Proliferation of the Tallest Building Syndrome: From Global to Local

N. Naz

Department of Architecture, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore

Abstract

Since the dawn of human history, man has been striving hard to build high in order to make his mark on the world. Towers, pyramids, obelisks, cathedral’s steeples etc. are perhaps the earliest architectural statements of the human urge to reach to the sky. From the late 18th century, the Industrial Revolution brought drastic improvements in iron manufacturing and construction. William Le Baron Jenney, an American Engineer and architect, development of load-bearing steel frame, which led to the " skeleton" form of construction made possible variety of in the later years. His Home Insurance Company Building, in Chicago constructed in 1885 was the first one to employ the frame structure. This revolutionized urban life because in higher buildings greater number of people could have been accommodated in limited areas. Over the time, in being home to the worlds’ tallest building has become a major issue on the political agenda of many countries because of the stigma of economic prosperity and superiority attached to it. USA dominated the race for the title of the tallest building in the world during the first 90 years of 20th century. Malaysia acclaimed the title of housing the tallest building of the world in 1996 but soon after, Taiwan proclaimed the title in 2004. The futuristic contender is Dubai, UAE, where Burj Dubai is supposed to reach well over 2, 000 feet by the time it is completed in 2008. It seems that the story of the tallest buildings has no end and sky has become the limit. As it has become an icon of superiority therefore, tower blocks are soaring into South Asian countries regardless of their compatibility within the local context and Pakistan is no exception. Though, tall buildings are visually fascinating, but the horrified images of 9/11 has brought into focus scale of damage caused by such buildings during emergency. 10/8 earthquake in Pakistan brought another shock to the world and feasibility of high-rise buildings was slammed at the local level. The author’s felt obliged to unfold socio-political forces behind high-rise construction leading to in the West. As a first step, design philosophy of masterminds, rotation of titles, and psychophysical affects on human beings would be explored rather than tall buildings as single finished objects and how the other countries along with Pakistan joined the race and adapted these factors? Documentary resources, internet search, informal discussions with local professionals and personal probing constitutes major content of the research. Based on above, a separate research with special reference to major cities of Pakistan will be carried out. The author is convinced that such analysis would be beneficial in creating awareness among local architects, planners, builders and policy makers, in determining their future direction.

Key words: High-rise; Skyscraper; World Contenders; Economic prosperity; Human Aspects

We are convinced that the age of skyscrapers is at Triumphal arches. These structures shared in an end. It must now be considered an experimental command of height symbolizing pre-eminence building typology that has failed. We predict that of man’s communion with God, his engineering no new mega-towers will be built, and existing skill, power, wealth, his superiority above others ones are destined to be dismantled [1]. etc. Previously, to bear the enormous weight of James H. Kunstler & Nikos A. Salingaros the upper levels of tall buildings, the walls at ground level had to be thickened making it 1. Introduction impractical to build beyond certain limits. The Throughout history of architecture, there has Industrial revolution redefined these limits due been a continual quest to build high. The effort to the invention of new materials, technology to create something awe-inspiring resulted in a and construction methods which made possible variety of architectural forms. At times mankind to build wider and higher than ever before. built Egyptian pyramids, Greek temples, Roman Where monumental height once honored gods

Corresponding Author: N. Naz ([email protected]) Proliferation of The Tallest Building Syndrome: From Global to Local and kings it now glorifies corporations. It has steel skeleton, provided with high-speed electric become an icon of superiority, civic pride and it , and combining extraordinary height is hard to imagine urban landscape without with ordinary room-spaces, such as would be them. This has become one of the most found in low buildings [5]. Some structural competitive contests in construction and the engineers define a skyscraper as any vertical "world's tallest" title passes regularly from construction for which wind is a more skyscraper to skyscraper and country to country. significant load factor than weight or any As skyscrapers illustrate their significance not superstructure tower in which static and only in architectural history, but also as a dynamic forces are transferred directly to the reflection of mankind’s most demanding and foundations exclusively via a rigid or semi-rigid optimistic urges so tracing the evolution of these frame [6]. Now, all of these are not commercial magnificent structures is imperative. enterprises and multi-use mixes such as housing and institutional uses can be well fitted into 1.1 Popular Meaning of “High-rise” and these structures. “Skyscraper” The connotative meanings of skyscraper suggest Terms “high-rise” and “skyscraper” are used that it is more than merely a superstructure. For simultaneously to describe tall multi-storey the Modernists, these are “pyramids in steel and buildings however, while a skyscraper may stock”, “vertical city”, “machine that makes the always be a tall building, but the reverse is not land pay”, “symbol of triumph”, “Vertical necessarily true. Thus, all skyscrapers are high- expression of corporate power”, “topless tower rises, but only the tallest high-rises are of trade” etc. However, the traditionalists as a skyscrapers. The somewhat arbitrary term high- matter of reproachment associate them with rise should not be confused with the slightly less “cigar boxes”, “a phallic symbol”, “symbol of arbitrary term skyscraper. There is no precise arrogance”, “sky-scratchers”, “fly-scrapers”, definition of how many stories or what heights “monsters”, “crowd-breeders”, “publicity- make a building skyscraper. But it is widely getter”, etc. The horrified images of toppling accepted that high-rise building is defined as “a down of World Trade Twin Towers and the building having many stories; sufficiently tall so mega scale of destruction have altered people’s the use of an is essential” [2]. In terms perception towards these structures. of height bound a building which is 35 meters (115 ft.) or greater in height, and is divided at 1.2 Contributing Factors regular intervals into occupiable floors [3]. Skyscraper was the product of the American Today the term ‘high-rise’ is used to describe environment where wealth, power, influence, tall buildings with more than 9 stories and ego flourished. It symbolized a man with exclusively enclosed and residential [4]. unbounded energy, resources, technology and Originally, "skyscraper" was a nautical term for freedom could create. Architects, and the a tall mast or sail on a sailing ship. Cambridge owners who financed them, invested their lives Advanced and Learners Dictionary describe it as in these buildings, knowing their creations a ‘very tall modern building usually in a city’. would stand long after the builders had gone. Around 1890, the term ‘skyscraper’ was first Stirred by the rivalry between architects and used to describe multi-storey office buildings business tycoons obsessed with farthest, fastest, being built in Chicago and New York as they and tallest produced these structural marvels. seem like soaring into the sky. By the advent of The most mentionable are Isaac Merrit Singer, World War 1, the term is used exclusively to Frank Woolworth, Walter Chrysler, Alfred E. refer to a tall habitable building with floors, Smith, Sears, David Rockefeller etc (Figure. 1). usually higher than 150 metres (500 ft.). A After the First World War, the of skyscraper taller than 305 meters (1,000 feet) America was ranked as the mightiest economic may sometimes be referred to as a supertall. The and financial power hence, a fresh picture of life habitability criteria (residential, business, or emerged [7]. The golden boom of the real estate manufacturing purposes) separates skyscrapers businesses (banking, insurance and law firms from towers. As the word "tall" is subjective, etc.) in the downtown areas of great cities of "skyscraper" has quite different definitions to Chicago and New York, was in the air and architects and engineers. Generally, it is defined expansion of the office market accelerated at a as a multi-storey steel building constructed on a dizzying pace. Fashion designers, advertisers,

