Showing posts with label skyscraper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label skyscraper. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Wrigley Building, Chicago, Illinois


Outgoing postcard US-3202774 to Finland shows the Wrigley Building at the Northern end of the Michigan Avenue Bridge, built in 1920 to house the corporate headquarters of the Wrigley Company, a chewing gum company. The backside of the postcard reads: "It towers 398 feet above the ground and is shown in magnificent splendor by being entirely illuminated at night." However, it was noted on Wikipedia that the 30-story south tower, completed in April, 1921, is 425-foot or 130-meter tall. The Wrigley Building was sold to a group of investors in 2011.

On a side note, Chicago marks anniversary of 1967 Blizzard that lasted 17 hours and dumped 23 inches snow 48 years ago on this day. It was the largest single snowfall in the city's history. About 50,000 cars and buses were abandoned on the streets and expressways; thousands of people were stranded. It took several days for schools and airports to re-open.

While blizzard warnings expired for New England, heavy snow continues under winter storm warnings and advisories. On the other hand, Chicago only had freezing rain this time, which still caused dangerous driving conditions. Some sunshine is expected in Chicago tomorrow afternoon.

Friday, October 17, 2014

Taipei 101


Eleven years ago on October 17, 2003, the pinnacle was fitted onto the roof of Taipei 101, a 101-floor skyscraper in Taipei. At 508 meters or 1,667 feet, it surpassed the Petronas Twin Towers (451.9 meters or 1,483 feet) in Kuala Lumpur by 56 meters or 184 feet and had been the tallest building in the world until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010.

Postcard TW-851403 from Taiwan shows an elegant illustration of Taipei 101, highlighting the design that symbolizes the combination of modern technology evolution and Asian tradition  The repeated segments, eight of them in total, mimics the rhythms of an Asian pagoda that bridges the earth and the sky. The tower also reminds people the color and shape of a bamboo shoot that represents perseverance, learning and growth.

In comparison, Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas, the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States, stands at 350.2 meters or 1,149 feet.