europe / originals

images of tall office buildings in 1909



this collection includes buildings of least 40 meters tall that were completed before 1945. Buildings that are shorter than 40 meters but possess skyscraperesque features are included in this list, though they are not ranked

giraffes
during this period, a significant number of 'giraffe' buildings were constructed. A giraffe is defined as a low-rise building with a tower integrated into its design. To qualify for inclusion in this collection, the tower section must have habitable floors occupying more than fifty percent of its total height

color codes
  later reconstructed      later demolished

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1. Tower Building
Liverpool • GB • 46 m • 1908

Derek Harper via Wikimedia Commons
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2. City Chambers
Edinburgh • GB • 42 m • 1760
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3. Witte Huis
Rotterdam • NL • 42 m • 1898
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4. Narva-Turm
Berlin • DE • 40 m • 1909
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Gebouw Astoria
Amsterdam • NL • 37 m • 1905

Jvhertum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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Lietuvos geležinkeliai
Vilnius • LT • 36 m • 1903
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De Utrecht
Amsterdam • NL • 35 m • 1906
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  Casa Lancia
Milan • IT • 30 m • 1907 - 1937
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Oriel Chambers
Liverpool • GB • 21 m • 1864