As population grow and cities become more crowded, there is pressure

throughout the world to construct ever taller buildings to provide

accommodation and offices. Many people object to such developments, citing
the social as well as the physical dangers.
• What benefits do skyscrapers bring?
• Do you agree withthe objections of skyscrapers?

Skyscrapers for the crowds?

Starting with the Pyramids, continuing with The Eiffel Tower or The Empire
State Building and ending with Dubai Tower, our world has evolved and has
tried to adapt with the modern changes it had to face. For some people, building
skyscrapers was a solution to the problem of crowded cities, whereas for others
such developments would arouse social and physical problems.

One of the advantages of building upwards rather than sideways is that it is

more efficient as it provides maximum office or living space, while taking up a
small amound of ground. Another advantage is that the tall architecture
becomes cultural or industrial icon of the city in which it is engineered. For
instance, the Eiffel Tower was built for the Paris Exposition of 1889 to mark the
100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Today it is major symbol of the city
of Paris. Furthermore, skyscrapers provide a long-range views for people at or
near the top level. Everybody knows that nowadays, a large office or an
apartment with a great panorama is among the most wanted things. Not to
mention the fact that being surrounded by tall constructions reduces the need
for car use, as you find yourself close to public transport nodes.

On the other hand, living or working in a skyscraper kind of steals all your
intimacy. For example, you can hear your neighbours parrot screaming in the
kitchen, or what your younger neighbour listens on the radio or TV, as well as
you can hear your next-door recently married couple argueing about their jobs
and so on. Another disadvantage of living "high" is that this buildings are often
more expensive to construct, but they also require more money and work hours
to be cleaned, repaired and renovated. Regarding safety, one of the biggest
incovenience is that the defective towers may pose a risk of falling, but they
also present a special challenge for evacuations, since those on higher floors
need special means of escape in the event of a fire on a lower floor. The most
threatining aspect of skyscrapers is the possibility of a terrorist attack, as the
most populated areas are the major attractions for those kind of moves. For
instance, everybody knows what happened in 2001 with the two World Trade
Centers.

Taking everything into account, I believe that building upward rather than
sideways it is the only alternative for crowded cities nowadays, but I will not
stop considering the fact that scientists will come with a better solution for this
problem, in order to avoid others. Who knows what the next century will bring?