Although skyscrapers provide more interior space than typical low-rise buildings on a given plot of land, they also cost more to significantly fortify them against the fierce natural forces of gravity, high winds, and earthquakes. In addition, a large core area is needed to accommodate elevators and building services systems. Construction of these buildings requires an extra cost premium because of their need for sophisticated foundations, structural systems to carry high wind loads, and high-tech mechanical, electrical, elevator, and fire-resistant systems. Undoubtedly, there are some inherent drawbacks of tall buildings from an economic point of view. In the wake of the collapse of the World Trade Center (WTC) towers in New York in September, 2001 some skeptics took a pessimistic view by calling skyscrapers “death traps” and hastily and unfairly predicted their demise. For these reasons some critics have viewed tall buildings as an undesirable display of extreme form of technological surge intruding upon the existing built environment that matches the human scale, and hence, an “urban evil” that reduces the quality and way of urban life. Tall buildings consume massive quantities of energy and require a high operational cost. They also influence the micro-environment by casting shadows and blocking views and sunlight. They exert significant demand on infrastructure and transportation systems, and affect the historic fabric while reshaping the city’s skyline. It concludes by projecting a vision of tall buildings and their integration into the cities of the 21st century.īecause of their enormous scale tall buildings demand extraordinary determination and endurance from many stakeholders including owners, developers, planners, architects, and engineers. The paper attempts to dispel any discernment about tall buildings as mere pieces of art and architecture by emphasizing their truly speculative, technological, sustainable, and evolving nature. Case studies of some recently built tall buildings are discussed to illustrate the nature of tall building development in their respective cities. The paper argues that as cities continue to expand horizontally, to safeguard against their reaching an eventual breaking point, the tall building as a building type is a possible solution by way of conquering vertical space through agglomeration and densification. Then, it provides a brief account of the historic and recent developments of tall buildings including their status during the current economic recession.

The foremost and fundamental question that is often asked: Why tall buildings? This review paper seeks to answer the question by laying out arguments against and for tall buildings. It conjures a number of valid questions in our minds.

It embodies unrelenting human aspirations to build even higher. The tall building is the most dominating symbol of the cities and a human-made marvel that defies gravity by reaching to the clouds.

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