Better skyline Houston or Dallas? (Fort Worth, Italy: designer, cars, places)

[savanite]

The conventional view of the Dallas skyline is probably not the most effective. That would be the classic night shot reflected in the Trinity river at flood stage. It's pretty good, as good as the view of Manhattan from Brooklyn with the Brooklyn bridge framing Downtown.

A better point of view of the Dallas skyline is one taken about ten floors over McKinney Avenue, through all the urbanity in Uptown Dallas, going two miles toward downtown Dallas. Especially with a 100 year old trolley car on the street. It's better because it shows a city that has a true urban core, not just a downtown with office buildings.

That image conveys everything that cities are all about... vitality, walkability, diversity of buildings and shapes.

[HouTXmetro]

Originally Posted by savanite

The conventional view of the Dallas skyline is probably not the most effective. That would be the classic night shot reflected in the Trinity river at flood stage. It's pretty good, as good as the view of Manhattan from Brooklyn with the Brooklyn bridge framing Downtown.

A better point of view of the Dallas skyline is one taken about ten floors over McKinney Avenue, through all the urbanity in Uptown Dallas, going two miles toward downtown Dallas. Especially with a 100 year old trolley car on the street. It's better because it shows a city that has a true urban core, not just a downtown with office buildings.

That image conveys everything that cities are all about... vitality, walkability, diversity of buildings and shapes.

That Kool-Aid must be real good up there in North Dallas.

[savanite]

The nature of what a skyline is, that is another question.

A skyline is a visual image, observed from a point of reference.

Depending on what they portray and where they are taken, they can be pretty dramatic.

In the case of Manhattan under the Brooklyn bridge, the drama is not so much from the buildings, as from the bridge as a framing device, and the East river providing a reflection.

In the image of downtown Dallas I have in mind, the drama comes from the extensive lighting effects on the buildings, the mirror reflection on the water, as well as the unusual shapes of the buildings themselves.

Both of these skyline images display a lot of drama and appeal.

In the case of Houston, the drama, if any, is almost absent from any potential skyline shots. There is no river to reflect an image, there is no bridge to frame anything, or unusually shaped buildings to provide interest. The buildings are generic high rise office buildings, obviously tall, but not tall in the sense that New York or Chicago buildings are tall. And even if they were, height does not add any drama unless it is extraordinary, as Asian or Middle Eastern buildings would be.

To summarize, a skyline is a visual image that conveys not only information but also emotion.

[annie_himself]

Originally Posted by savanite

There is now a definition of "better", as in which skyline is better...

The purpose of a skyline is to identify a city. The better it identifies the city, the better it is.

When a TV news show has a guest make a statement, they usually have a skyline in the background. This is done to give a sense of place to the speaker. If he's in St Louis, you bet you'll see the famous arch. If he's in Seattle, you'll see the Space Needle.

The skyline must contain buildings that are instantly iconic. Due to the immense popularity of the TV show, Dallas' unusual buildings instantly give a sense of place. There's only one Reunion tower in the world. Other Dallas buildings are arguably less recognizable, but still one-of-a-kind, due to their unusual shapes or lighting effects.

The downtown Houston skyline is less recognizable, less familiar, and the shapes of the buildings are more common to tall office buildings that could be in any of dozens of cities in the world.

This assertion can be scientifically tested by asking volunteers to identify the city by viewing a photograph of the skyline. It's not a matter of personal preference or taste.

I was always unaware of Dallas' skyline, the only reason I can recognize it is the time I spent in Houston. The purpose of a skyline is to provide commerce, not anything visual.
There's only one BOA tower in the world.
You do realize any of these buildings could be in any city all over the world? The only truly unique tower in Dallas is Reunion Tower.

[Yokandyman]

The Dallas skyline has character. It's not just a collection of tall office buildings thrown together in a mix like Houston's. The Dalllas Sky dazzles and mesmerizes... Most will typically leave the core remembering something(s) about it, other than the fact that it is pretty. You're gonna remember "that Green building".... You're gonna remember "The Dallas Ball"... You're gonna remember "the bridge"... You're gonna remember the architecture of some of the other towers, venues, and museums located there... It's just an amazing place to be. Dallas is simply da bomb.com!

[annie_himself]

Originally Posted by Yokandyman

The Dallas skyline has character. It's not just a collection of tall office buildings thrown together in a mix like Houston's. The Dalllas Sky dazzles and mesmerizes... Most will typically leave the core remembering something(s) about it, other than the fact that it is pretty. You're gonna remember "that Green building".... You're gonna remember "The Dallas Ball"... You're gonna remember "the bridge"... You're gonna remember the architecture of some of the other towers, venues, and museums located there... It's just an amazing place to be. Dallas is simply da bomb.com!

..and you assume that people don't leave Houston the same way? And every other large city? You'd be naive to think that.

[HouTXmetro]

Originally Posted by Yokandyman

The Dallas skyline has character. It's not just a collection of tall office buildings thrown together in a mix like Houston's. The Dalllas Sky dazzles and mesmerizes... Most will typically leave the core remembering something(s) about it, other than the fact that it is pretty. You're gonna remember "that Green building".... You're gonna remember "The Dallas Ball"... You're gonna remember "the bridge"... You're gonna remember the architecture of some of the other towers, venues, and museums located there... It's just an amazing place to be. Dallas is simply da bomb.com!

Seriously? Anybody can throw some neon lights on a building. There is nothing unique about Dallas skyline. SMH

[Yokandyman]

Originally Posted by annie_himself

..and you assume that people don't leave Houston the same way? And every other large city? You'd be naive to think that.

Yup... Hey, you said it. Not me. This has nothing to do with every other large city. Dallas is the hot topic of dicussion right now. Not naive, just telling it the way it is.

[Yokandyman]

Originally Posted by HouTXmetro

Seriously? Anybody can throw some neon lights on a building. There is nothing unique about Dallas skyline. SMH

True.. Anyone can do it. But the difference is that Dallas is "thee" standard, and no one can do it like we do it. Excellence personified.... Ya'll like that, huh?

[stoneclaw]

Originally Posted by savanite

When a TV news show has a guest make a statement, they usually have a skyline in the background. This is done to give a sense of place to the speaker. If he's in St Louis, you bet you'll see the famous arch. If he's in Seattle, you'll see the Space Needle.

The skyline must contain buildings that are instantly iconic. Due to the immense popularity of the TV show, Dallas' unusual buildings instantly give a sense of place. There's only one Reunion tower in the world. Other Dallas buildings are arguably less recognizable, but still one-of-a-kind, due to their unusual shapes or lighting effects.

The downtown Houston skyline is less recognizable, less familiar, and the shapes of the buildings are more common to tall office buildings that could be in any of dozens of cities in the world.

LOL @ the bolded sentence. Considering, now that Dallas has an arch too. So so much for being one of a kind! Monkey see monkey do

stoneclaw/C2H (ComingtoHouston)