Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 1911. UP IN THE AIR.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 27 June 1911, Page 4

Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, JUNE 27, 1911. UP IN THE AIR.

THE "SKY-SCRAPER" BUILDING PROBLEM.

WHEN the "sky-scraper" 'business building will cease ascending is as y&t undefined, llecent American telegiraims in the London newspapers announced that plans had '"been prepared in New York for an office-building of 55 stories and measuring 750 ft. from the pavement to the top of the tower. This will be tlue master sky-scraper of Ameirica'6 commercial capital, towering well above the Metropolitan Insurance building of 700 ft, and the Singer offices of 612 ft., which overtop all the others.

An interesting article in the "Manchester Guardian" pictures the projected monster to the English reader by explaining that the monument otf the great lire of London is only 202 ft. high, that to tlie topmost point of Parliament buildings is 331 ft,, and that ito the top of the cross of St. Paul's Cu.thedrail is less than 365 ft, On the same principle, taking Sydney as being the nearest Australian city to approach the , "skyscraper" buildings, the gauge: may be •taken from the facts that the highest point of the Town-ha 11 is 198 ft. up, that •the Post Office tower reaches to albont 250 ft,, and that the tail best fully-oc-cupied building is a warehouse in Clar-ence-street only 125 ft, high. The last thing in building-up in New York, -therefore, is three times Ithe height reached by the top of the Sydney Post Office tower. *****

The dizzy height which New York "sky-scrapeus" .aire attaining are- among the evolutionary developments of a. swarming civilisation. The natural tendency is for ■ea.&th.-sffimee to become dearer and 1 dearer in the crowded city, and the obvious recourse is to utilise the free air, which is illimitable except for the ucsbi'ict.io.us imposed by considerations of human safety. But these restrictions have not weighed miuch in the erection ■< :f American " sky-scrapers," at .least not till lately. In the great Baltimore fire of 1905. the tall buildings .burnt like matchwood, and a few years ago the president of the New York Board of Fire Underwriters drew an appalling picture of what might happen if a fire started ini an upper story in the. dowii-t. ;wn. nest, of "sky-scrapers'' and beat across the streets from one window to another. He declared that "it would be entirely beyond the reach of

•the lire brigade, and it might gain such "headway that when the edge of -the 'sky-scrapar' zone was reached there would be a blaze of such proportions .as to imperil the city." Even- with -the comparatively low buildings of the "skyscraper" kind iir Sydney, difficulties enconutcred in fire prevention sire ailimost insuperable. a.s the report of last might's fire in. the heart of Sydaiey shows. The comllauy with tall buildings should be wide streets ; but there i:s Mo smoh rule enforced in New York, for in the. "skyscraper"' districts the term "canyon" is- a synonym for the word "street," and the latter has become a narrow windtrap., where -plateglass windows a.ro .blown in with every sharp gust. On the other hand, "sky-scrapers," where steel girders have been used, appear to be a.s safe as other places—sometimes eater than most. The tall buiidiings withstood the San Francisco earthquake better than -others, giving to the wrench like those wiood-pin-ned houses which were built by some of the early settlers in New Zealand.

The da}- -<>f tho "sky-scraper" of inconceivable height is being postponed as long as possible in Sydney. It may not ccane in New Zealand fo.r a- geireiraticn or two yet. In Sydney, the City Council has limited the altitude of buildings - to 150 ft., not because of danger, so much as on. account of the exclusion <f light from neighbouring structures, and the difficulties of fire prevention and rescue—tremendous problems which are costing a. great deal to solve in New York. I. n the latter city land has brought £6O a square foot just lo prevent the obstructkm of light. Tho minimising of the risk from- fire and the conservation of light have been made a special science in American architecture. Tho modern idea .is that of a tower. Thus, while the lower part of the building may occupy the whole ground-space, above a certain height the added stories ai-e built well within that area o,n all sides. Consequently, light and air are preserved, and the frightening aspect of the massive square building of the "Frying-pan" variety, is alemoved. In New York it has been proposed that the building covering the whole superficial space shall .not go higher than 100 ft., and actually the Singer structure has only 14 ficiors in its lower section, with 33 in the "tower." That method gives abundant room, and has the otheir advantages that have been mentioned. Hence,. Sydney, which is fast moving towards sky-scr-aper architecture, is seriously conislLd-e-ripg thle tower method of building, and the City Council will sanction jio other.