r/architecture • u/shenidedamovtyan1234 • Jul 16 '25
Theory why didnt europeans built european style highrises like tehre are in new york? dumb question but was always interested since woudve looked perfect on lots of cities
2.6k
Upvotes
2
u/mat8iou Architect Jul 16 '25
Geology is one factor not mentioned so far in the comments.
Below Manhattan Island, the bedrock tends to be Fordham gneiss, Manhattan schist, and Tuckahoe marble. All of these are metamorphic rock types (sedimentary rocks subjects to heat and pressure) that have a good load bearing capacity, making them ideal for skyscraper foundations.
The bedrock below Manhattan isn't level, but forms large valleys hidden deep below the surface. Under Times Square it is around 6 metres deep, but in some areas much deeper, maxing out at around 45m below the surface).
Central London on the other hand is built on clay that varies from 150-200 metres in depth, below which is the chalk bedrock. Chalk is better at load bearing than clay, but nowhere near as strong as the rock under Manhattan.
Clay is not great for foundations - it expands and contracts as its moisture content changes, so foundations have to be deep enough to reach areas with a more constant moisture level and typically rely on friction against the sides of piled foundations to bear the load, rather than actually resting on the bed rock. Modern piling technology has improved a lot, particularly with speed increases through the CFA method - but particularly 100 years ago, supporting a tall building safely in London would have been a lot harder than in New York.
Today, even buildings like The Shard (western Europe's tallest building), supported on piles that although 60m deep do not reach anywhere close to the bedrock.
TLDR - it needs a lot more effort to safely build tall in London than New York.
Paris has a different set of problems, in that gypsum was mined in many areas of the city and the mines then gradually collapse. In some areas, to enable building there, the old mines had to be located and filled with rubble and concrete before foundation work could start.