85 Pak. J. Engg. & Appl. Sci. Vol. 1 July 2007 publishers, writers, aviators, painters, architects, • Advanced in-door lighting, ventilation and and businessmen gave the spirit expressions cleaning technologies. never before seen or heard or read. The decade was best described by the New York state motto These scientific advancements coupled with “Excelsior”, means reaching upward to higher functional requirements, land-use regulations, goals and a boy in Muncie, Indiana, who when building codes, role of architects, and engineers asked by his Sunday school teacher to “think of became the major determinants essential to any temptation we have today that Jesus didn’t skyscraper evolution. Four significant phases of have” answered “speed” [7]. American dreams, skyscraper design may be classified as the power and urban buildings rose to spectacular functional (1880 -1920), the eclectic (1920 - heights as a prestige value: the higher the 1950), the modern (1950 -1970) and the post- grandeur. Willis (1995) argues that architecture Modern (1970 onward) [10]. The post-World was reduced merely to business and buildings to World II era saw the advent of modern machines that make the land pay the taller the skyscrapers and international style began to take building, the more money to be earned from the hold in the 1950s. They subsumed several same parcel of land. forms: unadorned rectangular boxes, centralized, staggered, sky cakes etc. Starting Current American architecture is not a matter around the late 1970s, the postmodern of art, but of business. A building must pay or movement is a reaction against the stark there will be no investor ready with the money simplicity and austerity of the highly functional to meet its cost. This is at once the curse and skyscrapers of the Modernist era. The the glory of American architecture [8]. movement attempted to create new, distinct Many geographical, commercial and skyscrapers with their own unique, symbolic technological developments during last quarter identities. Sullivan article entitled “The tall of the 19th century contributed to its evolution. office building artistically considered” is the Geographically, the pressures of increased land- expression of his vision. He suggested that a tall values, urban accessibility, expanding urban building should be conceived as a “three part population, globalization of urban economies, sky column”: the base, the shaft, and the crest. and locational preferences of businesses made He formulated a theory to evolve its form as in the developing world under: inevitable. Commercially, it has evolved as a It must be tall, every inch of it tall. The force mechanism of wealth creating out of a small and power of altitude must be in it, the glory piece of scarce urban land source. For the and pride of exaltation must be in it. It must commercial developer, the higher the stacking, be every inch a proud and soaring thing, the higher the returns through rents derived from rising in sheer exultation that from bottom to one place. Technologically, the skyscraper is the top is a unit without a single dissenting line culmination of a number of structural and [11]. mechanical inventions [9]. 2. Evolution of Skyscraper • Development of steel reinforced concrete, glass. The skyscraper first emerged in the land-strapped • Structural frame/cage construction in the areas of Chicago, and Manhattan, New 1890s with wind bracing. York, toward the end of the 19th century. The • New methods of making piling and Great Chicago Fire in 1871 was the beginning of foundations. a new metropolis, much greater than it could • Perfection of High-speed elevator after 1887 have ever become if the horrific fire had never and water pumps. happened at all. Chicago shaken and stunned by • Air-conditioning systems. the fire but not dead; within days of the fire • Flush-toilets. rebuilding began on a grand scale. It soared from • Large pieces of glazing and window- the ashes like the fable phoenix and then passed framing. million mark in population five years • Advanced telecommunications and later. The vigor of the city’s rebirth amazed the electronics. rest of the nation and within three years, it once again dominated the western united states.

86 Proliferation of The Tallest Building Syndrome: From Global to Local

Isaac M. Singer (1811-1875) Singer Building (1908) 612 ft.

Frank W. Woolworth (1852-1919) Woolworth Building (1913) 792 ft.

Walter P. Chrysler (1875-1940) ( 1930) 1046 ft.

Contd….. Pak. J. Engg. & Appl. Sci. Vol. 1 July 2007

Alfred E. Smith (1873-1944 ) (1931) 1, 250 ft.

(Left)John D. Rockfeller 3rd. (1906-1978) Former World Trade Center (1972-2001) (Right) Nelson A. Rockfeller (1908-1979)

Richard W. Sears (1863-1914)

Alvah C. Roebuck (1864-1948) Sears Tower, Chicago (1969) 1450 ft. (Sears, Roebuck & Co.)

Figure 1: American Masterminds behind Early Skyscrapers

Proliferation of The Tallest Building Syndrome: From Global to Local

Figure 2a: Location of North & South & Figure 2b: Location of Manhattan, New York

It truly became a boomtown and home of many rectangular blocks of the 1811 Commissioner’s of the innovations that have resulted in the plan [8]. After code approval of steel cage modern high-rise office building. Chicago’s Loop construction (iron frame supported the floors and completely cleared by the Great Fire became an the masonry walls bore their own weight) in ideal place for the world’s greatest concentration 1889, in New York, office buildings regularly of high-rise buildings (Figure 2-a). William Le began to top sixteen and more stories. The island Baron Jenney (1832-1907) is considered by many is so narrow and its trade center so near one end, to be “fatther of skyscraper”. His office was a that the tendency of each trade is not only to well-known training ground for young architects, flock to one spot, but to crowd as near including Daniel H. Burnham, William Holabird, as possible, thus making the price of land down- Martin Roche, and Louis H. Sullivan etc [12]. town simply tremendous (Figure 2-b). Accordingly, the value of proximity in business His greatest impact was the innovative use of produced a spiral of increased land costs, structural steel which provided the opportunity premium rents, and taller buildings. to separate exterior building elements from supporting structure designed. His 10 storied 42 The tallest office building to the end of the 19th meters high (138 ft.) century, the Park Row Building in New York (demolished in 1931) is considered to be the was only 132 m (435 ft) high. Modern high- first one to embody the general characteristics of speed cable elevators, when introduced in 1900, greatly facilitated the construction. The prestige a modern skyscraper. After his accomplishment, and advertisement also played a role in the height quickly became a question of will and construction of Metropolitan Life Insurance money, rather than art or engineering. The Tower (1909); pushing the tower into 700 ft. subsequent erection in Chicago of a number of was clearly the competition to take the title of similar buildings made it the center of the early “world’s tallest” from the 612 ft. Singer skyscraper architecture. Fazlur Khan, a Building (1908), a monument to Isaac Merrit Bangladesh-born engineer who migrated here, Singer, the manufacturing genius of the sewing gave Chicago its distinctive landscape, machine. Then came Frank Woolworth, the including the John Hancock Building, and, five-and-dime store king, with 792 ft. tall Woolworth Building (1913) also known as eventually in the early 1970s the tallest in the “cathedral of commerce” to beat in the years United States, Sears Tower. ahead. At the heart of this race was a contest In New York, “the capital of capitalism”, three between the two prominent New York major factors combined to produce the city’s first architects: William Van Alen and Craig Severance, former friends and partners. They characteristic skyscraper form, the tower: high had split over artistic and business differences demand for commercial space, lack of regulation and then set out to imprint their individual of building height, and the historic mapping of marks to take New York skyline to Manhattan with its first colonial pattern of streets unprecedented heights; each would stop at and blocks, post-colonial skewed grids, and nothing to undo his rival. Pak. J. Engg. & Appl. Sci. Vol. 1 July 2007

Table 1: The 10 Tallest American Skyscrapers [47]

