Touch the SKY

Standing still, admiring the spectacular view, daydreaming to reach the top.

How long does it take? How is the view from above? How far can you see?

Each skyscraper is like a unique human being who stands tall and mighty.

Each skyscraper is a battle to reach the top.

All together as one, these skyscrapers forms the dazzling skyline of its city.

skyscraper

noun

a very tall building.

Today is National Skyscraper Day! Celebrating the combination of science and art in a building. Skyscrapers play an important part for the city as it not only defines the city's skyline, it is a symbolism of economic power and city's identity. They are also indicators of the city's politics, social demographics, modernization and technology.

Skyscraper is also a representation of a man's conquest of the upper space. A commitment of a dream for the architects, a reality for the engineers and construction crews.

Louis H. Sullivan is the father of skyscrapers. He built the very first skyscraper in Chicago in 1885 at the height of ......... 10 storeys! 10 storeys is not a big deal in the 21st century, but in 1885, 10 storeys was a breakthrough for the buildings.

One of my favorite skyscraper is ... Taipei 101! Reason being, it continues to stand tall and strong even though it is constantly faced with strong winds, typhoon and earthquakes (the building is located just 660 feet away from a major fault line). It feels like all these disasters is only going to prove the building's strength in overcoming all that is in its way. Its ability to withstand the strong winds and earthquakes lies in its flexibility to move sideways with the help of the tuned mass damper and of course, its strong foundation. Taipei 101 resonates as a metaphor to our life.

Well.. Taipei 101 is not very "artzy fartzy" but it is quite an authentic Taipei experience in a nutshell, especially its environmental sustainability of the building. Taipei 101 holds the record of being the world's tallest and greenest building! Being green comes in various forms such as its sustainability, water and electricity, building materials selection and recycling and indoor environment. It has been awarded the international green building certification LEED platinum award. All these are perfect examples of how Taiwan has been working towards being an advocate of environmental sustainability through its advanced technologies. Being green is not just an option in Taiwan, but it is a way of living.

I went to Taipei two years back for a Destination Marketing Competition. I remembered walking towards Taipei 101 and I was awed by its height and how gigantic it looks. I entered the building and had a simple window shopping and food discovery trip. I did not manage to go up to the observation decks as we were running out of time (cries T.T). I look forward to my next Taiwan trip so that I can go up for an immersive experience of Taipei and the building itself.

FUN FACT 1: Taipei 101 is full of number 8!

The number 8 is a symbol of good fortune for the Taiwanese. The main tower of Taipei 101 features a series of eight segments with eight floors in each. The repeated segments were designed to look like a stack of ancient Chinese ingots or money boxes.

It also happens to look like take-away food boxes stacked up. HAHAHA!

FUN FACT 2: Do you know why some skyscrapers have holes?

Legend has it that dragons live in the mountains and they hold positive and powerful energy. Places such as Hong Kong is rich with mountains and sea, this energy flows through Hong Kong daily as the dragons make their way from the mountains to the sea to drink and bathe. Holes are also called as Dragon's Gate for the dragons to fly through.

Skyscrapers means more than just very tall buildings.

It has ripple effects on the individuals and society, consciously and/or subconsciously.

#skyscraper #buildings