New York has a long history of big buildings and particularly skyscrapers. As it became one of the largest cities in the world, rapid urban growth posed a range of problems and challenges. The answer to this increased population density and demand for space came from new buildings that enabled the city to expand upward rather than outward. New technologies and innovations played a role in constructing these innovative buildings. As New York grew and became one of the preeminent cities of the world in the twentieth century, the skyscraper became a symbol of America’s modernity. As the exhibit suggests, New York is not moving away from this formula but rather altering it a bit. Instead of bulky, cumbersome skyscrapers, a move has been made towards more slender buildings. In addition to this tapering of skyscrapers, they have become visually more appealing with large glass and window facades as opposed to bulky cement and concrete frontages.

With that being said, I quickly made a connection between the direction of skyscraper development and the direction of beauty standards in America. The exhibition made reference not only to the slenderness of these buildings but also the idea of “window walls” or an all-glass facade. When we think about culture and current ideas of beauty, the first thing that comes to mind is the super skinny super model type. Long and slender, they are beautiful to look at but are completely contradictory to curvy, bulkier ideals of the past. Furthermore, beauty has become very shallow and transparent in our generation. In much the same, the window walls give you more access and visibility through the new slender skyscrapers that have deviated from the larger concrete buildings in the past. Some may say this is just a natural progression, especially architecturally, but I believe that this can be disputed. Everyone knows the cliché phrase that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and I believe this not only applies to social ideals but also architecturally. There is nothing wrong with the less slender skyscrapers that have long been landmarks of the New York skyline but there are people very partial to the new slender, luxurious look of the skyscrapers. Personally, I think we should find a balance between honoring the tried and true architecture of the past and the cosmopolitan direction they are currently heading in. In other words, we should be mindful of what has come before without losing sight of where we are going.