I have a question re: both the spire of the Chrysler Building,
and the mast of the Empire State, projecting from its 86th
floor-level promenade and
giving it approx. 200 more feet of vertical prominence and another 16 floors. My question is this: Do those spires/masts actually contain functional floor space, or were they constructed solely for aesthetic/height-extension purposes? I know that you can actually ride to the top of the Empire State at the 102nd floor, but does that narrow, tapering shaft really contain office or building -service floorspace? Make no mistake about it, those two buildings are the ageless, archetypal masterpieces of skyscraping architecture, but something just gnaws at me a bit, just a tiny bit, that non-functional accoutrements are included in the reported height of buildings constructed primarily for the purpose of providing living and work space for individuals. Shouldn't the heights of buildings be a reflection of those purposes?
In other words, if the highest structural part of a building tops out at 1000 ft, for example, but that height is two hundred feet higher than the highest part of the building that can provide usable work or living space, shouldn't we be true to the building's real purpose - and to ourselves - and report its height as 800 ft.? The masts, spires, shafts, antennae and flagpoles are all magnificent additions to these structures, but why can't we report the official heights of buildings legitimately, commensurate with their collectively defined function, i.e., to shelter and facilitate living and working human beings? Maybe we need to adopt a system of reporting two different figures for the heights of buildings: (1) the "official" measurement to the height of the highest usable work or living space in the structure, and (2) the "extended" measurement of the building, inclusive of all utilitarian (e.g., antennae) or cosmetic (e.g., decorative spires) additions.
Just one person's philosphy...
Anyway, I'd be most grateful for a reply to my initial question re: the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings' spires/masts. Thanks for responding.