BUILDING HEIGHTS.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20172, 26 February 1931, Page 4

BUILDING HEIGHTS.

F f S,'fSf 7 A ', I rv~ 1 ' " .' *'! A. .report has just' been delivered to ''tlte Minister fbf Health, Mr, Arthur Greenwood, deploring the present buildhamper London's «ay»< an architect in an English exchange. It has always seemed amazing -to visitors that London 'a although ■ much taller than fthefft never rise more-than -l&O;^-f cot; While cither countries have buildings, tone and ten .times as* high. «;;9?he - Apt controlling the erection of buildings in London does, not allow them toThe higher,than 80 feet*without the roof. > The L.<3>o. enforces -this Act, and although .permission is sometimes given lor ft-120 feet limit, a flm iw Piccadilly was forbidden to use the top floor of its offices because it exceeded this' height. Of course, the reasons given-against tfo, erection "of-high" buildings are very sound.' Mr.Topham Forest, architect to the' London County Council, maintains .that, geographically, London ,is quite unsuited to skyscrapers. The sun over London rat noon is comparatively mucl) lower thanit is over, New York. Conse,'quently7',tall buildings m New York nl low. the- sun's rays ,to* right down into every thoroughfare, whereas in London they would completely shut out' the light from flome areas and -throw streets into perpetual shadow. ■ Agaiq, tie earth underneath London is 1 already considerably weakened by its honeycomb of tunpels,,while the soil'it- > 4el£\is';offaKsbft,paturey quite unsuitgd the building of skyscrapers, Nevertheless,. there .still remains, op-' , portunity fox developing London's buildI inm, .'these difficulties. - There are, in London, several sites 'suitable btfilflings without interfering^.,•vd.th -either the sun's light Wt&ncient lights. 'Skyscrapers, beyond*. tb6ir business facilities are' ateo extrijmely useful as fiats. , There, is no* in 'the world where workers have to travel so far to their work .as they do In 'London! - buildings of impressive stature scattered here and Ithere .throughout Xp,ndoft / woitid ►grqat ly impro Wyboth [itß beftiity and its f acili-, tie's.'> And it is-'posSible, .• i . .. - J ; The"white poplar is''• the best of' natural lightwng rods. In*son*e Rhs~ siaa villages every house has its pop-' tp-. gavft-tbc iibuse from