A Century of Florida's Tallest Skyscrapers

[AaroniusLives]

There had to be a sufficiently powerful reason for the society to look towards new building process using new materials in such a precipitous way.  What would have provided that impetus.

Here is a question.

Who built the first skyscrapers?  Where were they?  What kind of businesses?

This is a very "loose" web search answer to that, Stephen Dare.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyscraper#History

Today, skyscrapers are an increasingly common sight where land is expensive, as in the centres of big cities, because they provide such a high ratio of rentable floor space per unit area of land. They are built not just for economy of space; like temples and palaces of the past, skyscrapers are considered symbols of a city's economic power. Not only do they define the skyline, they help to define the city's identity.

The first statement is practical; it explains the need for a skyscraper. The second is much more ideological, "How can we be a great place without a skyscraper?" My issue is with the latter idea, especially sans the density.

Oh, and just for kicks:
http://www.bysp.com/projects/pdf/proj10/proj6.pdf

[AaroniusLives]

I think you have to look at what kind of businesses built and operated the new buildings, aaronious.

Alas, today, I have to conceptualize campaigns to market language-learning to y'all.

[AaroniusLives]

lol. In retrospect, I think you will wince when you reread this comment. Wink

Entirely intentional.