VOICE ONE:
Most of the world’s tall buildings, called skyscrapers, are inthe United States. However, the recent terrorist attacks have causedsome Americans to worry about the safety of these extremely tallbuildings. I’m Steve Ember.
VOICE TWO:
And I’m Sarah Long. We tell about the future of skyscrapers todayon the VOA Special English program, THIS IS AMERICA.
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VOICE ONE:
For almost thirty years, the World Trade Center stood more thanfour-hundred-ten meters above New York City’s financial center. Thetwo towers of the Center were the tallest buildings in the city.They had more than one-hundred levels. Then on the morning ofSeptember Eleventh, two hijacked airplanes struck the buildings.
Many people died immediately in explosions and fires. Others randown many levels of steps in an effort to escape the buildings.Others waited for help in their offices. Then, one after another,both buildings fell. The collapse of the towers killed thousands ofpeople. It also wrecked or damaged surrounding buildings.
VOICE TWO:
Engineers from the state of Illinois soon will investigate thecollapse of the buildings for the Federal Emergency ManagementAgency. Their early study, however, shows that the buildings held upwell. One tower remained standing for about forty-seven minutesafter the plane hit it. The other tower stayed up for about one hourand forty minutes after it was struck. The fact that the towersstayed up as long as they did permitted many people to escape.
Several experts have said no building could have resisted theattacks. The terrorists meant to cause the largest explosions andthe hottest fires possible. So they hijacked planes heavily loadedwith fuel. The heat from the burning fuel weakened the steelstructure of the towers. These fires burned far hotter than firesused to test building materials. They also burned longer. Theintense heat caused the upper levels of the buildings to fall. Thenthe lower levels also fell.
Some pieces of building wreckage caused destruction in the area.Mainly, however, the towers imploded – fell down in their own space.Several engineers praised the World Trade Center for this. Many morepeople would have died if the buildings had fallen to the side.
VOICE ONE: Officials say the wreckage will take months to clear.After the attacks, broken glass and smoking metal lay twelve metersabove the ground. The World Trade Center had containedtwo-hundred-thousand tons of steel. It also had forty-three-thousandwindows.
About fifty-thousand people worked in the World Trade Center.Some estimates say as many as ninety-thousand people passed throughit on some days. The towers represented business and trade in thebiggest city in America. Many people throughout the world recognizedpictures of the World Trade Center against the skies of New York.
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VOICE TWO:
People in New York are discussing ways to remember the WorldTrade Center and the people who died in the attack. Several artistsand building designers suggest a memorial called “Towers of Light.”The arts group Creative Time proposes forming two towers of light inthe shape of the fallen buildings. These lights would reach towardthe sky. The artists currently are researching methods that couldproduce lighting with such power.
Businessman Larry Silverstein currently controls use of the WorldTrade Center property. Mister Silverstein says he will rebuild theCenter. However, it is unclear what the new Center will be like.
Some architects have suggested creating four shorter buildings.These structures would have about fifty levels. A park between thebuildings would contain a memorial to victims of the attack.
Other New York citizens called for rebuilding the World TradeCenter as it was. For example, former Mayor Ed Koch urgedreplacement of the two skyscrapers. He said this would show theterrorists that New York remained undefeated.
However, some city planners believe such extremely tallstructures should not be replaced. Instead, some experts advisecopying other New York buildings that are not as tall.
VOICE ONE:
The Urban Land Institute is a research and educationalorganization for planners and building designers. Some membersbelieve skyscrapers waste space. These experts say some buildingsuse their lower levels mainly to get people to the upper levels.
Some experts also believe the office needs of businesses arechanging. Most large companies now have their headquarters inskyscrapers. This permits their employees to work together in oneplace. However, employees today can communicate easily thoughelectronic mail and other technology. So some planners believe therewill be less need for skyscrapers in the future.
VOICE TWO:
The Empire State building is now the tallest building in New YorkCity. It was built in Nineteen-Thirty-One. It was the tallestbuilding in the world for more than forty years. It still is one ofthe most popular. Thousands of millions of visitors have seen NewYork from observation areas in this building.
Some Americans now say they are worried about the Empire StateBuilding. However, a wealthy New York property owner has offered asmuch as fifty-seven-million dollars to buy it. He says he believesfear of skyscrapers will be temporary.
Many of America’s skyscrapers have increased safety measuressince the terrorist attacks. Owners have placed barriers around thebuildings at street level. Security devices and guards examinepeople who enter the buildings. Building occupants are receivinginformation about what to do in an emergency.
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VOICE ONE:
Skyscrapers were invented in the United States. As early as theEighteen-Eighties, two new technical developments made these tallerbuildings possible. One development was the mechanical elevator. Itmeant that people would not have to climb many steps to reach theupper floors of tall buildings. The development of steel also helpedmake taller buildings possible.
The first skyscraper was built in Chicago, Illinois inEighteen-Eighty-Five. The Home Insurance Building was almostfifty-five meters tall.
Chicago became home to the world’s tallest building inNineteen-Seventy-Three when the Sears Tower was built. It isfour-hundred-forty-two meters tall. The Sears Tower was the tallestbuilding in the world for twenty-three years. Then, inNineteen-Ninety-Six, two taller buildings were completed. They arethe Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They are aboutfour-hundred-fifty-two meters tall.
VOICE TWO:
Recently, businessman Donald Trump proposed another very tallbuilding for Chicago. Mister Trump and the owners of the ChicagoSun-Times newspaper wanted to build a structurefour-hundred-fifty-seven meters high along the Chicago River. MisterTrump and the newspaper owners have been seeking more money for theproject. Now, however, it is unclear if they will continue proposingsuch a big skyscraper.
Developers in China want to build the tallest skyscraper ever.They are planning an International Financial Center for Shanghai.The Center is to be more than four-hundred-eighty-seven meters tall.
The building would have several safety measures not included inthe World Trade Center buildings. For example, the areas containingsteps would be wider than those in the World Trade Center. Areascalled refuge floors would be placed every ten to twelve levels.These open-air places are designed to protect people from smoke.They are legally required in China and some other Asian countries.
VOICE ONE:
Experts say there is almost no engineering limit to the height askyscraper can be. Still, people’s feelings may limit the size ofskyscrapers in the future.
For example, a New York City stock trader works in an office highin a skyscraper. He says he once liked to look out his office windowand see the other tall buildings of the city. But his feelings havechanged since the terrorist attacks.
Now, he says, he would like to work much closer to the ground.
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VOICE TWO:
This program was written by Jerilyn Watson. It was produced byCynthia Kirk. I’m Sarah Long.
VOICE ONE:
And I’m Steve Ember. Join us again next week for another reportabout life in the United States on the VOA Special English program,THIS IS AMERICA.