Beekman Tower
For a city that prides itself on its skyscrapers, it certainly took New York long enough to get a Gehry. The starchitect has had commissions in the Big Apple before, but this will be the first skyscraper he's completed. The Beekman is all New York, and all Gehry. It climbs 76 stories above a neighborhood that already has its fair share of architectural stars, most notably the Woolworth...Burj Dubai
When completed, this building is intended to be the tallest in the world. Originally, it was in the running with the Freedom Tower in New York, however, the Burj Dubai has the advantage of actually having begun construction while the New York project has been bogged down in political and sentimental interests. Just how tall the tower will be remains to be seen. With any skyscraper, th...Incheon Tower
The Asian supertower bug bit South Korea hard, and at the right time. Just as the country's economy started to heat up and the benefits of globalization began to flow back to the nation, an Atlanta developer teamed up with the Incheon city government to put this project together. In design, it is a pair of twin towers -- shards, actually -- piercing the sky, joined in a massive base, yet l...World Trade Center (New York)
The World Trade Center is a collection of buildings in lower Manhattan. Towers number one and two (the "Twin Towers") were considered the tallest in the world by some people. It depends on how you define "tallest." Including the antenna, tower number one was 521 meters tall. However, including the antenna may also bring building-less antennae and towers into the running, which really mucks things ...Seattle First United Methodist Church
This is a wonderful departure for ecclesiastical architecture, especially considering the fact that the building is so old. Gone are the vaulted gables reaching to the Heavens. Instead, a round red roof encourages the faithful to look inward for salvation. This isn't only the first Methodist church in Seattle, its congregation represents the first church in Seattle, period. It was started in 1853,...Waterview Tower
When complete, the Waterview Tower will fill one of the very few places along the main branch of the Chicago River where there is no tower. It play an important role in filling a gap and be the last brick in place for the Wacker Wall -- the 20th and 21st-century version of Chicago's Michigan Avenue Cliff. However, instead of stone and terra cotta, the new paradigm is glass and steel. Deep ...CNA Plaza
One of the most common questions we get around here is, "Hey! What's that big red building in the middle of the Chicago skyline?" Well, the answer is {HumanName}. It's not a massive structure by Chicago standards -- just 44 stories. But its position on Wabash Avenue, set back just one block from Michigan Avenue and the vast greenspace of Grant Park, makes it stand out lik...John Hancock Center (Chicago)
An iconic presence in a city of architectural icons, the John Hancock Center rises boldly from the mid-American prairie to cast a cultural shadow much larger than the one it gets from the sun. It is a staple of movies, television newscasts, t-shirts, corporate logos and children's drawings. The John Hancock Center is photographed, idealized, and simplified into its various componen...108 North State
In real estate, it's all about location. And this parcel of land has one of the most desirable locations in all Chicago. But bring so desirable isn't easy. Block 37 has been a vacant lot since 1989 when a jumble of run-down buildings were leveled. A number of plans have come and gone for the prime chunk of land. Everything from a branch of luxury retailer Harrod's to a 100-stor...107 East Oak Street
...Comcast Center
The Comcast Center thrusts skyward from the heart of Philadelphia, pulling this historic city into the age of 21st century skyscrapers. Sure, Philadelphia is no stranger to blue glass squarified skyscrapers. But this one eschews the gables and barn shapes that typify those that came before it. Instead of copying what had already been done through the years in Philadelphia, this one go...Ryugyong Hotel
A symbol of a once proud country's dashed hopes and dreams, the Ryugyong Hotel is now a massive, constant reminder of how a government off track can take an entire country with it. The soaring pyramid was started in the late 1980's -- a decade before Asia would be plunged into an economic crisis. It rose to a height of 105 stories and its essential structure was completed bef...Park Michigan
In 2006 an interesting project appeared in the exponentially growing South Loop at 830 South Michigan Avenue. Completely out of scale with the surrounding development, the Park Michigan tried not to be an unfriendly looming neighbor by keeping its features neat and slim. At 80 stories, it would have easily become a landmark in the area, and provided some spectacular views of the city, the lake, ...Navy Pier
After a century of various uses, Chicago's Navy Pier has finally settled down and found itself the focal point of the city's tourism industry, drawing millions of visitors each year looking for good, clean fun by the lakeside. The tradition of spending summers at a seaside amusement pier started in Blackpool, England in the 1860's but quickly came to America in the form o...