New York’s Skyscrapers: A Vertical History Part III

Part III — Glass, Steel, and Corporate Modernism


20. United Nations Secretariat Building (1952)

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Designed under the direction of Wallace K. Harrison for the United Nations, the Secretariat Building introduced International Style modernism to New York on a monumental scale. Rising as a thin slab along the East River, it rejected historical reference entirely in … Read the rest

New York’s Skyscrapers: A Vertical History Part II

Part II — Art Deco Ascendant (1930–1933)


11. 40 Wall Street (1930)

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Designed by H. Craig Severance for the Bank of Manhattan Trust Company, 40 Wall Street was conceived as a direct challenge to rival skyscrapers rising across the city. For a brief moment, it claimed the title of the world’s tallest building—an achievement celebrated … Read the rest

New York’s Skyscrapers: A Vertical History Part 1

Part I — Origins & Early Ambition


1. American Surety Building (1896)

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Designed by Bruce Price, the American Surety Building is widely regarded as one of New York City’s first true skyscrapers. Built for the American Surety Company, it employed a steel-frame structure that allowed it to rise far higher than masonry construction would have … Read the rest

Tiny Forest, Mighty Impact: What on Earth Is a Miyawaki Forest?

Imagine a forest. You’re probably picturing a vast, sprawling woodland, the kind you could get lost in for days. Now, imagine that same dense, biodiverse ecosystem—but packed into a space the size of a tennis court. It sounds like magic, but it’s a very real and revolutionary gardening method taking the world by storm: the … Read the rest

January 2025 stargazing: A parade of bright planets

As the new year of 2025 begins, the night sky of January offers an exciting lineup of celestial events for stargazing enthusiasts. These include a rare chance to see a parade of four bright planets – Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars – in one evening view.

Additionally, Venus and Saturn will appear exceptionally close to … Read the rest

Comet of the Century to Light Up the Sky in October 2024

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico –

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), dubbed the “Comet of the Century,” is currently on its way toward Earth and is expected to become one of the most thrilling astronomical events in recent memory. Discovered in early 2023 by observatories in China and Hawaii, the comet has generated significant excitement among astronomers and … Read the rest

Newfound Mathematical ‘Einstein’ Shape Creates a Never-Repeating Pattern

Creatively tiling a bathroom floor isn’t just a stressful task for DIY home renovators. It is also one of the hardest problems in mathematics. For centuries, experts have been studying the special properties of tile shapes that can cover floors, kitchen backsplashes or infinitely large planes without leaving any gaps. Specifically, mathematicians are interested in … Read the rest

Rapping, deconstructed: The best rhymers of all time

Here’s how some of the greatest rappers make rhymes. From the simple nursery rhyme–like bars of Kurtis Blow’s “The Breaks” to the smooth East Coast flow of Notorious B.I.G.’s hit song “Hypnotize” to the speedy delivery of Kendrick Lamar’s “Rigamortis,” rhyming in rap music has not only evolved, it’s gotten better.

The video above explores Read the rest