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They dominate our skylines, and reflect our hopes and dreams — not to mention our egos. As Chris Wright reports, when it comes to the future, the next generation of skyscrapers will, quite literally, REACH FOR THE SKY a mp te ink a m es S y J

is stunningly juxtaposed with the sprawling of b OF Ad r i a n Smi t h + G or d o Gill A rc hi tecture ; ph oto COURTESY

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it took guts and daring to Last year alone, 88 buildings be a worker in city in 1950 — higher than 200 metres were walks along girders high completed, including 17 additions up over the sidewalk with nothing to break a fall to the 100 tallest in . In was a fact of life 2010 Dubai’s Burj Khalifa shattered the world record for tall buildings by over 300 metres; it is more than twice the height of the Building. And plans are well advanced for a building that will reach a kilometre into the sky. Folly or function? The jury is out. Most architects can make a $1.5 billion $1.5 strong practical case for going tall, but there is no question that we do so too because it fires the imagination. “A supertall tower represents a meaningful step forward and a symbol of success and optimism for the future,” says , the man who designed both the Burj Khalifa and that will take its record, the Kingdom Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A busy man indeed, he is also responsible for ’s . “We must always strive for greatness and find the means to attain it. If not, we will become irrelevant,” says Smith. “If don’t continue to build and improve their conditions, they will die,” he says. “When we lose the spirit to reach for glory, we lose our soul.”

In 1987, a young architecture student named rj khalifa cost U S cost khalifa b u rj comparison, in b u ild. to billion $1.76 Timothy Johnson, an undergraduate at the Looking Back University of , visited , in So how did we get here? One can make a case for numerous the US state of , for the first time. He structures as the first , was overwhelmed by the mighty skyscrapers all the way back to the Pyramids that rose, muscular, from the city floor — the Tower, of Giza, in Egypt. A man called the Center — and became both delighted and Imhotep, who 4,500 years ago deflated. On his way back to the Midwest farmland where realised that a thick, strong base was essential to building the tallest buildings were grain silos and water towers, he tall — hence the pyramids — is recalls he “was quite depressed, thinking I was born 100 embodiment of poetry sometimes described as the years too late. Wouldn’t it have been great to be in a city first structural engineer. Various When asked which building he admires Chinese and Gothic like Chicago at the turn of the century, when it was all being most, Adrian Smith, the designer behind French cathedrals also fit into built — when the itself was being built?” Burj Khalifa and co-founder of Adrian the tradition. “For all of recorded Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, opts for the city where he works: Chicago, in history, mankind’s fascination Then he went to Asia. “And then A glance at the council’s data the United States. “I admire the John with structures that rise towards I realised — no, I was born at tells us that we are, without Hancock Center in Chicago for its bold, the sky has been constant,” exactly the right time.” Johnson question, amid a golden age strong statement, its simplicity and its writes Kate Ascher in The Heights: went on to become a design of skyscraper design and adherence to the orthogonal character Anatomy of a Skyscraper. partner for NBBJ, designing construction that is every bit as of the Chicago grid,” he says. “To me, it But if we take as part of our buildings including the Sail dramatic as New York, represents the ‘City of Big Shoulders’ in definition that skyscrapers are at Marina Bay in Singapore, when the Chrysler and Empire the Carl Sandburg poem.” commercial objects, designed to one of the tallest residential State buildings created the foster commerce and to make towers in the world. He also world’s most iconic skyline; money in their own right, rather became chairman of the Council or the , when the World than just being tall structures, then on Tall Buildings and Urban Trade Center and Sears Tower our story really starts in America Habitat, the leading source of (now the ) traded — more specifically, Chicago and

information on supertall towers. world records. GETTY IM AGES PHOTO: New York in the 1880s. 101, with its impressive engineering, is estimated to have cost U S cost have to estimated is engineering, impressive its with 101, taipei

