TALL BUILDINGS ARTISTICALLY CONSIDERED HIGHRISES AND THE HISTORIC

TALL BUILDINGS ARTISTICALLY CONSIDERED? HIGH-RISES AND THE HISTORIC URBAN LANDSCAPE Martin Horáček, Department of Art History, Palacký University Olomouc, Czechia

Contents 1. ‘tall buildings’ and ‘high-rises’ 2. tall buildings in Europe: a brief history 3. high-rises and the historic urban landscape Warsaw, new development around the Palace of Culture and Science (L. Rudnev, 1952– 1955). In the foreground: Złota 44 building (D. Libeskind, 2008– 2013).

High-rises: an aesthetic controversy Do they bring disharmony into the otherwise harmonious whole? Antwerp, Boerentoren, J. Van Hoenacker – J. Smolderen – E. Van Averbeke, 1929– 1932

‘Tall structure’ vs ‘skyscraper’ Istanbul, Süleymaniye Mosque

‘Tall structure’ vs ‘skyscraper’ Senetářov, a folk house, in the background is the Kojál TV transmitter, the third tallest building in Czechia (340 m)

European Gothic bell towers: tallest structures until 1884 Strasbourg, cathedral: the preserved medieval tower is 142 m tall

Leuven (Belgium), Church of St. Peter, model of the three-tower façade planned to reach the height of around 170 m, J. Matsys, 1524

Louis Sullivan, The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered, 1896: high-rises articulated like an ancient column Chicago, Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Store, L. Sullivan, 1899

The first European skyscraper Rotterdam, White House, W. Molenbroek, 1897– 1898

In the 1930 s European skyscrapers crossed the 100 -meter mark Torre Litoria, Turin, A. Melis de Villa, 1931– 1933, 109 m with antenna

High-rise style: Traditionalism and art deco Madrid, Telefónica, I. Cárdenas Pastor – L. Weeks, 1925– 1929

High-rise style: avant-garde rare Zlín (Czechia), Bata administration building No. 21, V. Karfík, 1935– 1939

Mies-style = freedom x traditionalist = authoritarian? Stockholm, Hötorgscity, S. Markelius et al. , 1952 -1956 Moscow, Lomonosow Moscow State University, L. Rudnev, 1949– 1953

American-like downtowns were rare in Europe… Frankfurt am Main, Willy-Brandt Platz

…until the 1990 s Bratislava, city centre from the Bratislava Castle

High-rises: World Heritage in Danger Vienna, Cathedral of St. Stephen, in the background: high-rises around the Donaukanal and Donau-City quarter

New landmarks needed? Seville, view from the cathedral. In the background: skyscraper Torre Sevilla, C. Pelli, 2008– 2015.

Olomouc (Czechia), Church of St. Michael, on its left: BEA Centrum, 2010– 2013, on the right: smokestack of a thermal power station, 1996– 1998

Early Chicago Skyscrapers on the World Heritage Tentative List Chicago, Monadnock Building, Daniel Burnham and others, 1891– 1893

High-rises and the historic urban landscape? 1. What about their style? 2. Does their height make sense? 3. What is wrong with the ‘low rise’ character of our cities? Prague, city centre, in the background: Pankrác quarter All images by Martin Horáček Thank you for your attention.