bennessb
editor at large
Share your fun facts, pet projects, and blind items for consideration in our daily trivia feature. Ok, maybe not blind items.
|
|
|
- Thread starter bennessb
- Start date
bennessb
editor at large
This week's trivia is about weird inconsistencies in building heights by storey number. We are now accepting new architectural mysteries to solve.
bennessb
editor at large
Trivia checkin! This week we look at the Miami-Dade County Courthouse.
towerpower123
Senior Member
The center of Prague was elevated by one story to deal with flooding concerns from a river that was used as a sewer. Near the Old Town Square, there are a number of underground corridors that access what used to be the streetfront retail spaces. The current spaces in existing buildings were once the second floor. It was done hundreds of years ago, so most buildings are newer than the street raising.
Florence, Italy used to have at least a hundred medieval tower houses similar to the famous nearby San Gimigiano, but most were removed and replaced by apartments and townhouses several centuries ago. 5 or 6 remain. The city also has the Vasari corridor, which connects two palaces (administrative and residential) across the Ponte Vecchio and around the Uffizi Gallery. Part of this corridor wraps around the outside of one of the few remaining tower houses as its owners refused to sell. The corridor, one of the earliest examples of a pedestrian skyway system, was built because the ruler of the city at the time had an almost irrational fear of being attacked. The entire corridor still exists and part is accessible.
Newark, New Jersey has a subway. It runs for about a mile and is part of the Newark Light Rail line. It is the last remaining part of Newark's streetcar lines (couldn't run buses in a tunnel in 1950) and was built in the bed of the Morris Canal. Raymond Boulevard was built overtop of the canal bed, which created the subway. Washington Street Station still has signage for a Plane Street, as there was an inclined plane to drag boats up a concrete ramp along the edges of what is now NJIT's campus and after a bend, there were locks at what is now Lock Street, as well as many other places along it. The canal became useless once rail lines were built, particularly the Essex and Morris Line.
Florence, Italy used to have at least a hundred medieval tower houses similar to the famous nearby San Gimigiano, but most were removed and replaced by apartments and townhouses several centuries ago. 5 or 6 remain. The city also has the Vasari corridor, which connects two palaces (administrative and residential) across the Ponte Vecchio and around the Uffizi Gallery. Part of this corridor wraps around the outside of one of the few remaining tower houses as its owners refused to sell. The corridor, one of the earliest examples of a pedestrian skyway system, was built because the ruler of the city at the time had an almost irrational fear of being attacked. The entire corridor still exists and part is accessible.
Newark, New Jersey has a subway. It runs for about a mile and is part of the Newark Light Rail line. It is the last remaining part of Newark's streetcar lines (couldn't run buses in a tunnel in 1950) and was built in the bed of the Morris Canal. Raymond Boulevard was built overtop of the canal bed, which created the subway. Washington Street Station still has signage for a Plane Street, as there was an inclined plane to drag boats up a concrete ramp along the edges of what is now NJIT's campus and after a bend, there were locks at what is now Lock Street, as well as many other places along it. The canal became useless once rail lines were built, particularly the Essex and Morris Line.
bennessb
editor at large
thanks @towerpower123, these are awesome tips! City-raising is so common and so invisible somehow.
Davidackerman
Active Member
Inventor of the mobile crane
The foundation of the Group
The invention of the tower crane is synonymous with the birth of the Liebherr company. Within the first decade, the small construction firm develops into a well-established manufacturer of construction machinery and many other technologically sophisticated products.
In 1949, the mobile tower crane is invented
In post-war Germany, many parts of the country need to be rebuilt. Hans Liebherr manages his parents' building firm in South Germany. He recognizes the need for tools and machinery for the building industry and domestic construction. Together with design engineers and tradesmen, he develops the first mobile tower crane in 1949. The TK 10 can be transported easily and is simple to set-up at the construction site. It is also the first product of the Hans Liebherr Maschinenfabrik (engineering works), founded in 1949 in Kirchdorf. As successor models follow, crane production at Liebherr picks up pace and the construction company turns into a manufacturer of construction machines.
The foundation of the Group
The invention of the tower crane is synonymous with the birth of the Liebherr company. Within the first decade, the small construction firm develops into a well-established manufacturer of construction machinery and many other technologically sophisticated products.
-
Boundary-bursting success
Liebherr cranes in 1956 being used on a construction site in Rotterdam
Transportation and erection of TK 3.6
The successor model of the first Liebherr tower crane is introduced in 1950.
Mobile deployment
The tower crane speeds up and simplifies restructuring of Germany following 1949.
-
Boundary-bursting success
Liebherr cranes in 1956 being used on a construction site in Rotterdam
-
Transportation and erection of TK 3.6
The successor model of the first Liebherr tower crane is introduced in 1950.
In 1949, the mobile tower crane is invented
In post-war Germany, many parts of the country need to be rebuilt. Hans Liebherr manages his parents' building firm in South Germany. He recognizes the need for tools and machinery for the building industry and domestic construction. Together with design engineers and tradesmen, he develops the first mobile tower crane in 1949. The TK 10 can be transported easily and is simple to set-up at the construction site. It is also the first product of the Hans Liebherr Maschinenfabrik (engineering works), founded in 1949 in Kirchdorf. As successor models follow, crane production at Liebherr picks up pace and the construction company turns into a manufacturer of construction machines.