Almost as soon as people began building skyscrapers back in the 1880s, they noticed that tall buildings blocked the sun. They made the streets dark and gloomy. Chicago, the birthplace of the skyscraper, was the first city to pass laws that restricted how tall buildings could be. Then, in 1915, the 39-story Equitable Building went up in New York City. It was so huge its shadow was four blocks long!
When people complained, city officials decided that
really tall buildings had to have a stepped appearance
like a staircase. The steps, called setbacks, let more
sunshine through. This is why the Empire State Building,
built in 1931, is designed the way it is. It starts with a
short squat base, then has a couple of short setbacks
under the tall main tower. On top of that are a few more
short setbacks under the building's pointed spire.
What You Do
Stack and tape different size boxes on top of each other as high as you can go to make a setback skyscraper like the Empire State Building. If you want, you can paint your skyscraper and use a black marker to draw windows and doors.
Try It!
Setbacks do something surprising. They make the top of the skyscraper seem further away and the whole building taller than it really is. When your scraper's finished, lie down next to it and look up. Does it seem taller than it is?
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Individual activities on this site may be printed for use at home or by a teacher for use in a single classroom.
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