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That’s where the prompt With new buildings came to build high came from. new innovations. The first FROM THE Businesses in both cities were to be built exclusively on a GROUND UP getting bigger but needed their steel skeleton was the Tower offices to be downtown. Since Building in New York. Possibly Start with a big hole. No, seriously: there’s a land was scarce, and land the first with a frame designed lot of science in this, first with the blasting values rising, it made sense to to counteract sway was the and excavation — which may require the go upwards, if only to cover the Building, which underpinning of neighbouring buildings first — and then with a process called sheeting and costs. In Chicago, the need was oddly, is in Chicago. Next came bracing, which means securing the perimeter particularly acute since much of the first to be built on steel so that the sides of the hole don’t fall in. One beam-based cages: the Flatiron the downtown area was levelled consequence of the destruction of the World by fire in 1871. Building in New York (pictured Trade Center in New York, United States, was At the same time, technology right), still one of the city’s that people saw this usually invisible part of the began to allow people to go iconic sights for its odd shape, process: the so-called “bathtub”, a diaphragm upwards more efficiently. If alongside the diagonal rise of wall built to ensure that the surrounding all you do is build high with . Then Chicago rather earth, and ultimately the Hudson river, did not masonry, your walls have to get ceded the race to New York slide into the site. The “bathtub” survived the thicker and thicker until the when an 1893 law limited the destruction of the buildings and is still there lower floors have less and less height of downtown buildings to beneath the new towers and monument. space, defeating the point. But 40 metres, roughly 10 floors. Piers, caissons and piles refer to foundations then came the internal metal So New York took the torch that link the base of the building to the bedrock skeleton, with cast iron columns — and how it ran with it. The beneath, which can be a long way down. The within masonry walls. This turn of the century to the 1930s foundations of the PETRONAS Twin Towers, enabled walls of tall buildings to was one of the true golden eras built on a mat deep beneath the be thinner, and therefore allowed of construction, and the names ground, go down as far as 120 metres. for more space for commercial of its buildings still stir the With foundations complete, structural steel use, as well as greater natural soul today: the , is raised, followed by the pouring of concrete slabs, fireproofing, and then curtain wall light penetration. It is widely the MetLife Building, the installation. Designs vary; tall towers today accepted that the first building , the Bank often use a relatively small number of columns, of Manhattan, the glorious to use this on any meaningful attached to high-strength concrete cores by scale was the Home Insurance , and finally in big outrigger arms that stretch horizontally Building in Chicago, designed 1931, the almighty Empire State across the building. The columns are attached by William LeBaron Jenney and Building. At 102 floors and over to one another by belt walls which encircle the built in 1884. 380 metres high, with more perimeter of the building. This was the approach with in , for example. Ever wondered how the glass stays on? IF we define skyscrapers Unitised glass panels — those that have been assembled and glazed in a factory — are shipped as commercial objects, to the site fully assembled, and lifted by crane. then our story really Workers guide each panel into place, then hang it from brackets installed on the building. They starts in America — more are then bolted into place, and the joins sealed with silicone, caulking or gaskets. specifically, Chicago and Once the curtain wall is up on a particular New York in the 1880s floor, mechanical plant installation begins. Once the building is “topped out”, meaning it

(EMPIRE STATE B UIL D ING) v ille (EMPIRE STATE reaches final structural height, then roofing The era also coincided with than 260,000 square metres installation begins. Traditionally, topping out the mass production of steel. of office space, it remains one is a cause for celebration, with the final beam of New York’s top draws, and The price of steel dropped from often accompanied by a fir tree or a flag. Often US$167 per tonne in 1867, was the tallest building in the the final beam is painted white and signed by to US$24 per tonne in 1895, world for 41 years. all the workers involved. Sometimes owners, allowing it to replace cast iron as Helped by new methods dignitaries and people who will use the building the backbone of new buildings. such as concrete caisson get to make their mark too. Next come the On top of that, inventions foundations, braced frames (this may have started already on that allowed for safer and to resist wind, and the idea of lower floors), and finally tenant fit-out. more efficient elevators made express elevators — all of them Construction management is no mean feat. skyscrapers more practical, Dozens of different subcontractors can be particularly when hydraulic involved on just one project. It is a sign of their power replaced steam. Even efficiency that businesses can move in well Edison’s light bulb, and the wider before the entire building is complete — at the International Commerce Centre, Hong Kong’s availability of electricity, played top left: workers build a role. “The modern skyscraper the frame of bank of tallest building, bankers at were manhattan trust building, already doing deals on the lower floors while was very much a product of the world's tallest before the Industrial Revolution — and of a chrysler and empire state there were still bits of steel and glass poking myriad of its most transformative (left) buildings went up naked out of the top of the tower. As a result, the opposite: the was already drawing rentals before it

inventions,” writes Ascher. b uil d ing ); E ric M ay (FLATIRON AGEFOTOSTOCK (CONSTRUCTION); GETTY IMAGES PHOTOS: building in was even close to structural completion.

