should super tall towers be built

The Impact of Tall Buildings

The urban skylines in the cities are made up of skyscrapers and radio towers, which reflect both new architecture and engineering techniques. Thanks to the global rivalry of height, the search for heights is not fresh. Many regions and cities compete with each other by creating monuments that mark their identification. In certain towns, tall buildings symbolize strength and wealth (Rosen and Charney 2016, p.167). Nowadays, however, the sky-scraping towers are used for glory. Future designs are now forcing human beings to create higher and taller skyscrapers for competition. Sophisticated methods to transport people up and down these building are also required. In this case, transport cost will be higher, and the firms that are involved in such building enjoy those cachets of having their names associated with the tallest structures (Bunnell 2016, p.281). People who design such structures appreciate having their names associated with them. Tall buildings have several disadvantages and therefore nations should stop building of the super tall towers in their cities.

Safety and Conduciveness

Safety and conduciveness of the environment are some of the primary factors one should consider when building super tall towers (Harris 2015, p.603). Rental structures for the residents are very stressful, especially when the neighbours are not willing to associate with others. Some people find it difficult and complicated living in tall towers due to inconveniences such as loud noise from individuals residing in these building. It becomes so disturbing, and one feels insecure to live in such areas. In addition, it is unhygienic when neighbours leave their litter in the breezeways and the hallways without picking them, as the habit becomes very annoying to other people living in these buildings. Parking space is limited to these structures, since it is not safe to park in congested spaces, as vehicles can be damaged or stolen (Appunn and Hameyer 2014, p.4). There are no spaces left to play for the children of the families who live in these buildings, and the little area left is very dangerous. These structures are, therefore, not safe to live in because in case of any accidents, it leads to massive deaths. Most of these buildings are made for public offices, and accessing them is not easy, especially for the elderly. It is also not safe for them and the sick to go up these buildings, especially when they have to use stairs whenever the elevators are not in good state. In addition, people nowadays see skyscrapers as the most targets for the terrorist’s attacks. It became a threat for the population after the attacks that occurred on September 11 on the World Trade Centre Towers (Dennis 2015, p.10). Terrorists attack these tall buildings targeting the crowd of people occupying them. People are afraid of residing and working near skyscrapers due to frequent disasters such as fire and earthquake, as they lead to damage of properties and death of many people whenever it happens.

Financial Challenges and Operational Costs

The tall towers face financial challenges, as they are not intended to be economically viable by standing alone, but are always part of a large plan. They, therefore, require enormous financial resources to their completion. In addition, the buildings need very sophisticated engineers with enough skills to construct these towers (Kim et al. 2015 p.289). In this case, many finances have to be used to cater for the costs. All parties involved in the building should also come to a consolidated agreement to avoid future misunderstanding, since once it is done, it cannot be changed. The construction requires people who are committed and willing to work, meaning that the process will need hiring expensive workers who will be paid on daily bases. In addition, materials used in building these towers should be of high quality. For example, the elevators to whisk people to the top of the towers should have bulky cables, which would add considerably to the weight of the building (Appunn and Hameyer 2014, p.4). Much is spent on fixing window coatings that reduce heat load within the building. Air conditioning systems are installed to these towers for cooling and pre-warming the upper structures through the ground pipes. It means that additional expense has to be incurred to limit the effects of the buildings on the environments. Installing fire-resistance systems in the skyscrapers is very costly, as they are essential for safety in case of fire breakdown (Priwer and Phillips 2014, p.6). Tall buildings also have higher operational costs, especially on energy consumptions. A lot of energy is utilised on the elevators as not many people can withstand their stairs due to their steepness. The cost of elevators maintenance is also high, which adds to the disadvantage of construction of the tall buildings.

Potential Calamities and Social-Cultural Factors

Tall buildings are associated with the potential calamities like bursting of hoses due to the high pressures, while the cranes collapse and repairing them takes time. People fear residing in such apartments and those that rent living spaces live with physical and psychological far. Fall, elevator accidents, fires, fatigue, and inadequate spaces are some of the worries people have to cope with. For instance, accidents in such buildings are mostly fatal due to t complexities of the buildings that hinder rescue efforts. In case of fire breakdown, it rages beyond reach and many people are normally trapped inside the razing building. The buildings are associated with the lines of the weaknesses where the concrete cracks down on its way up to its destination. Since tall structures are subjected to the low temperatures and powerful winds that normally occur at high altitudes, they should be designed in a manner to withstand such forces and handle the weight of the structure as well as forces from the earthquakes (Appert and Montes 2015). Engineers have to deal with erratic forces of the earthquakes as well as weather, which mostly destroy the towers. They associate the issue of the tall building with social-culture factors on concerns about social-psychological impacts of living in these buildings. Some scholars argue that high-rise housing is only desirable for single people and not for couples (Appunn and Hameyer 2014, p.5). According to them, these towers are less helpful for families with children for they lack playing grounds. The congestion in these building is also not good for raising children, because there is insufficient ventilation.

