I’m curious if anybody has any facts at hand about what’s being done with regard to:
[ul][li]Any plans for constructing new skyscrapers that were in the works before 9/11, particularly in reference to the one planned for Chicago that would have brought the “world’s tallest building” title back to the U.S.[/li][li]Security and escape-route planning for existing skyscrapers, notably the Empire State Building and Sears Tower, to prevent another WTC-style loss of life in case of terrorism[/li]How the proposed plans for rebuilding the WTC is designed to prevent a repeat of the collapse of the Twin Towers[/ul]
I can only answer your second point with anecdotal information. Fire drills and evacuation procedures are now practiced far more frequently and can no longer be ignored. I’ve noticed this in 3 different buildings where I’ve spent considerable time working (midtown and downtown Manhattan). New hires are shown the exits and briefed on evacuation procedures. Inspections of fire stairwells and testing of equipment is also much more frequent.
For your third point, the new design has one tall, sparsely populated structure, and the others will blend into the surrounding buildings. The WTC was a very easy target because it stood head and shoulders above everything else. There aren’t that many 50 floor plus buildings here, so even the 60th floor over 10 floors higher than most other buildings.
[anecdote]I spent 6+ months working on the 37th floor of the World Financial Center in a room overlooking the Hudson River. There are many helicopter flights around here. Some come close to the building. Having been on a lower floor of the same building on 9/11, it took some getting used to every time one would buzz by the window. One day there was a low level fly-by by a pair of Air Force F-16s that buzzed by the building about 10 floors below. Let me tell you, having those jets shoot by and not being told why beforehand created a very uneasy feeling throughout the building. Most people, self included, left immediately afterwards (it was about 6:00pm) [/anecdote]
Donald Trump announced in December 2001 that his proposed “tallest building” Trump Tower Chicago would be revised to be only the 78-stories “fourth-tallest building in the U.S.”, but now his once-again-revised plans have it as the 86-stories “second-tallest” building.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/chi-0207310004jul31.story
I haven’t been able to find whether they’ve actually broken ground for it (which would involve demolishing the Sun-Times Building first), but he apparently got City Council approval for it, and completion was scheduled for 2007.
http://www.natarus.com/press7-24-02.asp
The design for the building to be erected at the old WTC site will incorporate a tower that will be the tallest building in the world.
http://homes.wsj.com/regionalnews/northeast/20030228-starkman.html
World’s tallest building is coming to us, sorry guys!
http://www.gulfnews.com/Articles/print.asp?ArticleID=78597
They haven’t confirmed how tall it will be, but given Dubai is the “Texas” of the Middle East, once the Shanghai thing is up, they’ll just make sure it’s taller. Also, it’s going to be the tallest residential tower in the world - ie living space all up to the top.
Then it’s my prediction that to cover all bases, they’ll wait until New York (or wherever else) has built the world’s tallest spike-topped building, then they’ll add an even higher spike to the design, and grab that record too.
They’ve just built the world’s longest ever footbridge linking two buildings (beating Malaysia’s thingy towers) and are currently building the the world’s biggest ever maze, the world’s largest marina, and the world’s largest artificial island. Two of them, in fact. A year back, they managed to get the “biggest ribbon ever wrapped round a building” which some Sheikh cut to open a shopping centre.