S. No. Building Place Year Height (M) Height (Ft.) No. of Floors 1 Sears Tower Chicago 1974 442 1450 110 Former World Trade Center New York 1972-73 417 1351 110 2 Empire State Building New York 1931 381 1250 102 3 Center Chicago 1973 346 1136 80 4 Chicago 1969 344 1127 100 5 Chrysler Building New York 1930 319 1046 77 6 Bank of America Plaza Atlanta 1992 312 1023 55 7 Library Tower Los Angles 1990 310 1018 75 8 AT&T Corporate Center Chicago 1989 307 1007 60 9 JP Morgan Huston 1982 305 1002 75 10 Chicago 1990 303 995 64

Bascomb (2003) describes that Walter Chrysler, the elevators that took them to the observatory an automobile giant, loved machines and deck and sated [I would like you to remember thought that with science and invention the you are eating higher up in the air than any world could reach some sort of apotheosis. human being has ever eaten. There may have Obsessed with the ego to have a taller building been loftier meals on mountain tops or in of a finer type of construction he told architect airplanes but not in buildings. This is the Van Alan to travel, study buildings in Western world’s record. At noon when Franklin cities, and examine their designs and use of Delano Roosevelt, Governor of New York, materials. “Improve upon them to the best of arrived by his black limousine, Smith stood up your ability…spare no effort or time” [7]. To to read a telegraph from the president give Chrysler the best, Van Alen could hire congratulating him on the completion of the whomever he needed, spend whatever he skyscraper and assuring that it would [long needed. But Chrysler fantastic 805 ft. tall remain one of the outstanding glories of a skyscraper, a place for his two sons to work, great city][7]. with steel sheathed tower completed in 1930 was dwarfed within a short span of one year. The World Trade Center in New York consisted The Empire State Building was completed in of 2 towers; one completed in 1972 and the 1931 and retained the title of “world tallest other completed in 1973 took over the title of building” for 41 years. Bascomb (2003) the tallest building in the world from the Empire describes that the ticket for the opening of the State Building. In 1969, Sears, American Empire State Building on May 1, 1931 was the midrange chain of international departmental most difficult invitation to get in town. stores, announced to build a new headquarter building in downtown Chicago. With the When the clock struck 11:30 A.M. Herbert completion of Sears Tower (442 m.) in 1974, Hoover, President of United States, in the title once again shifted to Chicago and held Washington, D.C., pressed a golden telegraph on for 24 years. Though New York held on the key wired to the Empire State, and the lights th title for most of the 20 century but presently, brightened throughout the skyscraper. The Chicago is housing the America’s tallest illumination revealed the large mural opposite building (Table 1). the Fifth Avenue entrance. On the dark marble wall the Empire State was outlined in strips of During late 20th century, a historic shift of stainless steel set over a map of the northeast economic boom took place in Asia triggered United States and bordering Canada…On the by an inexpensive labor, infusion of foreign eighty-sixth story tables and chairs were capital and the countries shift to free markets. spread across the observation floor for a Fast-growing Asian countries, Malaysia, celebratory lunch. Al smith waved his bowler China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, etc, propelled by hat to the guest to follow him to go around to their rapidly expanding economies, are now

90 Proliferation of The Tallest Building Syndrome: From Global to Local home to most of the tallest buildings in the still a mystery and purposeful one, as the world (Table 2). Eight of the top ten of the builders do not want to make it easier for their building on the list is found in Asia--with five record-setting construction to be surpassed. The in China, alone--and all were built in the last first South Asian country, India, is the next 15 years [13]. In 1998, 452 meter tall twin contender to claim the title in the next decade towers constructed in Kaula Lumpur, where record breaking skyscraper in Noida, Malaysia dwarfed the Sear Tower and became New Delhi, India is at a design stage. the champion of the “world’s tallest building”. According to the architect/contractor Hafeez, At the advent of 21st century, Taipei designed "We want this building to show to the world by C. Y. Lee & Partners, grabbed the title when what India can do." 508 meters tall was completed in The 710 meters tall (2, 330ft) skyscraper, is 2003 (Table 3). It has a further distinction of said to have been designed to resemble the being located in an area where the incidence peaks of the Himalayas and scheduled to be of earthquakes and high winds call for major open for business by 2013. It will contain a design innovations. 50-floor five-star hotel, a 40-storey glass Currently, the question of which is going to be atrium and 370,000 sq meters of shopping the world tallest building by the end of this centers" [14]. decade is generating a great deal of interest and excitement. The historic race to sky has no Kazakhstan, one of the top oil and gas producer limits and now UAE is struggling hard to win Central Asian State, is going to be among the this battle. The futuristic contender for the 50th industrial country of the world. height record: the Burj Tower in Dubai, UAE is Establishment of a new capital, Astana in 1997, under construction and supposed to reach well design by Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa over 2000 feet by the time of its completion in has become the most vibrant, cosmopolitan, 2008. Exactly how high it ultimately will be is western-styled city. [15]

Table 2: Number of tall buildings in different major cities of the world [48]

Sr. No. City Number of Tall Buildings 1. Hong Kong 7,548 2. New York 5,503 3. Sao Paulo 4,250 4. Singapore 3,711 5. Seoul 2,842 6. Tokyo 2,636 7. Rio de Janeiro 2,177 8. Istanbul 2,108 9. Toronto 1,655 10. Buenos Aires 1,540 11. Moscow 1,504 12. Kyiv 1,455 13. London 1,347 14. Madrid 1,164 15. Caracas 1,114 16. Chicago 1,051 17. Santiago 880 18. Beijing 848 19. Sydney 834 20. Shanghai 793

91 Pak. J. Engg. & Appl. Sci. Vol. 1 July 2007

Table 3: Top 20 Tallest Buildings of the World retrieved from [49]

No. of Height Height S. No Building Place Year Floors in M. in Ft. 1 Taipei 101 Taipei, Taiwan 2003 101 508 1667 2 1 & 2 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1998 88 452 1483 3 Sears Tower Chicago, U.S.A. 1974 110 442 1450 4 Jin Mao Building Shanghai, China 1999 88 421 1381 5 2 International Finance Hong Kong 2003 88 415 1362 Centre 6 CITIC Plaza Gouangzou, China 1996 80 391 1283 7 Shenzhen, China 1996 69 384 1260 8 Empire State Building New York, U.S.A. 1931 102 381 1250 9 Central Plaza Hong Kong 1992 78 374 1227 10 Bank of China Tower Hong Kong 1989 70 367 1205 11 Emirates Tower 1 Dubai, U.A.E. 1999 54 355 1165 12 Tuntex Sky Tower Kaohsiung, Taiwan 1997 85 348 1140 13 Chicago, U.S.A. 1973 80 346 1136 14 The Center Hong Kong 1998 73 346 1135 15 John Hancock center Chicago, U.S.A. 1969 100 344 1127 16 Shimao International Plaza Shanghai, China 2005 60 333 1093 17 Pyongyyang, N. Korea 1995 105 330 1083 18 , Gold Coast Australia 2005 78 323 1058 19 Hotel Dubai, U.A.E. 1999 60 321 1053 20 Chrysler Building New York, U.S.A. 1930 77 319 1046

