Steg for steg : Step by step

On the globe today there are many densely urbanized metropolitan areas. Buildings, looking like mountain peaks, are rising higher and higher. In Europe howewer, we don't match other parts of the world in the competition of constructing tall buildings. But ours are between the more interesting ones.

From outside we mostly look at tall buildings from beneath. With splended arcitecture some of the buildings have qualities that make them look like individuals. Here are a few of my european favorites also seen on the "group picture" above.

La Grande Arche, the great arc de triomphe in La Defense district in Paris. Can be ascended by an outside glass lift. The wide open square in front and the other tall buildings surrounding the the axis leading the eyes toward Place Clarles de Gaulle Etoile make it an incredible city space. Step by step you can enjoy the site from the great staircaise below the arc or from the wiewpoint on top.

Another favourite is Swiss Re Tower at 30 St. Marys Axe in The City of London. Seen from the paths along the quees of South Banks the Swiss Re Tower always keep your awareness, raising 180 m high up behind the medieval Tower of London. Foster & Partners has been responsible for design and construction. Could the top flat be the home of Mr. James Bond?

The office tower, also called "Gherkin", bulges out slightly from its base. The aerodynamic design help to reduce wind load on the structure and turbulent wind on the surrounding plaza. Sorry, but the plaza was an empty rainy square, unfortunately I was there on monday, a Bank Holiday.

Torre Agbar, Avenguida Diagonal 211 near Glorias Catalanas in Barcelona, created by the famous architect Jean Nouvel, has about the same form, but surface and colour is different. The facade panels are made of 40 different colours. This skyscraper is 144 m high, not the highest in Barcelona. The building feature spectacular night illumination in yellow, blue, pink and red by 4,500 lights placed over the facade.

I walked into the building in july 2006, but was not allowed to enter the lift. In a newspaper I read that a man had succeded to climb the whole way up step by step outside the windows. The facade is covered by pieces of brie-solei, to the south photovoltaic plates generate electricity for the building. Nearby the surface look like this.