▁S inger ▁Building ▁and ▁the ▁Metropolitan ▁Life ▁In sur ance ▁Company ▁Tower , ▁were ▁launched ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁before ▁the ▁pan ic ▁and ▁completed ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 8 ▁and ▁ 1 9 0 9 , ▁respectively . ▁Met ▁Life ▁remained ▁the ▁world ' s ▁tall est ▁building ▁until ▁ 1 9 1 3 . ▁Another ▁string ▁of ▁super t all ▁to wers ▁– ▁ 4 0 ▁Wall ▁Street , ▁the ▁Ch rys ler ▁Building , ▁the ▁Empire ▁State ▁Building ▁– ▁was ▁launched ▁shortly ▁before ▁the ▁Wall ▁Street ▁Cr ash ▁of ▁ 1 9 2 9 . ▁ ▁The ▁next ▁record ▁hold ers , ▁the ▁World ▁Trade ▁Center ▁to wers ▁and ▁the ▁S ears ▁Tower , ▁opened ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 3 – 1 9 7 4 ▁stock ▁market ▁crash ▁and ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 3 ▁oil ▁crisis . ▁The ▁last ▁example ▁available ▁to ▁Lawrence , ▁the ▁Pet ron as ▁T win ▁Tow ers , ▁opened ▁in ▁the ▁w ake ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁Asian ▁Fin an cial ▁Cris is ▁and ▁held ▁the ▁world ▁height ▁record ▁for ▁five ▁years . ▁Lawrence ▁linked ▁the ▁phenomen on ▁to ▁over in vest ment , ▁spec ulation , ▁and ▁mon et ary ▁expansion ▁but ▁did ▁not ▁elaborate ▁on ▁these ▁underlying ▁issues . ▁The ▁concept ▁was ▁rev ived ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁when ▁Fort une ▁war ily ▁observed ▁five ▁media ▁corpor ations ▁invest ing ▁in ▁new ▁sk ys c rap ers