The nation is using oil wealth into remaking its to boost the national income. Taipei architect Carl capital city into a gleaming modern metropolis Shen states that throughout Asia, ''there has been housing world tallest skyscrapers in the time to no compunction about tearing down old buildings come. At a ground-breaking ceremony for the to make way for development'' [19]. Pakistan is no U.S. embassy in 2004, then-Ambassador Larry C. different; building by-laws are being revised to Napper said that "in the American Embassy, we gain more heights and major city roads being like to call this place the Field of Dreams” [16]. transformed from low-rise to high-rise sky line. Architects heartily embrace the challenges of 3. Pakistan Scenario building tall structures. Pakistan is the third fastest growing major economy country after China and India in Asia History of the tall buildings in Pakistan is not [17]. The country is far behind the global race of very old and goes back to the construction of first skyscraper but gaining impetus by her growing high-rise building, Habib Bank Plaza 311 ft. high economy. President of Pakistan, General Pervez in 1963 on I. I. Chundrigar Road, Karachi. It Musharraf, at the groundbreaking ceremony of the enjoyed the title of the “tallest building of South development and rehabilitation of Mai Kolachi Asia” for a decade and the “tallest building of and M.A. Jinnah Roads said that "We have to Pakistan” for more than 40 years. Muslim project that Pakistan is a big country. We are on Commercial Bank (MCB) 350 ft. high Tower the rise, we are moving ahead. We are a forward constructed on the same road surpassed it in early moving dynamic nation." [18]. He announced that 2005 (Figure 3: a, b). So far, no high-rise Karachi Port Tower (KPT) to be constructed on building in Pakistan exceeds the limit of Park artificial islands with 1,947 ft. would be among Row Building in New York (435 ft.) built in one of the 10 tallest buildings in the world. 1899 but the urge to achieve record-breaking Concept behind this tower is to portray the new height is on the escalation. It has become a vision, strength and unity of the nation. In recent popular political jargon and the news to construct years, there has been a rash of high-rise buildings the skyscraper makes and news such as “city to

92 Proliferation of The Tallest Building Syndrome: From Global to Local

Figure 3a: Habib Bank Limited, Karacahi Figure 3b: Muslim Commercial Bank, Karachi have tallest building”, “Skyscraper allowed” and substandard building materials by make headlines in the newspapers. Lahore contractors is a matter of common practice. District Nazim Mian Amir Mehmood approval Incidents of fire eruption due to short-circuiting to construct a 40-storey LDA complex (412 ft. have become a common scene. Pace high) is still controversial. 55 storeys Sheikh Departmental Store, Al Fateh Store and H. Zayed Trade Centre approved by the Punjab Karim Buksh departmental store suffered from Chief Minister, Ch. Pervaiz Elahi, is under fire in 2001, 2004 and 2005 respectively. There construction near Kalma Chowk, Ferozepur is a severe public reaction and petitions are road, Lahore. Many other proposals for the made in the courts against the illegal towers and skyscrapers are currently in line for construction of commercial plazas but the approval. builders and building inspectors most of time find an easy escape. G.M. Baltistani in a letter to Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad are expanding at the Editor writes: an unprecedented rate and real estate has become a major pastime of those in power. It is “I have serious reservations about the commonly known that in the building industry proposal to construct some 50 high-rise corruption is deeply rooted than in any other buildings in Islamabad along the Blue Area sector. This reputation does not stem from a lack extension in F-8 and G-8. The capital’s of building codes and zoning laws, but from topography is unique because of the Margalla builders who profit from bypassing codes. hills and this unique natural feature has made According to Roland, over 200 high-rise Islamabad to be known as one of the most buildings erected between 1995 and 2000 do not scenic capitals in the world. The amazing comply with codes. [20] Builders tamper with Margala hills can easily be seen even from approved plans of commercial plazas and get Rawalpindi city. The construction of high-rise approved through illegal gratification. Cowasjee buildings along the Blue area will simply (1999) with special reference to Karachi block the view, apart from spoiling the overall Building Control Authority (KBCA) and image and skyline of Islamabad”[22] Cantonment Boards points out that none of these authorities makes any attempt to exercise any The catastrophic earthquake on Oct. 8, 2005 in building control and, with rare exceptions, their the Northern areas of Pakistan brought to the officers and staff, from top to bottom, are surface latent state of affairs in connection with corrupt and purchasable [21]. Use of effective the building practices and ability to meet with

93 Pak. J. Engg. & Appl. Sci. Vol. 1 July 2007 natural or man-struck disasters. The collapse of Construction crews need elaborate cranes and 12 story Margala Tower in the capital city, pumping systems to get materials and concrete Islamabad, has raised a number of questions up to the top levels. All told, putting one of about the safety and construction quality of these buildings up could easily cost tens of upcoming high-rise projects. Firstly, It became billions of dollars [25]. visible that the quality of workforce and supervision of high-rise buildings by the Whether modern man would be able to actually authorities is non-existent as wells as defective get there is another question. But despite the system of the institutions dealing with chaos generated by these superstructures, emergencies. Secondly, violation of guidelines experts being obsessed with pride argue that we given by Doxiades, planner of Islamabad, not to might be compelled to build farther upward in construct buildings higher than five storeys for the future, simply to conserve land. They are of seismic considerations [23]. In the light of the view that skyscraper cities would also be national tragedy, Dr Ijaz Painter, painter, teacher very convenient as more businesses can be and conservationist, vigorously opposed the idea clustered together in a city, reducing commuting of 40 story LDA Complex in Lahore and stated: time.

"They take high-rise buildings as a symbol of 4. Establishment of Tall Building Councils & economic prosperity irrespective of the state Museum

of their other economic indicators. Even in the The topic of the highest building in the world is developed world, high-rise buildings are not one of great controversy. Many towers claim the constructed by choice. Instead, they are title, and many cities quarrel about who houses planned to overcome constraints of space. But the tallest building in the world. To resolve the here in Lahore we do not have any such controversy and other related issues “The constraints…it’s strange that the district Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat government has publicized its plan at a (CTBUH)” was founded at Lehigh University in moment when the horrific images of Margalla 1969 and moved to the Illinois Institute of Towers falling to the ground are still fresh in Technology in 2003. Although its stated mission our memories. It's strange they have not learnt is to study and report "on all aspects of the any lesson from the historic tragedy that has planning, design, and construction of tall hit us recently” [24]. buildings," it is best known to the general public

By all accounts, globally the skyscraper race is for its compilation of the World's 100 Tallest Building rankings. The ranking of tall buildings far from over. There are more than 50 proposed was originally based on a building's height from buildings that would break the current record the sidewalk level of the main entrance to the [25]. Some of the more conservative structures architectural top of the building. In 1997, the are already in construction but the more Council decided on four factors to identify the ambitious buildings in the group are only tallest building: height to the structural top, theoretical at this time. According to some height to the highest floor, height to the top of engineering experts, the real limitation is the roof and height to the top of an antenna. In money, not technology. Experts are divided response to the rapid growth of tall buildings about how high we can really go in the near throughout Asia due to population pressures and future. Some say we could build a mile-high economic development “The Center for Asian Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CATBUH)” (5,280 ft, or 1,609 m) building with existing was established in 1997 in the Department of technology, while others say we would need to Civil Engineering at the University of Hong develop lighter, stronger materials, faster Kong. elevators and advanced sway dampers before these buildings were feasible. Future technology Event of 9/11 highlighted the need for integrated advances could conceivably lead to sky-high building systems to respond quickly emergency cities, many experts say housing a million situation to reduce the damage caused. people or more. Conference on “Building for the 21st Century: Technology, Livability and Productivity” held Super tall buildings would require extremely in London in December 2001 was the first sturdy materials deep, fortified bases. global conference in the building industry. One

94 Proliferation of The Tallest Building Syndrome: From Global to Local of the important findings of the Task Force was and technique and agreed about the need for that we needed more public education on how analyzing both subjective and objective data. buildings work and what can be done, from the There is clearly no consensus on methodological perspective of the building's occupants and problems nor on techniques for their resolution. owners, to make buildings safer [26]. Another Hence, it is not surprising that current research platform which brings together international may be lacking in those qualities that would experts in the field of tall building design, systematically advance our knowledge. This construction and management was founded in has serious implications for policy and design 2004 titled as “Tall Buildings Teaching and decisions [28]. Research Group” at the University of Nottingham’s Institute of Architecture. It was realized that these mega structures are a

To preserve America’s new building typology part of the urban system and intimately Skyscraper Museum (SM) was founded in 1996 concerned with the quality of complete life by Carol Willis, a professor of Urban Studies at system of our society. So planning and design of Columbia. The Museum relocated its tall buildings is concerned with much more than headquarters several times before finding safe and economical structure of the engineer, permanent home at the southern tip of Battery energy efficient systems, and esthetic solutions Park City in October 2003 and is located six by the architect. Dr. Thomas C. Kavanagh, blocks from the site of the former World Trade charter member of the Council's on Tall Center. The Museum is devoted to the study of Buildings and Urban Habitat, strongly urged the skyscrapers past, present, and future with the need to recognize the broader aspects of the focus to examine the historical forces and impact of high-rise buildings which, extends to individuals that have shaped its successive the surrounding communities and affects adjacent cities. skylines. It also explores tall buildings as objects of design, products of technology, sites It is a matter of evaluating the contribution of construction, investments in real estate, which the high-rise building makes to the places of work and residence through urban environment, its effects on the local exhibitions, lectures, programs and publications. community, regional life, on the land use and

5. Human Responses to Tall Buildings even space use, on the social and human factors, and the need for communications, The man’s proudest invention, received severe contact, choice, opportunity, and mobility criticism and setback within less than half of which underlies the very existence of cities century of its evolution. Many international [29]. award winning high-rise projects were pulled down due to the resulting degraded social Experts have been investigating human response environment. The experts started making to the impacts of tall buildings from four distinct investigations for the failure of symbols of groups: user, nonuser, developer, and planner. It economic pride and technology. A conference is ironic that each of the group uses a different entitled “Human Response to Tall Buildings” ordering of priorities in evaluating situations was sponsored in 1974 by the American concerning high-rise buildings. A developer will Institute of Architects in collaboration with the accentuate economic return, while a resident user Joint Committee on Tall Buildings [27]. The may feel that comfort and proximity to place of intent of the conference was to bring to the work are paramount. The resident nonusers, surface whatever empirically derived research however, may be most concerned by existed on this theme. The report presented neighborhood congestion. The impacts are most indicated areas of caution for the designers and conveniently categorized as economic, managers of tall buildings but refuted the notion environmental, political, social, and technological that all tall buildings are bad for all people in all [30]. Architects, engineers and developers major circumstances. However, David Cooperman concerns of economic, political and technological noted that research carried out by the scholars may apparently improve the cityscape for the from variety of social and design sciences which comparative minority. However, the social and attempts to test out arguments about social environmental impacts of their mega structures aspects of tall buildings and morbidity effects is for the majority of urban residents are fraught with problems in design, methodology, devastating. Appleyard & Fishman (1977) on

95 Pak. J. Engg. & Appl. Sci. Vol. 1 July 2007 their research have formulated the impacts as These buildings present the most fire safety under [31]: problems because of design changes, which

• Each city wishes to be unique, but high-rise include open air spaces, movable walls, modern buildings from city to city are increasingly furnishings and sealed windows to optimize the similar to each other. They are part of the effectiveness of central air-conditioning. All of trend towards homogenization of a world these design features contribute to the rapid spread of a fire after it has started. In addition culture. to the fire hazard, central air-conditioning ducts • Increased densities of people and motor provide an excellent smoke pathway [33]. vehicles generated by intensive development in a limited area. Hidden Professor Bryan Lawson considers life in tall effects of cumulative high-rise structures unnatural and states, “Living away development, vast consumption of energy, from the ground seems unnatural, and yet can be sharing of city resources etc. may be even quite exhilarating. We are above ‘the madding more severe. crowd’ and can observe without being • The role of high-rise buildings in the observed…but it remains impossible to wander symbolic disruption of a city’s image has in a skyscraper and thus it is the interior been an increasing source of public arrangement of each floor which determines the resentment. Tall buildings devalue existing social order in a way quite different to that symbols and once considered heroic and found in traditional buildings” [9]. Akira respected buildings are reduced to toy-like Suzuki, Director of the Workshop for dimensions. They also produce dramatic Architecture and Urbanism in Tokyo, shares physical changes by virtue of their size and similar views “Life in the sky constitutes, design. paradoxically, a distancing from nature. The generation of children raised in skyscrapers all • The visual qualities (scale, shape, view wants to play in virtual worlds” [9]. blockage, color, street character, prominence etc.) of tall buildings and the As an aftermath of 9/11, collapse of the proudest message concerning power and identity are American invention hassled to a broad, public read more widely than the professional re-examination of all buildings. The televised communities. Public concern is more images of symbol of US Economic pride were important than an individual establishment. deeply shocking when both 110 storey towers • The impacts of artificial nature created collapsed in less than two hours burying inside the tall buildings are relative overtime thousands of office workers and rescue such as emotional sickness. personnel under tons of debris. All of southern Manhattan was evacuated, federal workers were Architects and engineers see mainly the sent home, schools were shut down, and U.S. buildings as structures, functional spaces, or as airspace was closed for the first time ever, sculptural forms and seem like working in a stranding thousands of travelers both in the vacuum generally ignoring such impacts on the United States and overseas. Speaking at a urban environment. The architect usually mental health summit in New York two months designs his buildings for a physical environment after the attack, Secretary Thompson said that whose meaning is unknown and therefore easily the anguish that accompanied Sept. 11 is going devalued. Two frightening fires which broke out to stay with some people for a long time. He in high-rise buildings in New York in 1970 added that emergency workers responding to brought into focus acute fire safety problems crises could show signs of psychological during natural as well as man-generated distress up to three years after a tragic event emergencies. When elevators stop working and [34]. Dr. Andrew Baum, professor of psychiatry stairwells are covered here and there with fallen at the University of Pittsburgh stressed "We materials, the situation is ripe for a fire have seen events like these in movies or in other holocaust, especially if panic develops [32]. countries, mostly in unreal contexts. This is such Reports presented in the proceedings about the a horrific event that people need to distance Human Response to Emergency indicate that themselves from it to process it [34]." most of the skyscrapers built during the office building boom of the 1960s and early 1970s are Despite its short urban history, these have problematic. become the most dominating form in the world