52 DISCOVERY CHANNEL MAGAZINE While the middle east SKYSCrAPERS will continue to play a large part in the high-rise industry, especially with the much anticipated kingdom tower (artist's impression pictured), 's building tall cities such as Shanghai (opposite), WILL ALSO through continue TO build high the years

1871 Fire devastates downtown Chicago, making office space scarce — and prompting developers to build upwards h s Di v ision (SINGER B UIL D ING) & Ph otograp , P rints ongress

1870s Development of safety features in passenger elevators and of internal

of C ORKER); L i b rary steel skeletons in buildings make taller structures feasible B IS ( W w er ); COR

What's your favourite?

NBBJ’s Timothy Johnson nominates rian S mit h + G or d on ill A rc itecture ( king om to /Ad three, including one of Adrian Smith’s 1884 ompany designs, the in , built in Chicago, is . The building fits in with his what Many consider the first skyscraper ethos of sustainability, thanks to its many

innovative green elements: “It is one of C a h E conomic the clearest examples of how the drivers 1893 in society today can form a building.” A change of law in Chicago limits THE height Johnson also nominates the HSBC of downtown buildings to 40 metres, ceding IMAGES: J e dd IMAGES: race to New York headquarters in Hong Kong. “Turning the building inside out, what an amazing way to look at the building.” He also likes 's Tower, with 1903 The Flatiron Building, a steel skeleton on nine levels. lighter, and allowing better working conditions — had made new It was to be a brief renaissance. The oil crisis in the 1970s stopped tall pioneer and still an icon in new york city ideas possible. A key architect in the late 1960s, when interest was buildings in their tracks once again, and this time when they returned today, officially opens returning to tall buildings, was Fazlur Khan of Chicago's Skidmore, to the fray, the centre of the action would move to Asia, and then to the Owings and Merrill. His innovation of a tubed support structure, Middle East. This transition happened quickly — 30 years ago, the United used when the Woolworth Building opened almost a century ago in States was the only place that mattered in a discussion of tall buildings. 1908–1913 1913, and still commonly used today — the sky really was the limit. Today, only one American building makes the global top 10 (the Willis New York buildings take turns This was an era of style, and bold corporate this was an era of art to break the world height Tower, in eighth place) and only three make the top 20. By 2020, there will record: Singer Building (right), shenanigans. When the Chrysler went up in 1930, its fabulous deco style and bold be only one in the entire that makes the top 20. And then MetLife Building, then spire was built in secret, and raised from within the building in it’s not even built yet: the new in New York. Woolworth Building order to make sure that the Bank of Manhattan, being built at the corporate shenigans. First, the PETRONAS Twin Towers in , , same time, would not be taller. By 1930, practically all of the 100 when the Chrysler went took, by some definitions, the world’s tallest title (see box on page 62), tallest buildings in the world were in North America, with just one before Taipei 101 in Taiwan claimed it in 2004, the first building to pass 1916 exception in São Paulo, Brazil. up in 1930, its fabulous 500 metres in height. Then all debates about tall structures, whether the Blocky and Take a look at a photo from that period. Flat-capped construction buildings, masts or towers, were comprehensively ended by the ugly Equitable workers in vests perch nonchalantly on beams that reach out into spire was built in secret extraordinary scale of Burj Khalifa in Dubai. At 828 metres and 163 floors, Building leads the sky, armed with a cigarette and a hip flask instead of a harness. to the Building and raised from within it was 320 metres taller (an entire Chrysler Building) than Taipei 101 . Zone Resolution, To look at these pictures is to see a city being built: not just its steel allowing unlimited and cladding, but its very soul. where instead of steel columns a tall building would be made of height but only Yet nothing lasts forever. Next came the Depression (the Empire several load-bearing tubes, was the method used in both New Looking Ahead over a quarter of State would remain largely untenanted for years) and World War York’s World Trade Center — the new world’s tallest in 1972 — and the lot. This gives The future is already out there, as written up in a glossy brochure. The rise to the tapered II. The imperative to go tall would not return for decades. By the the Sears Tower in Chicago, which took the title in 1974, and would Kingdom Tower will be the centrepiece of the US$20 billion Kingdom City shape of buildings time it did, new technologies like the glass curtain wall — cheaper, not give it up until more than 20 years later (with some acrimony). development in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The claim is that it will be “over that follow

