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Scraping the Sky

Jay Zhang (Flickr Creative Commons)

http://cptv.vo.llnwd.net/o2/ypmwebcontent/Tucker/Where%20We%20Live%2002-29-2012.mp3

A hundred years ago, the tallest building in the world was 700 feet. Today, the record is 2,000 feet taller than that...and this trend isn’t slowing down. Skyscrapers have gone from being merely “tall” to “supertall.” Seven of the world’s ten tallest skyscrapers were built since the turn of the millennium.

The tallest building in Connecticut is Hartford’s City Place, which is tiny by the world’s standards.

This hour, we talk about building, working and living in these buildings that seem more like space scrapers than skyscrapers. We’ll be joined by Kate Ascher...she wrote The Heights: Anatomy of a Skyscraper. She explores these “cathedrals of commerce,” which have become more than just office buildings. We’ll also hear from New Haven based architect César Pelli. He designed the Petronas Towers in Malaysia, which were the tallest buildings in the world...for six years.

GUESTS:

  • Cesar Pelli - Senior Principal, Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects
  • Kate Ascher - Author of The Heights: Anatomy of a Skyscraper
  • Jeff Herzer - Contributory staff, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat

This episode originally aired on February 29, 2012.

Tucker Ives is WNPR's morning news producer.
Catie Talarski is Senior Director of Storytelling and Radio Programming at Connecticut Public.

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