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Taken from the Siam sky train station with the Siam Intercontinental Hotel in the foreground, the Baiyoke Tower, dominates the horizon until you compare it with the World Trade Center.

First occupied in 1970, the World Trade Center, here pasted into the background, stood about 417 meters tall (Kuala Lumpur's Petronas twin towers are 452 meters tall). The Baiyoke Tower, completed in 1998, is 309 meters tall.

The beauty and dignity of the WTC had captured the world's imagination long before the September 11 tragedy. The architect who designed it, Monoru Yamasaki, put it eloquently, “The World Trade Center should because of its importance, become a living representation of man's belief in humanity, his need for individual dignity, his belief in the cooperation of men, and through this cooperation his ability to find greatness.”

Bangkok residents didn't wince when whatever dignity the Baiyoke Tower had became sacrificed (top picture) to an advertisement for cell phones.

The World Trade Center was framed by an large courtyard. The Baiyoke Tower is in the middle of, and dedicates three floors to, Bangkok's discount clothing markets.

 

For more on the WTC's architecture and the source of my pictures of the WTC go to http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/World_Trade_Center.htm

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