[bregma]

> We as a species have only ever voluntarily demolished like 30 or so building above 35 stories because it’s insanely expensive to do so

The designed lifetime of yer typical neopostmodernist glass box office tower is about 25 years. Many of them are 50 years old at this point. They get torn down and replaced all the time.

[RC_ITR]

> The designed lifetime of yer typical neopostmodernist glass box office tower is about 25 years. Many of them are 50 years old at this point. They get torn down and replaced all the time.

I mean, can you provide a list of all these 1973 high rises that are being torn down (and the commentary that they were built to be torn down in 1998)?

I’d be really interested to see that, because any steel building frame should be more durable than that, so I’m curious what these buildings are made out of.

[bobthepanda]

These days buildings are most likely cantilevered from one or more concrete cores rather than steel frame.

Rebar is a bit trickier than just plain steel.

Also, the thing is that any type of conversion most likely triggers building code updates rather than being grandfathered in, at which point for a building 50+ years old there’s probably either lead or asbestos.

[steveBK123]

I think you are confusing wood frame homes with concrete, steel and glass.

One is far more durable than the other.