[erickalvarez]

Hi. The history of New York skyscraper have two building boom ages: the 1920-1930s and the boom started in the 1948 aproximately and early seventies.

In the first building boom, the financial boom that started after World War I, were many good for the city of New York, especially, the prosperity have benefit for construction an real state market. Financial district have been saturated on office space and many companies were many space offers in Midtown betwwen 34 to 59 streets.

Another factor for building boom were the 1916 Zoning Law. were established many restrictions on the building floor space on determinated high for the sun light lighted the street. The law established a weddin cake form in the building, but it gave no restrictions on high of the buildings. The sky is the limit, and in the late 20's and early 30s estimulated the race of World Tallest building when start on the race of Bank of Manhattan and Chrysler Buildings for suprassed the Woolworth Building. Chrysler win the race in 1933 with 77 story tower and spire, but it was lees one year later when 102 story 1250 feet Empire State Building crowned the tallest until 1972.

Majority of the buildings have build on the city between 1919 and 1939 have build on Midtown. The speculation on financial market and real state produced a bigger building boom. new building were build on art deco cannons were influenced of 1925 Paris Art Decorative Exposition. Over 1000 or more building between 20 to more of 100 stories, 50 of this over 40 stories high. but the stockmarket crash of '29 and the start of World War II, have been stopped the building activity. It was created of overoffer of office space. many buildings have been occuped until 1950. Many buildings of this golden age is Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Hemsley Building, 40 Wall Street Tower (Bank of Manhattan), 120 Wall Street Building, and Rockefeller Center buildings (RCA, International, RKO), etcetera.

Well, the second gold age, is considerated not glorious, but is important on the impact on the urban landcape. The second building boom was started when the World War II end, in 1945. The office space created on 1920-1930s building boom were saturated when new office workers. The new prosperity that created for the american triumph on the war estimulated the industrial activity and financial market. Many people have abandonated city center to live in new suburban homes. Manhattan were a white collar city and result of a increassed the demand of office space.

First postwar buildings were build on Park and Madison Avenues on late forties. New building were build on 1916 zoning law cannons (wedding cake) but it was builds on the european International Style where philosophy of modern architecture were says: "lees is more".

But the boom started on 1947-1952 where international architects influenced of Le Corbusier designed and build the United Nations Headquarters where the cherry on the cake were the green glass curtain wall facade 39 story Secretariat Building and Assembly Building.

In 1952 Park Avenue chance it face on office building space with 22 story black green curtain wall facde of Lever House. After of 1955 to 1960 the face of the city started to change a modern face. It bennefit of Urban Renewal national program were search to chance to "dirty" face of city centers, but were attack of old landmarks protecctionist because many old beauty and more valuables buildings have been detroyed.

In 1958, the build of Seagram Building and 1959-1960 the construction of Time-Life Building on Sixth Avenue, Chase Manhattan Bank building on Financial District and Seagram's style Union Carbide Building, on Park Avenue were estimulated a city autorities a modificated 1916 zoning law. In 1961 the city expedite a new Zonning Law that stablishyed of construction of plaza on future building sites. This law produce, during the sixties many office buildin like a glass box with a sunken plazas.

Between 1960 to 1973 hundreds and hundreds of new towers (between office and residential building over 20 stories high) many of this over 40 stories were build on the city, the majority on Midtown. In 1963 when Pan Am Building were completed and start of demolition of old Penn Station. awake of love of many people for protect old landmarks and start of fight to save many old buildings (included Grand Central Station, particularity perjudicted for the Pan Am Building). For this reason where this building boom were more criticied.

Many of new modern towers were build in Park and Third Avenues and the Avenue of the Americas, where were beneficiated of plaza bonus of new 1961zoning law, that estimulated the new extension of Rockefeller Center. In 1967 building boom took Times Square area and Financial District

1950s-1970s Boom Buildings age were a real climax between 1966 and 1973. In this time many office buildings and complex were build on same time:

Buildings:
General Motors
Burlington House
ITT North American Building
One Astor Plaza
888 Seventh Avenue
810 Seventh Avenue
Grace Building
Solow Building
North America Plywood
One New York Plaza
Two New York Plaza
Uris (Paramount) Plaza
Gulf & Western Building
919 Seventh Avenue
345 Park Avenue
600 Third Avenue
JP Stevens Building

Skyscraper Complex
World Trade Center (Twin Towers)
Rockefeller Center's X, Y and Z Buildings (Exxon, McGraw-Hill, Celanesse)
55 Water Street

The Building boom have enter a crisis in 1970 wher a real state speculation market created a many overoffer office space: many buildings have empty and 1973-74 were a crisis and worsted in mid seventies cause a New York's fisco crash. A new boom were until 1980s.