Skyscrapers in tbe ATL (Atlanta, Vinings: city hall, live, stats)

[arjay57]

I guess it always comes down to whether you see the glass as half full or half empty, but it sounds to me like the ATL is holding its own in the battle for tall buildings.

Atlanta, per the analysis, is one of 18 U.S. cities with at least five skyscrapers. And the Bank of America Plaza tower remains the 15th tallest in the country.

Per the findings, Atlanta counts 14 buildings—our in-house tally is more like 16, at least, with Icon Midtown joining the list this year—that stand at least 40 stories and 500 feet tall, which would put the Big Peach in the sky-poking company of Seattle, Dallas, and Philadelphia.

More...Atlanta’s tallest skyscraper is slipping in national prominence

[ATLTJL]

Kind of seems odd to me that a city that prides itself about being on the move as much as Atlanta still has a highest building that is more than a quarter century old.

Looks like we're not quite alone in that, but that doesn't mean we can't do better.

[autolycus25]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

Kind of seems odd to me that a city that prides itself about being on the move as much as Atlanta still has a highest building that is more than a quarter century old.

Looks like we're not quite alone in that, but that doesn't mean we can't do better.

How long did the Empire State Building hold its records? Sears Tower? WTC? Not a lot of those monsters being built in any city until the big 2000s surges in Asia and ME.

[primaltech]

Tall towers are kind of dumb and gimmicky.

I'd rather see Midtown or Downtown get 10 more 6-story mixed-use developments replacing parking lots and empty lots, than 1 60-story office tower, that doesn't really do anything except make the view of the city look nice.

As someone who lives in Vinings and gets plenty of good skyline views, the views would be better if I knew there was an actual real urban dense city there, instead of just the illusion of one from afar.

Development of any kind excites me much more these days, than exciting development. If that makes sense.

[ATLTJL]

How long did the Empire State Building hold its records? Sears Tower? WTC?

Yeah, but those cities don't share the same inferiority complex as us, feeling a constant need to justify ourselves as a "world class city."

I mean...

First, the good news for urban architecture wonks: Atlanta’s long-cherished claim of having America’s tallest building in a capital city still holds true.

LOL, tallest building in a capital citywho cares??? I guess we are somehow better than New York, Chicago, LA, Miami and San Francisco because they aren't state capitals? Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

Yeah, but those cities don't share the same inferiority complex as us, feeling a constant need to justify ourselves as a "world class city."

I mean...

Maybe if we weren't treated like the red-headed stepchild we wouldn't have an inferiority complex.

[aries4118]

Atlanta needs a few more super-talls.

[citidata18]

These things happen in cycles.

Atlanta had so many "super tall" towers built during the 1980s - 2000s without concern about building a truly urban environment that it now has to play catch up with a ton of infill developments.

Once things fill in enough, the demand for more trophy towers may be there.

And while it feels like Atlanta is the only one to go a long time without a trophy tower, Detroit is just not seeing its first "super tall" tower break ground since the last one was completed in 1996. Meanwhile, Philadelphia also went 20 years between the completion of Liberty Place and the completion of Comcast Center (and before that, its tallest building was city hall).

[Iconographer]

I've always thought that the American obsession with supertalls as the measure of a city's greatness is just stupid (not to mention Freudian). It's a waste of time to focus on it. If the proposed tower makes economic sense, go forward; if not, move on. The great cities of Europe haven't been hurt one iota by their lack of them.

[atler8]

Originally Posted by autolycus25

How long did the Empire State Building hold its records? Sears Tower? WTC? Not a lot of those monsters being built in any city until the big 2000s surges in Asia and ME.

A great response you have there based on actual skyscrapers stats & facts, autolycus...
Until very recently, Atlanta was exactly in the same category as was LA in terms of how long it's tallest (barely over 1,000') skyscraper reigned as it's tallest.
And San Francisco's Transamerica Pyramid until very recently held the title as that city's tallest since the late 1970's.
The upshot being that I feel that Atlanta has nothing to feel anxious about as we've been in good company.
Being a skyscraper data hobbyist of longstanding, I used to sort of "worry" for lack of a better term, over the fact that Atlanta had nothing in the works to topple the BOA Tower from it's now quarter of a century standing as the tallest tower in the city.
Nowadays that's not so much of a concern of mine given that more practical matters, such as demand in the office market for space & the supporting city infrastructure are now important realities that influence my views on the subject.