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1,000 metres”, according to architects, Structurally, the big issue is wind when it was first building tall with a total construction area of 53,000 resistance. Wind vortices build up completed, shanghai's jin WHERE TO GO mao tower was the tallest square metres, housing a luxury hotel, vertically around buildings, which can through building in china Here are some of the world's tallest buildings, with offices, condos, and the have several knock-on effects. They some tips on how to visit them: the years world’s highest observatory. The tower, can cause lateral movement, which can the architects say, “evokes a bundle move the building uncomfortably for TAIPEI 101 of leaves shooting up from the ground occupants, and can cause wind effects Taipei, Taiwan — a burst of new life that heralds on the ground that are problematic for The ticket booth is on the fifth floor of the mall more growth all around it. The sleek, pedestrians. “To combat this problem, in the tower. The observatory includes an indoor streamlined form of the tower was we look for ways to confuse the wind, section, with views across Taipei, and a smaller inspired by the folded fronds of young as we say,” says Smith. Wind tunnels outdoor observatory higher up, as well as a chance desert plant growth.” make it possible to test structures very to see the huge pendulum suspended in the upper A kilometre? Upwards? The first specifically and to tweak them to best floors, to dampen wind and movement. question one always puts to architects effect. “With Burj Khalifa, we addressed NT$400; 10am to 10pm daily is, just how high can you go? the problem by developing a stepped “We had an opportunity a few years pattern of setbacks. With Kingdom PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS ago to design a building where the Tower, we sloped the building, meaning Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia client’s requirement was that it was at each floor plate is slightly smaller than Not the greatest arrangement. You often queue least a mile and a half (2.4 kilometres) directly below it.” first thing in the morning, before being told to come back later in the day for your visit. The 1930–1931 skybridge between the two towers is interesting, New York’s golden age. Bank of Manhattan WHY BUIld HIGH? "TO PUSH HUMAn but the tour brings you to the lower level of the Trust becomes world’s tallest for bridge, meaning you can’t see much upwards. one month, before being beaten by the Chrysler Building (ABOVE), which is then INGENUITY, TO SEE HOW FAR WE CAN RM50; tickets on sale from 8.30am daily except defeated in turn the following year by the on Monday Empire State. The will GO. WE SEND SPACE SHUTTLES INTO hold this record for 41 years FLIGHT, WE SMASH atoms apart, JIN MAO TOWER Shanghai, China why can't we do that?" The 88th floor is a great spot, not 1972 just for the view outwards across Shanghai and to World Trade Center in New York becomes tall,” says Johnson, chairman of the Many architects share the idea that the neighbouring skyscrapers, but because of the world’s tallest building Council on Tall Buildings and Urban meeting technical challenges is half the view inside: 40 floors down into the of the Habitat. “We asked the question, why fun, and in some places these are more Grand Hyatt Hotel. would you do that? The response was: acute than others. When you are next CNY100; 8.30am to 10pm daily 1974 we want to push human ingenuity. We in Taipei, don’t miss the opportunity to Record returns to Chicago with Sears want to see how far we can go. We send visit the observation deck of Taipei 101, BURJ KHALIFA Tower (below), but