The Symbolism and Efficient Use of Space

On the other hand, skyscrapers have an advantage of the symbolism, which can be the primary attraction of the tourists and visitors within the city, and in turn, it brings in more money to the community. For example, the symbolism could be in a form of a building named after the tragedy that had happened in that spot. People have been constructing towers to remember important events as well as honouring important individuals. An excellent example of a typical tower is the Eiffel for the Paris Exposition of 1889 that was built to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution (Kim et al. 2015, p.290). The skyscrapers have been referred to as the major symbol of the Paris City. They also give a nation a culture for its own through different kinds of designs. All cities have varying designs for their towers, which creates their culture. In addition, limited space is used in building many apartments, which can accommodate more than two companies in the same tower. They provide enough space to store items above the ground, hence keeping them away from destructive animals and free from water and unauthorised hands (Graham 2014, p.3). In addition, due to use of multiple floors, skyscrapers increase the total floor space as they reduce the footprint. Towers are best for a congested city when the real estate is at a premium.

The Future of Tall Buildings

In conclusion, if these buildings have to be constructed, they should be designed to be more robust as well as flexible. In addition, they should create urban and human spaces at high levels where people can relate well to others in a modern way, especially walking with their pets. Their designs need government support as most of them are used for public offices that encompass thousands of people. However, their developers require no approvals and do not care what the public thinks about them as they are based on private sectors. The economists should help in reshaping the skyline for the tall building to recede as they climb, so that the air and light can penetrate freely to the lower zones of the city. The sky is there to provide the daylight to each creature living on earth; therefore, the tall buildings should be in the manner that will allow the light to reach to all living things. Engineers and architects should also be attentive when designing towers especially the higher floors with special needs to escape in the events of the fire. Finally, it is important to repair tall buildings whenever they show the lines of weaknesses to prevent dangerous falls, as they can cause massive destructions of property, loss of thousands of lives, and psychological trauma to people affected by skyscraper tragedies.

References

Appert, M. and Montes, C., 2015. Skyscrapers and the redrawing of the London skyline: A case of territorialisation through landscape control. Articulo ’ Journal of Urban Research, vol. 7. [Online] Available at: https://articulo.revues.org/2784 [Accessed 10 Nov. 2017]
Appunn, R. and Hameyer, K., 2014. Modern high speed elevator systems for skyscrapers. [Online] Available at: http://134.130.107.200/uploads/bibliotest/2014RAModern.pdf [Accessed 10 Nov. 2017]
Bunnell, T., 2016. Urban landscapes. In N.C. Johnson, R.H. Schein and J. Winders, The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Cultural Geography (pp.278-289). West Sussex: Wiley Blackwell.
Dennis, D., 2015. The World Trade Centre and the rise of the security state. [Online] Available at: http://ctheory.net/ctheory_wp/the-world-trade-center-and-the-rise-of-the-security-state/ [Accessed 10 Nov. 2017]
Graham, S., 2014. Super-tall and ultra-deep: The cultural politics of the elevator. Theory, Culture & Society, vol. 31, no. 7-8, pp.239-265.
Harris, A., 2015. Vertical urbanisms: Opening up geographies of the three-dimensional city. Progress in Human Geography, vol. 39, no. 5, pp.601-620.
Kim, Y., Sartelet, K., Raut, J.C. and Chazette, P., 2015. Influence of an urban canopy model and PBL schemes on vertical mixing for air quality modelling over greater Paris. Atmospheric Environment, vol. 107, pp.289-306.
Priwer, S. and Phillips, C., 2014. Modern wonders. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
Rosen, G. and Charney, I., 2016. Divided we rise: Politics, architecture and vertical cityscapes at opposite ends of Jerusalem. Transactions of the Institute of British Geographers, vol. 41, no. 2, pp.163-174.