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Askyline is theoutline orshape viewed near thehorizon. It can be created by acity's overall structure, or by human intervention in arural setting, or in nature that is formed where the sky meets buildings or the land.
City skylines serve as a pseudo-fingerprint as no two skylines are alike. For this reason, news and sports programs, television shows, and movies often display the skyline of a city to set a location. The termThe Sky Line ofNew York City was introduced in 1896, when it was the title of a colorlithograph byCharles Graham for the color supplement of theNew York Journal.[1] Paul D. Spreiregen,FAIA, has called a [city] skyline "a physical representation [of a city's] facts of life ... a potential work of art ... its collective vista."[2]
High-rise buildings, includingskyscrapers, are the fundamental feature ofurban skylines.[3][4] Bothcontours andcladding (brick or glass) make an impact on the overall appearance of a skyline.
Towers from differenteras make for contrasting skylines.
San Gimignano, inTuscany, Italy, has been described as having an "unforgettable skyline" with its competitively built towers.[5]
Some remote locations have notably striking skylines, created either by nature or by sparse human settlement in an environment not conducive to housing significant populations.
Skylines are often used asbackgrounds andestablishing shots in film, television programs, news websites, and in other forms of media.
Skylines may be ranked based on subjective criteria. Skylines are often ranked by height and size, such as by the number of buildings taller than a certain height. The articlelist of cities with the most skyscrapers ranks cities based on the number of skyscrapers that are taller than 150 metres (490 ft).
Emporis was one such service, which used height and other data to give point values to buildings and added them together for skylines. The three cities it ranked highest in 2012 wereHong Kong,New York City, andSingapore.[6]
When Charles Graham's view of New York was published, the new term used in the title, "sky line," caught on immediately.
geographers have tended to neglect the substantial impact of skyscrapers on urban life.