the Subsequent oil crisis space shuttles into flight, we smash the world’s second tallest building. The Dubai, United Arab Emirates ends the American era of tallEST buildings atoms apart, why can’t we do that?” views are great — Taipei’s surroundings You can either buy a ticket and be told when Nevertheless, there are practical are surprisingly hilly when you are up to come back, or pay four times as much for limits along the way. Smith, the architect high — but the really fascinating bit is immediate entry to the world’s highest observation deck (called At The Top), 124 floors up. 1998 behind the Burj Khalifa, says that he inside: a huge 660-tonne steel pendulum AED100 for general admission, AED400 Impetus to build tall moves to Asia, where is often asked, “how tall can you go?” called a , suspended Kuala Lumpur’s PETRONAS Twin Towers take st th for immediate entry; 10am to 10pm Sunday the record, by some definitions. Other The most common specific question is, from the 91 to 87 floors, designed to Wednesday, 10am to midnight Thursday towers rise in Hong Kong and Shanghai whether it is possible to build a mile- to offset movements caused by strong to Saturday high tower (that's around 1.6 kilometres winds or . Elsewhere in the tall). Not surprisingly, he has carefully region, the PETRONAS Twin Towers in 2001 investigated the issue: “The biggest Kuala Lumpur have the world’s deepest W ER) Twin towers of World Trade Center, New challenge for a building of that height is foundations, extending 120 metres York, are destroyed the issue of elevators,” he says. “To get down, to deal with the sharply sloping to the top, you’d have to transfer from limestone bedrock beneath. 2004 one to another at least two or But it is noticeable that the Taipei 101 in Taiwan becomes world’s three times, if not more. Which would limitations architects refer to on going tallest building be extremely time-consuming. So that higher are economic and practical. W ER); AFP (A B RAJ AL AIT TO would be a significant limiting factor, and While it can be done, to do so would will have to be addressed by advances in at this stage be inefficient. Which is is 2007–2010 elevator technology before a mile-high an important point. Architects are at Shanghai World Financial building is realistic.” pains to point out that, whatever trophy Center and Hong Kong’s Another challenge is the size of value cities take from tall buildings, And here’s one most people can’t visit: Abraj International Commerce the base that is needed to support practicality still has a vital role to play. Centre put Greater China Al-Bait, or the Mecca Royal Hotel Tower, in the lead when it comes the structure. “Within the cavity of the While Johnson calls himself a “tall in Saudi Arabia, is said to have reached structural to building tall. However, building at the base would be a great building junkie”, when speaking with completion at 601 metres, making it the second the middle east quickly deal of space, most of it nowhere near DCM, he revises this to “city junkie". "I tallest building in the world (and the tallest hotel, overtakes everyone in the the perimeter of the building — that love urban environments. The density, race. in 2010, burj khalifa with the largest clock face, five times bigger than smashes every height is, near windows. How would you use the energy, the imperfect nature of a lot Big Ben) when it formally opens. But most of the record for any all that area? As a giant atrium?” says of things coming together at that scale,” world will never see it; the entire city of Mecca is kind of structure Smith. “And if you did, would it make he says. He argues with exponentially off-limits to non-Muslims.

