europe / originals

images of tall residential buildings in 1939



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

thumbnail
1. Torre Locatelli
Milan • IT • 67 m • 1939
thumbnail
2.   Ginzburg House
Kyiv • UA • 63 m • 1912 - 1941
thumbnail
3. Edificio Los Sótanos
Valencia • ES • 62 m • 1931
thumbnail
4. Gratte Ciel Est
Villeurbanne • FR • 61 m • 1934
thumbnail
4. Gratte Ciel Ouest
Villeurbanne • FR • 61 m • 1934
thumbnail
6. Résidence de la Cambre
Brussels • BE • 61 m • 1937
thumbnail
7. Tour Albert
Brussels • BE • 56 m • 1937
thumbnail
7. Tour Léopold
Brussels • BE • 56 m • 1937
thumbnail
9. Les Pavillons français
Brussels • BE • 55 m • 1934

Lumixbx via Wikimedia Commons
thumbnail
10. Drapacz Chmur
Katowice • PL • 53 m • 1934
thumbnail
11. Àrbori Palace
Fiume • IT • 53 m • 1939 - 1947
thumbnail
12. Hochhaus Herrengasse
Vienna • AT • 52 m • 1933
thumbnail
13. Palazzo Lancia
Bologna • IT • 50 m • 1937
thumbnail
14.   Queen Anne's Mansions
London • GB • 49 m • 1890 - 1971

RIBApix
thumbnail
15. Le Saillant de l'Yser
Brussels • BE • 47 m • 1930
thumbnail
16. 12-verdiepingenhuis
Amsterdam • NL • 47 m • 1932

Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed via Wikimedia Commons
thumbnail
17. Casa Alta
Trieste • IT • 47 m • 1937
thumbnail
18. Yusuf Ziya Pasha Mansion
Istanbul • TR • 46 m • 1911
thumbnail
19.   Fairy-Tale House
Saint Petersburg • RU • 45 m • 1909 - 1942
thumbnail
20. Residenza Bertola
Turin • IT • 45 m • 1930
thumbnail
21. House on the Embankment
Moscow • RU • 45 m • 1931

Ludvig14 via Wikimedia Commons
thumbnail
22. Obchodný a obytný dom Manderla
Bratislava • SK • 45 m • 1935
thumbnail
23. Casa della Fontana
Milan • IT • 44 m • 1936
thumbnail
24. Grattacieli Gemelli 1
Milan • IT • 43 m • 1923
thumbnail
24. Grattacieli Gemelli 2
Milan • IT • 43 m • 1923
thumbnail
26. Grattacielo di via Vittorio Veneto
La Spezia • IT • 43 m • 1927
thumbnail
27. Ungerpleinflat
Rotterdam • NL • 43 m • 1934 - 1965
thumbnail
28. Palazza Moderno
Bologna • IT • 43 m • 1935
thumbnail
29. Mali Neboder
Fiume • IT • 43 m • 1939 - 1947
thumbnail
30. Flatbuilding Willemspark
The Hague • NL • 42 m • 1931
thumbnail
31. Palazzi Federici
Rome • IT • 42 m • 1937
thumbnail
32. Nirnsee House
Moscow • RU • 41 m • 1915
thumbnail
33. Rascacielos de Collblanc
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat • ES • 41 m • 1932
thumbnail
34. Mosselprom House
Moscow • RU • 40 m • 1925

Gennady Grachev via Wikimedia Commons
thumbnail
Haus Rheinpark 1
Düsseldorf • DE • 38 m • 1929
thumbnail
Haus Rheinpark 2
Düsseldorf • DE • 38 m • 1929
thumbnail
Afremov House
Moscow • RU • 35 m • 1905

Bogunilia via Wikimedia Commons
thumbnail
Résidence Ernestine
Brussels • BE • 35 m • 1936
thumbnail
Palais du Congo
Brussels • BE • 32 m • 1930
thumbnail
Immeuble Cateland
Lyon • FR • 31 m • 1911
thumbnail
Hochhaus Glückauf
Hanover • DE • 31 m • 1927

Bernd Schwabe via Wikipedia Commons
thumbnail
Trinity Compound on Ilyinka
Moscow • RU • 30 m • 1876

Bogunilia via Wikimedia Commons
thumbnail
Flatgebouw Parklaan
Rotterdam • NL • 30 m • 1933
thumbnail
Prinz-Georg-Straße 100
Düsseldorf • DE • 29 m • 1925
thumbnail
Mathenesserplein
Rotterdam • NL • 28 m • 1929

Hanhil, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
thumbnail
Bergpolderflat
Rotterdam • NL • 27 m • 1934

Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed via Wikimedia Commons
thumbnail
Nirwanaflat
The Hague • NL • 25 m • 1929

M.Minderhoud, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons