If there were any doubt about the viability of the tall building after the 9/11 attacks, it no longer exists. Five skyscrapers surpassing the 415- and 417-meter core heights of the original World Trade Center towers have been constructed since 2001, including the Burj Khalifa, which, at a breathtaking 828 meters, is presently the world’s tallest building. The uses of tall structures are also becoming more varied. Of the supertall structures currently under way, two have been designed for infrastructural purposes. As these monumental works of engineering emerge, it is important to assess the role of architecture in their designs.
Read more of Blaine Brownell’s article about the role of design in tall structures in the September 2011 issue of Architect.
