This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Scribner Books But if asked, he's quick to name his favorite: The Empire State Building, which for 40 years stood as the world's tallest building after it was erected in 1930, standing at 1,250- feet. It has fascinated Barr since he was a child growing up in Long Island.
"It's just beautiful and elegant. What set it apart from other buildings at the time was its spire, which added to its height,"' says Barr. He recounts the building's history in his book "Cities in the Sky: The Quest to Build the World's Tallest Skyscraper," which was published by Scribner Books this month.
"Cities in the Sky" does more than document the international competition to build the biggest and best. It explores why skyscrapers became necessary, and why, despite their detractors—who complain they block sunlight and occupy too much vertical space—they continue to be sought-after places for people to live and work. Much has been written about skyscrapers as architectural gems (or nightmares) and they are often viewed as the embodiment of ego and vanity—phallic symbols built to represent the wealth and power of men who commissioned them.
But Barr says that's the wrong way to look at them. "When we vilify narcissistic developers, we oversimplify and lose awareness in the process—the city is the product of mill.