The Evolution of Tall Buildings Reaching New Heights

Introduction: Old Towers and New Techniques  1. Aesthetics, Style and Skyscraper Ages: Artistry, Function and Technology  2. Tall Building Facades: Convergence of Aesthetics and Performance  3. Structural Materials for Tall Buildings: The Ingredients of the Structure  4. Structural Systems for Tall Buildings: Standing up to Nature’s Forces  5. Tall Building Foundations: Substructures in the Subterranean  6. Preventive Fire Safety Design: Facing the Dreaded Fire  7. Vertical Mobility Systems: Moving to the Top  8. Supertall and Megatall: Skyscrapers Reaching Heaven  9. Sustainable Skyscrapers: Harmonizing Vertical Ambition with Survival  10. High-Performance Skyscrapers: Beyond Sustainability  11. Tall Buildings and Urban Development: Taller and Denser  12. Conclusion: The Path Forward

Biography

Mir M. Ali is Professor Emeritus of Architecture at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He is an expert in structural engineering and tall buildings and a Lifetime ASCE Member. He received ASCE Millennium Challenge Prize, Fulbright Award, SEAOI Instructor Legacy Award, and others. He led CTBUH committees and is the founding editor of its professional journal. He authored/edited several books and was extensively interviewed on tall buildings by the media. His experience includes Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in Chicago and major consultancy projects. He published numerous papers and articles and gave seminars nationally and internationally.

Kheir Al-Kodmany is Professor of Urban Planning at the University of Illinois Chicago, specializing in vertical urbanism, sustainable design, smart cities, GIS, visualization, and urban design. He has authored, coauthored, and edited 20 books and more than 150 publications, earning over 5,000 citations. His research has influenced planning, architecture, crowd management, and participatory GIS worldwide. A former Skidmore, Owings & Merrill professional, he has advised governments and cities internationally, delivered over 200 invited presentations, developed advanced visualization technologies, and received numerous national and international awards for research, teaching, and planning. His work bridges scholarship, practice, and innovation.

"The new book by Mir Ali, the engineer, and Kheir Al-Kodmany, the urban planner, examines the history and future of tall buildings from both technical and societal points of view.  Both authors have published extensively within their disciplines; here they come together to examine the tall building in the city."

William F. Baker, NAE, FREng, PE, SE, CEng, Dist.M.ASCE, FIStructE, Consulting Partner, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Chicago.

"Mir M. Ali and Kheir Al-Kodmany’s book, “The Evolution of Tall Buildings: Reaching New Heights,” is the first comprehensive book on the subject based on a serious study that has so far been overlooked. It methodically traces the advancement of tall buildings, starting with their origins and covers various aspects such as architecture, engineering, sustainability, and their impact on cities. The book is supported by numerous illustrative examples and graphic images that effectively convey the authors’ insights. This is an invaluable resource for those working in this field."

Ken Yeang, AA Dipl., PhD, T. R. Hamzah & Yeang Sdn. Bhd., Architect, Planner, Ecologist.

 

"“The Evolution of Tall Buildings: Reaching New Heights” traces skyscrapers from ancient times to the present and into the near future, showing how the reasons and methods for building tall have evolved. The authors treat skyscrapers as iterative projects, with engineers, developers, and occupants all driving gradual improvements in structural performance, vertical transportation, life safety, and service systems. They lay out an agenda for how this evolution must continue amid climate change, using sustainability, urban linkages, and adaptive reuse to show skyscrapers as parts of larger economic, social, and environmental networks.

“Prof. Ali's wide-ranging experience with tall buildings, particularly as a structural engineer at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, gives him his firsthand insight into record-breaking towers in America, Asia, and the Middle East.  The authors pair this with deep scholarship on historic precedents from Roman apartment blocks to 19th-century iron-framed towers. Beyond covering today's "super" and "mega" tall buildings, the book closes with a call for density alongside height — arguing that skyscrapers are complex social and technical organisms requiring a holistic approach integrating performance, experience, and culture."

Thomas Leslie, FAIA, Ralph E. Johnson Professor of Design, Illinois School of Architecture, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.