economic sense?” rising populations, (Continues on page 61) TO MAO B IS (JIN b uil d ing ); COR H RYSLER (C GETTY IMAGES IMAGES:

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HEAVY ROLLS IN from the sea, SHROUDING DUBAI IN MYSTERY. ITS HIGH-RISES almost SEEM TO Peek OUT REUTERS PHOTO: OVER THE QUIET, TO THE DAWN

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the atrium of shanghai's jin (Continued from page 56) much of it in poverty, THE mao tower, looking into the grand hyatt hotel. don't the density of accommodation that comes look down, especially if you with high-rises is essential to supporting a OF SUPERTALLS are afraid of heights reasonable quality of life. “How do we design Interview with Adrian Smith, the for the people nobody’s designing for? You hear award-winning architect behind the argument that any building over 60 storeys Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, Shanghai’s is just an inefficient ego trip. But if you put them in a collection to create a city and build an Jin Mao Tower, and the upcoming infrastructure that’s more compact, that is far Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia more sustainable than a suburban model.” City towers, he says, are certainly Why build tall? a symbol for an organisation recovery system that collects economically sustainable, otherwise they More than any other typology, or individual, or to serve as a about 14 Olympic-sized pools wouldn’t be built. “We have a building in the tall building can address spark for future development. of moisture annually for use in construction in Dalian, China that’s almost 400 the needs of the future while Landmark supertall buildings irrigation — very significant in a metres. And I can guarantee you the owner is not staying green. Skyscrapers can also generate publicity and desert climate. building it just for his ego,” says Johnson. “It’s accommodate a large number spur economic development The design of Burj Khalifa going to make money.” But this sense of social of people on a small footprint and tourism, as we have seen in will probably be most influential sustainability is important too, he says. of land. They also offer efficient Malaysia with the PETRONAS for its manipulation of form, as a Likewise, Smith argues that tall buildings can vertical transportation systems. Twin Towers. means of addressing wind vortex “address the needs of the future while having Studies have shown that the It established Kuala Lumpur action that builds up around denser an urban population, the as a tourist destination and supertall buildings and causes the least environmental impact”, especially in lower the energy consumption enhanced its reputation as a lateral movement near the top. per inhabitant for travel in location for business. It also We were able to reduce the build- cars. In fact, there is a direct showcased the attractive lifestyle up of wind vortices, making the "you hear the relationship between the of this part of the world and building much more stable than argument that reduction of energy consumption bolstered the country’s economy. many other supertalls. through transportation, and We are now seeing a similar effect any building over the increase in building density. in Dubai with Burj Khalifa, the What advances in technology Furthermore, tall buildings offer world’s tallest building, which have enabled you to build 60 storeys is an significant economies of scale I designed while at Skidmore, taller buildings in recent inefficient ego trip. compared to similar amounts of Owings and Merrill (SOM). years? Would a project like housing constructed in low- Economically, a very tall tower the Kingdom Tower have been But if you create a rise form. You have to build makes sense as the centrepiece feasible even 10 years ago? one roof and one foundation, of a larger development. The The advances in technology have city more compact, rather than the multiple roofs central tower can increase the been significant but incremental. that's far more and foundations that a group value of the adjacent land and Mostly they relate to the of buildings with the same the buildings around it, making potential for making tall towers sustainable than a cumulative area would require. the overall project financially more sustainable, with the use of feasible. This was the concept high-performance exterior wall suburban model" What sort of advantages do you with Burj Khalifa, where the systems and building-integrated capitalise on when designing a tower itself made little or no photovoltaics and wind turbines, terms of efficient use of space. Skyscrapers green building? profit, but increased the value which are becoming less are sustainable because they can a large Tall buildings — including and desirability of the land expensive, more available and number of people on a small area of land. In supertall buildings, which I around it — making the overall more valued by clients. addition, elevators are 40 times more energy- would define as those that development very profitable. In That said, we’re obviously efficient than an average car, he says, and in contain 60 storeys or more — can Shanghai, the Jin Mao Tower, pushing the limits of existing general, high-rises create more walkable cities. take advantage of the faster wind which I also designed while at technologies with very tall They also create a catalyst for growth. speeds at higher altitudes and SOM, was a similar example. buildings. The performance “PETRONAS Twin Towers made little economic drive wind towards building- of the mechanical, electrical sense and sat two-thirds empty for several integrated turbines, to generate Do you learn along the way and plumbing systems in these years after completion," says Smith. "But the power. Because they are less when you build new towers buildings is state-of-the-art, worldwide attention it brought to Kuala Lumpur likely to have shadows cast on on this scale? What lessons resulting in considerable and to PETRONAS as an oil and gas company was were learned in the design, efficiencies over conventional them, high-rises also make very significant.” Burj Khalifa is doing the same construction and operation of systems. The high-performance efficient use of photovoltaic in Dubai, he says. Also on this theme, Johnson systems to absorb solar power. Burj Khalifa? exterior wall system maximises insists there is an environmental opportunity And deep foundations make them With every new supertall that natural lighting while at the in building tall. “The skin of a building needs to ideal for geothermal heating and gets built — which actually same time reducing solar heat radiant cooling systems. happens more rarely than people gain. It features low-emissivity do more. It needs to create energy. Possibly it think; a lot of reflective glass that reduces heat can grow things,” he says. When he was looking Aside from being greener, projects get announced that gain as much as possible while at the mile-and-half-high project, Johnson what does a supertall building never get built — we add about 10 at the same time providing the was intrigued by the difference between the express to you? percent to our body of knowledge panoramic views that building temperature on the ground floor — the building Supertall towers can be a catalyst of the typology. In the case of occupants want. Where the glass was in a desert — and the top of the tower. for growth and prosperity in Burj Khalifa, it represents a step is not needed for viewing, we use “We were working with an engineering firm to cities around the world. People forward in sustainable design of an insulated “shadowbox” panel create a kind of loop that would allow the use create such buildings for a very tall towers. The building has that minimises heat gain and of that difference to create energy. Also, the number of reasons: in celebration a great number of sustainable has essentially the same thermal taller you go, there’s more wind pressure. Why of a place or people, to create features, including a condensate performance as a stone panel. BI S COR PHOTO: don’t we harvest that wind?” Other ideas include

