Quote:
Originally Posted by Wigs
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I definitely agree with this. Probably the most beautiful pre-1900 skyscraper IMO. I also grew up outside of Buffalo so I might be biased.
Photo by
Warren LeMay
Quote:
Originally Posted by hauntedheadnc
Well, the buildings in Liverpool already are a UNESCO site. I tried to find any other skyscrapers or office buildings that are, but came up short. I found where the only skyscraper Frank Lloyd Wright ever designed, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, was nominated to become one but couldn't find that it was ever actually designated as a world heritage site.
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Thanks for pointing out the Royal Liver Building! I wasn't aware of its status as a UNESCO site, but that's because it is no longer recognized since UNESCO rescinded World Heritage status for Liverpool's Maritime Mercantile City.
Even still, this reinforces the historical significance of the early skyscrapers. The Royal Liver Building finished in 1911 certainly used the modern building techniques developed in these buildings. Most of the Chicago skyscrapers pre-date the Royal Liver Building by 20 years.
There are many skyscrapers in Chicago that are widely recognized as more beautiful and monumental, but these early skyscrapers are historically and culturally as significant as any of them. That's a huge reason I think this nomination is so important. Chicago's rise has necessitated a lack of sentimentalism and nostalgia as it has continually razed its history in the name of progress. I don't want Chicago to become a monument to the past or simply a heritage city, but the city is truly maturing into an historic city as it recently passed the 150th anniversary of the Chicago fire and its 200th birthday approaching. Many of these skyscrapers rose with Chicago's prominence before the 1893 World's Fair, which was Chicago's entrance on the world's stage. These buildings are our Eiffel Tower, innovative, practical and beautiful.