What causes billionaires to get dizzy in supertall and megatall towers? Is it the price tag or the side effect of dwelling so far off the ground? Is the public smirking about the correlation between price and altitude? Here is a deep backgrounder for those architects, urbanists, and the concerned public who wonder about the up and down sides of this race to the top of the world.
Historically, skyscrapers have been mostly commercial buildings, where companies lease space and build it out for their needs. But in the past decade, residential towers have started to rise to staggering heights in Midtown Manhattan and other parts of the city—and the globe—but with repercussions. The New York Times recently reported big problems and angry rich people at 432 Park Avenue, designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects and currently the tallest occupied residential building in the western hemisphere, according to the developers. Residents there have complained of mechanical malfunctions and acoustical discomfort—creaking walls, whistling sounds—as well as swaying and even stalled elevators, all because of the wind.
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