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THE RULES look to A KINGDOM TOWER | JEDDAH | 1,000 metres B BURJ KHALiFA | DUBAI | 828 metres In 1998, the PETRONAS Twin Towers in the future: C PING AN FINANCE CENTER | | 660 metres Kuala Lumpur became the world’s tallest buildings. Or did they? Chicago’s Sears tallest buildings D LIGHT DMC TOWER | SEOUL | 640 metres Tower wasn’t giving up the title without of 2020 E Signature Tower | Jakarta | 638 metres a fight, its backers pointing out that if F | SHANGHAI | 632 metres the antennae on its roof were included, The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat G GREEnLAND CENTER | HUBEI | 606 metres it retained the title. And furthermore, it had a higher occupied floor. estimated late last year that by 2020, the world's H Mecca ROYAL hotel CLOCK TOWER | MECCA | 601 metres The dispute brought the Council tallest buildings would be ranked as below. In I | TIANJIN | 597 metres on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat to its report, the council suggested that instead of J | SEOUL | 555 metres popular attention. This organisation is, buildings being "tall" and "supertall", there should K DOHA CONVENTION CENTER TOWER | QATAR | 551 metres among other things, the arbiter of rules be a new designation of "megatall", for buildings L ONE WORLD TRADE CENTER | NEW YORK CITY | 541 metres on height. Indeed, there are actually over 600 metres in height, as these become much three categories for height: height to more common. The council predicts that China and M CHOW TAI FOOK Centre | GUANGZHOU | 530 metres architectural top, which includes spires N CHOW TAI FOOK BINHAI CENTER | TIANJIN | 530 metres but not antennae; highest occupied the Middle East will continue to play a large part in floor; and height to tip, including the industry. So if you live in or near these areas, be O DALIAN GREENLAND CENTER | DALIAN | 518 metres antennae, flagpoles or signs. Under these prepared to be wowed within the next eight years. P | DUBAI | 516 metres specifications, there were actually three Q | SEOUL | 510 metres tallest buildings in 1998: PETRONAS R TAIPEI 101 | TAIWAN | 508 metres Twin Towers for category one, and the Sears Tower for category two. Category S KAISA FENG LONG CENTRE | SHENZHEN | 500 metres three was the tower of the World Trade T SHANGHAI World Financial Center | SHANGHAI | 492 metres Center, with . Taipei 101 took the first two categories in 2004. All such Sustainable Building argument was ended by Burj Khalifa, Middle East USA Asia which didn’t just wipe the floor with all The KfW Westarkade, in Frankfurt, won competitor buildings but also beat all the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban other things like towers and radio masts. Habitat's Best Tall Building Overall Timothy Johnson, chairman of the Award last year. It has been described as Council on Tall Buildings and Urban one of the world's most energy-efficient Habitat, says these rules matter. office buildings. Aside from that though, “There’s a pride to it, a history of it also shows that practicality and mankind to it. People ask, what is the aesthetics are not mutually exclusive. To tallest building? It’s like, who is the quote the council, the KfW Westarkade above: when they first fastest man or woman on the planet. entered the race for the "has been carefully integrated into its It’s a part of human achievement that title of "world's tallest", context, forming relationships with everyone is interested in. That’s why we the petronas twin towers its neighbouring buildings, streets and in kuala lumpur, malaysia, do things like this. Otherwise we’d still drew a lot of attention parkland". And as a bonus, its colourful be sleeping in caves and hunting tigers.” (SEE SIDEBAR on right) façade brightens up the cityscape.

"MEGATALL" 600 metres using elevators’ push-and-pull to create the energy they need to run. “Elevators use three to five percent of the energy of an office building. It’s not huge. But you start with things like that,” he says. Some of these ideas are already in practice. Burj Khalifa has many green features, such as a system that collects condensation for irrigation. And architects are learning. “With every new supertall, we add about 10 percent to our body of knowledge,” Smith says. One sad postscript is that while towers going up are iconic, so too are towers being brought down. When al-Qaeda wanted PHI C) (GRA a ll Bu ildin gs nd U r b n Ha bi tat to hit America with maximum loss of life and symbolism, it knew "SUPERTALL" that bringing down New York's Twin Towers would give the most 300 metres powerful possible message. Equally, the message of recovery and ou n c il o T rebuilding, and rebuilding higher, is highly symbolic for New York. September 11 raised safety issues, for sure. Smith says one W ERS); C lasting impact is the appearance of places of refuge every 20 floors in new tall towers, with a higher fire rating. And Johnson calls for greater study of fire situations in buildings, and more prescriptive fire codes in some parts of the world where people are building tall. But Johnson adds: “I don’t think we should be planning on designing buildings that can withstand a terrorist attack of someone with a plane-load of fuel flying into the side of a building. Our A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T

AS t win TO BI S ( P ETRO N AS COR IMAGES: optimistic human life would be over at that point.”

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