vertical city in manhattan: santiago ortega

What is a skyscraper at the beginning of the XXI Century? What are the historical and social contexts of these mega structures? What are their responses towards the urban fabric? Is the modern skyscraper a city by itself? Is the human scale lost?

The urge to build tall is not new; It is inherent within us, part of the same drive that leads us to climb mountains or to explore outer space. At the beginning of the XXI century there are by far several reasons for building tall like demographic, cultural, environmental and economic. The major challenge for New York City for the following years is to accommodate more people at greater densities creating a higher quality of urban life.

Supreme achievements of engineering and design, corporate icons, expressions of modernity and civic pride, real state bonanzas, familiar and reassuring landmarks, potent symbols, testimonies to human spirit whether any or all these things, skyscrapers arouse more controversy than any other building form. Love them or hate them one thing we cannot do is ignore them.

The vertical city in Manhattan intends to translate urban life into the sky. Skyscrapers have become cities within cities, where complex programs complement each other and create adaptable, flexible, functional and sustainable spaces.