Groundscraper
Encyclopedia
Groundscraper is a late 20th-century neologism for a large building that is only around a dozen stories high but which greatly extends horizontally. It is thus a skyscraper
that is close to the ground.
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
that is close to the ground.
Definition
MSN Encarta defines groundscraper as:"a large low or medium-rise building, typically containing offices, that spreads horizontally and occupies a large amount of land"
Examples
- Swiss bank UBS is planning the largest office building in the City of London; the design of 5 Broadgate has been labelled a groundscraper.
- China VankeChina VankeVanke is the largest residential real estate developer in the People’s Republic of China. It is engaged in developing, managing and selling of the properties across 20 cities in Pearl River Delta, Yangtze River Delta and Bohai-Rim Region, with the provision of investment trading, consultancy...
headquarters in ShenzhenShenzhenShenzhen is a major city in the south of Southern China's Guangdong Province, situated immediately north of Hong Kong. The area became China's first—and one of the most successful—Special Economic Zones...
is as large as the Empire State BuildingEmpire State BuildingThe Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
, but is laid out horizontally and 5 stories above ground level. A park occupies the space below.