96 Proliferation of The Tallest Building Syndrome: From Global to Local largest cities. The experts are suggesting World Trade Center, will reach a height of 1,776 corrective measures to rectify design mistakes at feet and hot behind the Freedom Tower is the the outset. Many multidisciplinary research Burj Dubai, which is supposed to reach well over studies focusing on included aesthetics, facilities 2,000 feet by the time it's completed in 2008. It's (open spaces, parking), physical design, sense of also worth noting that none of the top ten are nature, economic considerations have been found in Europe. carried out to explore negative and positive Despite controversial history, it has become hard attributes of tall buildings. Kenneth Yeang two to imagine the modern city landscape without publications: “the Skyscraper bioclimatically skyscraper. The race to build higher and higher considered” published in 1996 and “The Green continues, as tall buildings have become symbol of skyscraper” in 1999 provide guidelines for economic power and only evidence of progress designing sustainable tall buildings. and development. The literature review indicates ….bioclimatic skyscraper as a tall building that skyscraper is distinctly American and it whose built form is configured by design, using embodies the nation’s unprecedented freedom and passive low-energy techniques to relate to the emphasis on reason. The dominating business site’s climate and meteorological data, resulting corporations, tremendous egos and avaricious in a tall building that is environmentally appetites of the CEOs and speculators gave rise to interactive, low-energy in embodiment and these monuments. The heroes were unchained operations, and high quality in performance [9]. corporate giants who built self-named monuments to house their employees and reshaped cites’ 6. Analysis and Discussion skylines according to their values. The skyscrapers Since the dawn of history, man has been striving reflect their spirit infused with speed, greed, to build high to reach to the heaven and exuberance, romance, innovation, pride etc. Stolen glorification. Designing and building a height titles, ruined careers, vicious reviews, skyscraper was akin to God creating alluring miserly neglect, lost fortunes, and terrible forms. During the last decades of 19th century, accidents-these may seem to be the legacy of the mechanical and structural innovations enabled skyscrapers race. Undoubtedly, the builders were architects and engineers to push modern fat-cat-industrialists and financers who hired the buildings higher than the previous limits. top names in architecture, but they all came from America was home to many of the innovations humble background [7]. It seems that to satisfy that have resulted in the modern skyscraper. In their egos was of primary concern and they had fact, skyscraper is part of a much largest set of never learned the process of thinking about other sky buildings: pyramids, obelisks, towers, spires, people. At the cost of economic and other short- pagodas, which were transformed and finally term benefits they lowered the man to the status of became habitable buildings. Infused with social a dwarf. change (the increase in the number of office The collapse of WTC on Sep. 11, 2001 has workers), and geology (a downtown limited in turned the clock and marked the symbolic death area by surrounding water) transformed Chicago of tall buildings at its birth ground. It has led to and from an expanse of low heated debates among experts about their buildings to a forest of skyscrapers. New York in assumption and public re-examination of the the 30s, Malaysia in the 90s and China today all vertical hegemony. Today tall building has has used tall buildings to showcase their become a puzzling and paradoxical package and economic boom to the world. Chronicling there are contradictory opinions about their building construction from the Home Insurance failure and success in urban settings. So far Building, Chicago in 1885, culminates with the human response about the future of tall Former World Trade Center in 1972-73 and buildings keeps on oscillating between three coming in full circle, with the Chicago's Sears propositions such as: Tower, completed in 1974. During the last decades of 20th century, fast-growing Southeast • Tall buildings are awful and should be Asian cities became home to most of the tallest outlawed for human habitation buildings in the world. The current champion of • Tall buildings are just great and appear to be the world, Taipei 101, like many buildings before the wave of the future may not stay at the top of the list for long. New • Tall buildings are inherently not at all times York's Freedom Tower, designed to replace the wrong but in certain situations (economic,

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cultural, topographic, etc.) this may be the incurred, for example, through the need for only alternative available more sophisticated foundations, lifts, and design generally. There are also higher Proponents of the last theory argues that as running costs, for example, the need to skyscraper cannot be ruled out as a future maintain lifts, higher costs for maintaining the building type so how it can be made meaningful external fabric of the building and additional to the urban environment? They think that costs of heating due to the greater exposure of skyscraper will provide society with the means external walls. Tall buildings would, in the to live and work in creative contact and avoid normal way of things, only be constructed the destructive spilling-out of cities as an urban where land values were so high that these sprawl into the countryside [9]. Jeffery additional costs were justified [36]. McCarthy, managing partner at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in Chicago argues that the Yeang despite introducing the concept of skyscraper of course has many advantages for Sustainable skyscraper, in an interview the packed cities of the world as they provide expresses similar views “Skyscrapers are really more room for open spaces, allow people to not sustainable structures at all. If we do not come together in greater density and support have to build them then we should not. clustering of companies, particularly financial Generally, these structures use up 30 percent services. It is the nature of the urban landscape more energy and materials to build and operate. and it is required by companies [35]. Lepik However, this is a built form that will not go (2004) argues that skyscrapers are not only a away until we have an economically viable source of amazement at street level they also alternative” [37]. Other than economic non- often offer humans a chance to effortlessly scale viability, there are social and psychological a certain height by means of a breath-takingly problems. fast elevator. Skyscrapers are symbols of major In the old world cities and in the cities in the economic, structural and architectural East where the gridiron street plan did not exist, achievement. According to him, skycraper give the new skyscrapers can also generate large numbers of people the chance not only to undesirable problems, destroying existent enjoy dizzying heights for the short duration of streetscapes, creating a line of island sites along a unique view, but also to live, to work and to previously arcadian boulevards, and introducing eat together in man-made chains of architectural new problems of tall built form relationships peaks. They are endlessly progressing, self- with the city block and with the city city’s fulfilling utopia [11]. As there is still going to be skyline. “When the cities of Asia come to a commitment to the high-rise buildings, resemble their European counterparts, as therefore experts are suggesting corrective clusters of skyscrapers, the concept of measures to rectify design mistakes at the geography will inevitably disappear from the outset. earth” [9]. China, despite its distinctive Proponents of the first theory however, argue architectural heritage is losing its identity. “One that the tall buildings may look technological consequence immediately visible to every recent wonder but the virtues of skyscrapers can also visitor to China is that cities which were once be weaknesses. Their long-term impacts are quite architecturally distinct are becoming devastating; a fact that cities embodied such almost indistinguishable, as generic mega- structures are rapidly finding out. Eugene Kohn, structures, both commercial and residential, rise president of Kohn Pederson Fox Associates on the rubble of local building traditions. The states that there would be no proposals for 100- speed and blithe efficiency with which the traces storey buildings in America for a long time. of the country's urban past are being erased have William McKee, chief executive of the British led critics like Dai Jinhua to predict that the Property Federation considers that people may signature urban form of twenty-first-century well think twice about ultra-high levels. Henry China will be the "city without memory" [38]. Law, Publicity Officer in his report “NEW Jane Jacob “The Death and Life of Great INQUIRY: TALL BUILDINGS” submitted to American Cities” her single most influential the Urban Affairs Sub-committee argues that: book on urban planning is a strong critique of In general, the construction of tall buildings is the urban renewal policies of the 1950s which, uneconomic, since additional costs are she claimed, destroyed communities and created

