Name: Why Europe has so few skyscrapers | BBC Global
Uploaded: 2024-07-28T12:41:42.000Z
Duration: 3 min 13 s
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Skyscrapers, to some, they're the ultimate symbol of progress and modernity;

to others, an ugly blot on the natural horizon.

But love them or loathe them, most of the world has been on a mission to build their way to the stars, with one notable exception: this part here.

Only seven of the world's 1,000 tallest buildings are in the EU.

North America is the birthplace of skyscrapers, but China is catching up fast, and the tallest of them all is in the Middle East.

So why has Europe remained so stunted? Well, although there are several different factors at play, the key one comes down to this: it's really difficult to build them there, typically because of complex regulations aimed at protecting cultural heritage.

Take building can exceed the height of the dome of St.

Peter's Basilica, or else you'd face the wrath of God, the Pope, or at the very least, some city bureaucrats. Similarly, buildings in Athens are not allowed to block views of the Parthenon and are limited to just 12 stories.

Now, it's also true that over time, some taller buildings have occasionally slipped through the web of restrictions, but often they're both controversial and unloved.

Perhaps none more so than Paris's famously tall structure.

So hated was this blight on the eye that a new law was swiftly introduced, limiting all new buildings in central Paris to just 37 meters. And then there's London, second only to Moscow of Europe's tallest skylines.

The city is certainly no stranger to skyscrapers, and the Shard alone towers more than 300 meters high.

But even here, it's not so easy, largely because of a 1938 law designed to protect this: St.

Paul's Cathedral, or at least a view of St.

Paul's Cathedral, which was itself once the tallest building in London at 111 meters.

There are eight protected viewpoints that crisscross London, all of which must preserve a view of the iconic cathedral.

Try navigating that hurdle if you're a would-be skyscraper builder. There are, of course, other reasons than just cultural heritage and tight regulation that differentiate European skylines from its peers around the world.

But so far, Europe has largely resisted the urge to build ever upwards.

 Whether that's because this aging continent has been left behind by younger upcoming cities hungry to prove their modernity or instead a more conscious rejection of it might just be a matter of perspective.