What do you most look for in a skyline? (place, people, Boston)

[PDX_LAX]

Originally Posted by grapico

density and architecture create the aesthetic appeal. others might look good from far away or in pictures but get up close...ouch.

Strongly disagree. I think volume is the most important aspect for aesthetic appeal, because it really determines how large a skyline looks.

In this picture of Vancouver for example, the buildings all look very similar but the volume brings its relatively monotonous skyline to a whole new level.

Besides, I think "skylines" are fundamentally meant to be judged from a distance, because you don't actually see the line until you're far away enough from the CBD to see all of the buildings at once, which is what the skyline literally is. If you want to talk about skylines up close, that's getting into a discussion of a city's architecture which is a whole new thread.

https://www.city-data.com/forum/city-...-better-2.html

[JoCo freak]

I look for density and/or natural setting or volume

[Boston14]

I actually look for pretty much everything on the poll

[john_starks]

height, density, architecture

if you have those 3, you really don't need a natural setting

[TheFriendlyGod]

I value volume, but sheer volume without anything esle going for it looks like São Paulo.


Vancouver's skyline is lovely because it also has natural beauty in addition to its density/volume.

I'm a little confused about the relationship between volume and density. How can a skyline be voluminous and not dense? Also, how can it have iconic buildings without great architecture? I think these are not separate issues.

I like big dense skylines, like most people on this site, but I think good architecture is the most important things to give it the "personality" without which it would be only a cluster of buildings, rather than a representation of a city. Other than New York (of course) I find Philadelphia's skyline very exciting. Also, my hometown of Brooklyn has a skyline that's not very big (for a city of two and a half million) but has some really cool buildings that give it a lot of personality. It's also a nice dense skyline. It's had some development so it's actually a good deal bigger than this, but this is the best photo I found:

[removed]

[WeSoHood]

I ALWAYS associate cities with distinct buildings. I am also a huge fan of height.

[cdw1084]

Architecture and recognizable buildings.

[lugger]

New York City has everything and more for what you would look at for a good Skyline of a city!!!!

Once they rebuild the World Trade Center it will be even bigger and better!!!!

New York City puts every other U.S. city to shame in skyline!!!!!

Chicago is second in the U.S. with a great skyline to New York City!!!!!!!!!!

[lugger]

NEW YORK CITY SKYLINE




http://abodenyc.com/images/New%20York%20City%20Images/New-York-Skyline-Night%20-%20Fixed.jpg (broken link)


http://www.wirednewyork.com/manhattan/skyline/new_york_skyline1.jpg (broken link)


























http://culturemob.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/fireworks1.jpg (broken link)



http://s3.amazonaws.com/songza.media.blog-img/new-york-city-skyline-blue-large.jpg (broken link)

















The New York City Skyline has everything and more you look for in a great skyline!!!!!

Truly Breathtaking!!!!!!!!

[Rhymes with Best Coast]

NYC's skyline is pretty awesome, except it has no topography worth speaking of, it's basically flat, and it's pretty weak in its natural setting.

Hong Kong kills it in this regard, and is actually hands down the greatest skyline on Earth.