98 Proliferation of The Tallest Building Syndrome: From Global to Local isolated, unnatural urban spaces [39]. Another Pattern Language” are relevant to the ongoing voice raised against the skyscraper is of the discussion. His Pattern 21 highlights that “there architect and urban planner, Constantine is abundant evidence to show that high buildings Doxiades: make people crazy. Therefore, in any urban area, no matter how dense, keep the majority of "My greatest crime was the construction of buildings four stories high or less. It is possible high-rise buildings. The most successful cities that certain buildings should exceed this limit, of the past were those where people and but they should never be buildings for human buildings were in a certain balance with habitation” [42]. The Pattern 62 focuses on that nature. But high-rise buildings work against “the instinct to climb up to some high place, nature, or, in modern terms, against the from which you can look down and survey your environment. High-rise buildings work world, seems to be a fundamental human against man himself, because they isolate him instinct. Therefore, build occasional high places from others, and this isolation is an important as landmarks throughout the city. They can be a factor in the rising crime rate. Children natural part of the topography, or towers, or part suffer even more because they lose their direct of the roofs of the highest local building -- but, contacts with nature, and with other children. in any case, they should include a physical High-rise buildings work against society climb” [42]. because they prevent the units of social importance -- the family ... the neighborhood, Leon Krier, Nikos Salingaros and Jim Kunstler etc. -- from functioning as naturally and as among other respected intellectuals, urbanists normally as before. High-rise buildings work and architects have thouroughly demolished the against networks of transportation, myth of the American skyscraper, and communication, and of utilities, since they demonstrated its failures as a valid lead to higher densities, to overloaded roads, contemporary urban typology. Kunstler and to more extensive water supply systems -- and, Salingaros in their article “The End of Tall more importantly, because they form vertical Buildings” published by PLANetizen in networks which create many additional September 2001 argue that overloading any problems -- crime being just one of them [40]. given urban center, tends to prevent the organic development of new healthy, mixed urban fabric Peter Blake condemned mega-towers in Form anywhere beyond the center and refer it as Follows Fiasco on several points. One was the "urban hypertrophy". In all cases and to some disastrous wind shear that their surfaces created; degree, high-rise buildings deform the quality, the other was fires that had burned out of control the function, and the long-term health of in two skyscrapers in Latin America. He warned urbanism in general by overloading the the world that: infrastructure and the public realm of the streets " It is outrageous that towers more than a that contain them. They are convinced that some hundred stories high are being built at a time of the sturdiest and even aesthetically pleasing when no honest engineer and no honest tall buildings of the early 20th century are only architect, anywhere on earth, can say for now approaching the end of their so-called certain what these structures will do to the "design life" [1]. environment -- in terms of monumental They propose that within the upper limits of congestion of services (including roads and proven traditional type, it might be prudent to mass-transit lines), in terms of wind currents at confine future constructions to, perhaps, ten- sidewalk level, in terms of surrounding water story office buildings, whose four bottom stories tables, in terms of fire hazards, in terms of are strictly residential. Coexisting with the first various sorts of interior traumata, in terms of type might be five-story residential buildings despoiling the neighborhoods, in terms of with a commercial ground floor devoted to retail visually polluting the skylines of our cities, and and restaurants. Both of these are a good in terms of endangering the lives of those within compromise between traditional typologies. or without, through conceivable structural and related failures" [41]. The tremors are felt not only in the professional circles but in the monarchy as well. Charles Christopher Alexander’s Pattern 21 and 62 Philip, the Prince of Wales while addressing the described in his famous book titled as “A Invensys Conference, London held on 11th of

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December 2001 on Tall Buildings states that I and street corners crowded with men selling suspect that the destruction of the World Trade apples, these skyscrapers were evidence of what Center is unlikely to mark the end of tall had brought them to such a state of affairs. The buildings in cities, although it may require two brothers William Starrett and Paul Starrett rather more to be expected of them before new labored for decades shaping the city skylines ones are constructed. Doubtless, the challenges with skyscrapers across the country with their of finding ever more sophisticated ways to greatest as the Empire State Building. They evacuate people in the event of emergencies, or poured all of their energy into the skyscrapers devising more resilient engineering, will race, and once completed they had nothing left become more dominant in the future to give. William Starrett fell victim to overwork architecture of skyscrapers. In my view, very and long nervous strain and passed away in tall buildings can undoubtedly threaten this 1932 [7]. sensitive balance. Indeed, they may very well Philip Johnson, a builder of many tall buildings wreck it. interview to Judith Dupre’ is an eye-opener. “Towers, of course, have long been very much While responding to a question he says: a part of many historic city skylines (although In the commercial world, the skyscraper came at a considerably lower height than those into existence because we didn’t have any being proposed today). But these Renaissance, religion to express. But it was an expression, Georgian and Victorian contributions to the not the result of economic needs. It was an skyline were usually as much associated with expression that wanted to reach the heavens - the notion of balance and hierarchy as the whether Mr. Rockefeller at Rockefeller Center lower buildings around them. This, of course, or the Chicago architects…I have to say the was because towers were almost entirely skyscraper is finished…Because there is no reserved for monuments with a special economic need for them. It’s pride. Skyscraper ecclesiastical or civic status. Yet the will always be expensive, they will always b "skyscraper" in its modern form is something extra. In our times we can certainly celebrate very different. Most obviously, it is a building the culture with illustrations of skyscrapers. whose function is utilitarian and commercial, Our way of looking at life is best expressed by rather than civic or sacred; a so-called the skyscraper. I mean the American culture "statement building" that is self-referential, in that great phase of the skyscraper. They and fulfilling no communal purpose have stopped building tall buildings here for whatsoever” [43]. whatever reason [44]. He makes a comparison of Manhattan and London and spoke out courageously against In Pakistan, there is a severe public reaction mega towers, and was consequently accused by against the illegal construction of high-rise architects and the media as being 'against commercial plazas. During hearing case of progress': illegal multi-story plazas on 5-7-2007, Supreme Court Justice, Khalilur Rehman Ramday "Now it is true that there are some places criticised that building mafia has turned Lahore where towers and streets have worked into jungle (forest) and ordered the demolition successfully together, and one thinks of illegal “Asim Tower”. He directed the Chief immediately of the example of Manhattan, Minister Punjab to form a Building Control with its uniform grid. Yet Manhattan is, and Authority comprising members of transparent will remain, unique in sheer scale and wealth, record [45]. Institute of Architects (IAP), and its towers are, of course, far from the Lahore Chapter organized a seminar on 6-7- whole story of the city of New York” [43]. 2007 entitled “Lahore Building By-Laws”. There are also evidences those skyscrapers, once Prominent architects slammed politicians to considered as the “generator of money” barely maneuver such projects and to make frequent covered their operating cost. Bascomb (2003) increase in the building height limit. There was points out: a consensus that chaos in the building practices along with other ills was spoiling the visual The world tallest Empire State Building earned quality of Lahore. Architect Hanif Daud, award the nickname of “Empty State Building”. With winner of “Excellence in Architectural Design couples hosting rent parties to pay the landlord 2005” in his article focuses on the awe of

