 1930's Chrysler building.

Out of respect to the Chrysler building, the NY Times Tower which opened 7 years ago, was designed to be a few inches shorter. The vanity height is the distance between the highest occupied floor and the architectural height.

The Chrysler Building had a fair amount of vanity height, as it was in competition to be the world's tallest building. It's spire was assembled in secrecy, until it suddenly appeared on the building and secured them the record for one year (until ESB was built).

Chrysler Building
Height: Architectural 1,046 ft
Height: Occupied 828 ft
Vanity height 218'
Floors Above Ground 77
# of Elevators 32
Tower GFA 1.2 million ft²

New York Times Tower
Height: Architectural 1,046 ft
Height: Occupied 721 ft
Vanity height 325'
Floors Above Ground 52
# of Elevators 32
Tower GFA 1.5 million ft²




The architectural height in modern buildings is often achieved with a flimsy looking turret which is not much bigger than an antenna. The Trump Hotel and Tower in Chicago IMO was profoundly selfish by putting that tall Turret on top of the building. It should have cut it off to be inches shorter than the Empire State Building

Trump International Hotel & Tower 2009
Height: Architectural 1,389 ft
Height: Occupied 1,116 ft
Vanity height 273'
Floors Above Ground 98
Floors Below Ground 2
# of Elevators 27
Tower GFA 2.6 million ft

Empire State Building (1931)
Height: Architectural 1,250 ft
Height: Occupied 1,224 ft
Vanity height 26'
Floors Above Ground 102
Floors Below Ground 1
# of Elevators 73
Tower GFA 2.25 million ft²

I am not saying that you shouldn't build taller than the ESB, but it should be a legitimate effort, and not vanity construction. Trump briefly considered making the turret so that building is taler than the Willis Tower, but was talked out of that effort.