Cities featuring a large number of skyscrapers dominate most "Best Skyline" lists. Photographer and urban planner Luigi Di Serio calls this aspect the "Visual Vertical Impact Index." The more skyscrapers set in a pleasing array in a condensed location, the better the skyline. Not everyone shares this general concern, and the old world charm of many skyscraper-less skylines appear high on the list of CNN contributor Winnie So. Paris, for instance, still abides by a long-standing rule against buildings above 37 meters in its principal arrondissements (districts). However, its skyline features the Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower and Gothic beauty of the Notre Dame Cathedral and competes well against Chicago's 19 200 meter-plus towers.
"Best Skyline" judges rely on a few quantitative criteria to determine which city yields the most interesting view. Height is one criterion. In compiling their list, physicist Egbert Gramsbergen and architect Paul Kazmierczak counted the number of buildings over 90 meters. No surprise that Hong Kong tops their ranking, as it boasts more than 3,000 structures of such stature. Di Serio also looks at the number of marvels a city contains, which counts buildings more than 200 meters in height, such as the Empire State Building's spire, which soars to more than 440 meters.
Judges also use qualitative criteria to pick the cities with the best skylines. When CNN's So compiled her "Top 20 City Skylines," she employed two qualitative criteria. In asking what makes a city skyline "iconic," she looked at how the separate buildings fit together to form a "recognizable silhouette against the sky." Photographer Di Serio defined this feature as the "fingerprint" of a city that distinguished it from any other metropolis. So also awarded points based on a city's beauty, which consists of its timeless appeal, aesthetic balance and how it accentuates life in the city. Di Serio's beauty ranking also accounted for geography and surroundings. For instance, the shorter, though densely clustered buildings of Rio de Janeiro adorn the white sands of the Copacabana beach, which explains the city's inclusion on many "Best Skyline" lists. A city that boasts many bridges, such as New York or Sydney, Australia, also scores points for beauty.
The above criteria yield a few standouts. Hong Kong ranks first for So, Di Serio and Gramsbergen and Kazmierczak. Forty-three of its skyscrapers surpass the 200-meter "marvel" boundary and offer vistas that look out over the Sea of China. Asia also affords the harmonious balance of verdant parks and glass and steel seen in Singapore's skyline. Newcomer Dubai, United Arab Emirates, has added several 200-meter marvels since 1999, making many judges revise their older lists. America and Europe still retain a number of top spots. European cities such as Frankfurt, Germany blend modern construction into centuries-old neighborhoods, and American cities accentuate their tower-heavy metropolises with landmarks such as the Space Needle in Seattle, Washington.