100 Proliferation of The Tallest Building Syndrome: From Global to Local plagiarism and mindless aping of the West. For such projects. Crucial issue for the Pakistani Example, KPT Tower, Karachi greatly architects and politicians could be to meet the resembles the CN Tower, Toronto. He writes: developer’s commercial objectives without making compromise on the long-term benefits. “Unqualified borrowing of prepared designs If they take a step back, look at who designed from elsewhere, without permission of any and drove these structures to such great heights sort, is an expanding in America perhaps they would come to phenomenon…Prevailing trends in different conclusion. It is high time that architecture displays a rising number of politicians, building controlling agencies, projects developed on stolen designs, architects and builders join their hands to save debunking the originators and deceiving the cities of Pakistan from becoming breeding society at large. Further disappointing is the places of sky-pickers. Planning and fact that many undertakings in this respect are Development departments should be large scale governmental building strengthened by employing experts from complexes…Creativity is compromised on the relevant organizations to set up new trends of yearning to earn a quick buck” [46] construction in the country. To make our cities In the light of foregoing discussion there is no sustainable buildings ought to be designed in clear generalization to support or oppose but it harmony with human scale and local context. In is clear that world over tall buildings have Pakistan high-rise is taking high risk therefore, become a phobia. It is noteworthy that this trend out of the rubbles of the October earthquake, a is declining at its birth ground but escalating in bright legacy should arise. other regions of the world. The city’s housing References tall buildings are gradually finding out that they may look technological wonder but can also [1] http://www.planetizen.com/ accessed 4-9- cause serious problems. Europeans never 2005 expressed inclination to join the race and tall buildings were installed by their conservative [2] Cyril M. Harris; Dictionary of attitudes. As the soil, climate and requirements Architecture and Construction, New-York vary from city to city and country to country McGraw-Hill, (3) (2000) 472 therefore, uniform approach to the places and [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyscraper spaces may be cumbersome. In Pakistan, where accessed 10.9.2005 building industry is one of the most corrupt and construction business enjoys the patronage of [4] www.amazon.com/High-rise.manual- land mafia there is need to move with caution. Johan-Eisele/dp/3764302747. accessed The supervision is non-existent and the quality 20-12-2005 of manpower is absolutely zero. Cities are badly [5] C. Jenks; Skyscraper-skyprickers- suffering from pollution, energy crises and skycities, Rizzoli, New York, (1980) 6 traffic congestion. Stigma of un-checked growth of high-rise buildings is transforming the [6] http://www.prairienet.org/~rkrause/isma.h traditional physical and social fabric of cities. tml accessed 10-9-2005

Despite public reaction and court verdicts [7] Bascomb, N; (2003) Higher A HISTORIC politicians in Pakistan seem obsessed with tall RACE TO THE SKY AND THE MAKING structures as an indicator of economic OF A CITY, New York, Broadway Books prosperity. This is to play like an ostrich and to (2003) 12 ignore hard ground realties. It appears that in the [8] C. Willis; Form Follows Finance, process of economic prosperity the right lessons Skyscrapers and Skylines in New York and are being discarded for the wrong ones. Chicago, New York: Princeton Spending billions of rupees in unproductive Architectural Press (1995) 15 areas by making corresponding cuts in essential areas indicates their short sightedness. There is a [9] K. Yeang; The skyscraper bioclimatically need to initiate debate at all levels questioning considered, Malaysia: WILEY- about the future of high-rise buildings. ACADEMY (1996) 14 Architects instead of jumping on the bandwagon [10] Huxtable, Ada Louise; The Tall Buildings must analyze their local context before taking up Artistically Reconsidered: The Search for

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2005chief Buildings, Pennsylvania, Dowden, [14] http://www.guardian.co.uk/india/story/0,1 Hutchinson & Ross, Inc. (1977) 2559,1447962,00.html accessed 8-10- [31] D. Appleyard and L. Fishman High-Rise 2005 Buildings Versus San Francisco: [15] http://www.kisho.co.jp/page.php/222 Measuring Visual and Symbolic Impacts accessed 22-11-2005 81-100 in D. J. Conway Human Response to Tall Buildings, Pennsylvania, Dowden, [16] http://www.ncsj.org/AuxPages/031605LA Hutchinson & Ross, Inc. (1977) Times_Astana.shtml accessed 30-10-2005 [32] J. E.Haas; Sociological Aspects of Natural [17] Economy of Pakistan Retrieved from Disasters 335 D. J. Conway Human http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of Response to Tall Buildings, Pennsylvania, _Pakistan accessed 30-6-2007 Dowden, Hutchinson & Ross, Inc. (1977) [18] www.pakp.com/2004/12/karachi-to-get- [33] R. A. Glass and A. I. Rubin Emergency asias-tallest-building.html accessed 30-6- Communications in High-Rise Buildings 2007. 294 in D. J. Conway Human Response to [19] http://www.businessweek.com/1997/37/b Tall Buildings, Pennsylvania, Dowden, 3544139.htm accessed 17-10-2005 Hutchinson & Ross, Inc. (1977) [20] http://www.ashoka.org/fellows/viewprofil [34] http://www.paho.org/English/DPI/Numbe e3.cfm?reid=147541 accessed 17-10-2005 r12_article1_6.htm accessed 11-11-2005 [21] Karachi: earthquake scene; Daily Dawn, [35] Retrieved from 29 August 1999 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/15562 [22] High-rise buildings; Daily Dawn, 30 51.stm accessed 23-10-2005 March 2005 [36] Retrieved from [23] Forestalling tragedy; The News,3 http://www.landvaluetax.org/tallbldg.htm November 2005 accessed 20-10-2005 [24] High rise, high risk; The News, 30 [37] http://www.sijournal.com/sijprofile/18242 October 2005 81.html accessed 12-11-2005 [25] http://people.howstuffworks.com/question [38] http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_ 680.htm accessed 5-10-2005 m0425/is_4_63/ai_n9483925 accessed [26] http://www.ctbuh.org/htmlfiles/publicatio 23-10-2005 ns/publications_times.html accessed 6-10- [39] J. Jacobs; The Death and Life of Great 2005. American Cities, London: Pelican Books. [27] D. J. Conway; Human Response to Tall (1974) Buildings, Pennsylvania, Dowden, Hutchinson & Ross, Inc. (1977) ix. [40] Doxiades as quoted by P. Blake; Form Follows Fiasco, Boston: Atlantic Monthly [28] David Cooperman “Social Research on Press,(1974) Tall Habitats: A critique and Proposal for Network Analysis” in Conway, D. J. [41] P. Blake; Form Follows Fiasco, Boston: Human Response to Tall Buildings, Atlantic Monthly Press,(1974) 150

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[42] C. Alexander and S. Ishikawa et. al.; A [45] English translation from Daily Jang, Pattern Language: Towns, Buildings, Lahore, July 6, 2007 Construction, New York: Oxford [46] Plagiarized highrises; Dawn Sunday University Press, (1977) 115-119 Magazine,13th March 2005 [43] http://www.princeofwales.gov.uk/speeche [47] http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0908747.h s/architecture_11122001.html. accessed tml accessed 6-10-2005 10-12-2005 [48] http://www.emporis.com/en/bu/sk/st/ma/ci/ [44] J. Dupre; Skyscraper: A history of the accessed 6-10-2005 Worlds’ most famous and important [49] http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001338.htm skyscrapers, New York: Black Dog & l acessed 6-10-2005 Leventhal Publications, Inc. (1996)

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