Skyscraper

As skyscrapers are called skyscrapers particularly high, usually above 100 meters in height. They are often viewed as symbols of economic power and the pursuit of growth, for their builders and owners they can fulfill representative purposes. The German term is a calque of the English skyscraper, which in turn comes from the jargon of sailors, where it denotes the highest mast of a sailing ship.

Demarcation

First and foremost, a building distinguished by the fact that it is used by people to live and work. Skyscrapers are usually solitary building with turmartigem character and high urban autonomy. These features and the high altitude make it a special form of the skyscraper - a term that generally applies to all buildings with a height of over 40 meters or more than 12 storeys.

Not to the skyscrapers is one you send or television towers such as the CN Tower in Toronto or observation towers like the Eiffel Tower, as their fewest levels be used for living or working. Such towers are therefore also referred to not as a building but as a ( detached ) buildings.

The tallest building, as well as building in the world is the Burj Khalifa ( Burj Dubai during construction ) in Dubai with a structural height of 828 meters, a total height of 830 meters and 163 usable floors ( at least 189 total ). He reached his final height in January 2009 and was opened in January 2010.

History

Pyramids

The Egyptian pyramids, the Pyramids of Giza in particular, can be ( about 2500 BC), considered the first " skyscraper ". The highest of the three pyramids, the Great Pyramid, originally 146 meters high, measures 137 meters today.

The Mesopotamian counterpart to the Pyramids were the ziggurats in Iraq today. The reconstructed ziggurat of the moon god Nanna was around 25 meters high. The most famous ziggurat is mentioned in the Bible Tower of Babel, a ziggurat in Babylon, are obtained from the foundations.

For Central America, the pyramids of the Toltecs, Aztecs and Mayans are known. The main pyramid of Teotihuacán in Mexico today was 63 meters high. The main pyramid at Tikal in Guatemala today reached a height of 47 meters.

The Nataraja temple in Chidambaram in South India was constructed with 45 meters high, steeply stepped pyramids in the 13th century.

Ancient skyscrapers

In the fresco " the ship procession " in Akrotiri on Santorini, showing a procession of ships on the journey from Thira to Crete, multi-storey houses can be seen, which were also detected in the excavations at Akrotiri.

In the Roman Empire there were at least in Rome and its port Ostia four-to five-storey high-rise buildings, latin called insulae. Papyri from Oxyrhynchus point to seven-story high-rise buildings around 300 AD in Hermopolis Magna in today's Egypt.

Medieval residential towers

In the Middle Ages there were in many Italian cities, residential towers, which were built by influential urban families for reasons of prestige in the height ( gender tower). So had the Italian city of Bologna in the 12th -13th centuries 80 to 100 towers, of which just under 20 have received. Below the tower Azzoguidi called Altabella (61 meters ), the tower Prendiparte called coronata are (60 m), the towers Scappi (39 m), Uguzzoni (32 m), Guidozagni, Galluzzi and the Towers Asinelli (97 m) and Garisenda ( 48 m).

The town of San Gimignano in Tuscany still has a medieval town view with some residential towers. Of the once 72 famous towers still exist today 15 The two highest, the. Torre Grossa from the year 1311 and the Torre della Rognosa, have a height of 54 or 51 meters on

Six -to seven -story apartment buildings from the 16th century are also known from the city of Shibam in Hadramaut in Yemen.

19th century

Which is regarded as the birthplace of the skyscraper - - end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, the major U.S. cities and especially Chicago and New York City did ( in other short New York) shows the construction of ever higher buildings.

In 1871 came the Great Fire of Chicago, which destroyed 17,450 buildings in the heart of the business district of the city. Within six weeks, construction began on 300 new buildings, allowing architects opened up new horizons. Between 1880 and 1890, the population of Chicago had doubled to over a million, which led to an explosion of land prices in the city center. While one square meter in 1880, still $ 130, he sevenfold by the year 1890 almost up to 900 U.S. dollars.

To operate profitably, began landowners, their land areas to make maximum use - which meant higher to build. Thanks to new inventions such as electric elevators, fire firmer materials, but mainly by the development of the skeleton structure and steel framed structure in building construction, this was possible. On May 22, 1888, the architect Leroy S. Buffington of Minneapolis received a U.S. patent ( number 383 170 ) to a construction of steel structures.

The Home Insurance Building of 1885 (1931 demolished) was the first building that united the new technical achievements, and is with its ten floors as the first skyscraper in the world. The 1889 built by Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan Auditorium Building had also - in addition to its near-perfect acoustics - as a novelty air conditioning on.

Around the first steel skeleton in Chicago was a group of architects, William Jenney, Louis Sullivan, Daniel Burnham, William Holabird and Martin Roche, which today is referred to as the Chicago School. This group coined the economic architecture of Chicago and the East of the United States prevail.

Between 1890 and 1894, the Reliance Building was built, which is considered the precursor of the glass curtain wall construction, which should later determine the " international style ". It is considered a masterpiece of the Chicago School.

1892 New York City rose for the first time in the race a the tallest building. Called The New York World Building and Pulitzer Building, but was overtaken in the same year from the 22 -story Chicago Masonic Temple and Women's. However, the World Building is including the antenna was about two feet higher than the Masonic Temple, whereby the height record was questionable. For some, was the world building the tallest building, for others the Masonic Temple. Both buildings were demolished over time.

1894 exceeded the Manhattan Life Building at 106 meters for the first time the 100-meter mark.

1899, the Park Row Building was completed in New York, which was the tallest building in the world with a height of 119 meters to 1908. Contrary to many other claims was the world-famous 87-meter- high Fuller Building (or Flatiron Building ) never the tallest building in the world.

First half of the 20th century

The City Council of Philadelphia (Philadelphia City Hall) is not really a high-rise building, the city hall tower is therefore usually regarded as a tower rather than a high-rise. Nevertheless, it was the tallest building from 1901 to 1908 and exceeded 167 meters for the first time the height of the highest building until then, of Ulm Minster.

The first skyscraper with a height of over 150 meters was completed in 1908 in New York: the Singer Building with a height of 187 meters and a highly ornate, colorful and palatial facade. The Singer Building was demolished despite its historical significance in 1968 to make way for One Liberty Plaza, also known as U.S. Steel Building. To date, the Singer Building is the tallest building ever demolished controlled the world.

1909 was also built in New York in the 213 -meter high Metropolitan Life Tower (Met Life Tower ). The next skyscraper, which were the highest in the world at the time of its construction were built in New York: 241 meters high and significantly more massive than any predecessor, the Woolworth Building, built in 1913, which due to its shape, appearance and function the nickname " cathedral of commerce " received.

The 1915 -built Equitable Building rang forced a new style one: Because of the massive construction, it took the many smaller buildings around the sun. After the 1916 set Zoning Resolution for New York City building had to be upwardly thinner. Although this law was only in New York, this style was also applied in other cities, although there was no rule there.

1924 flowed to the American Radiator Building for the first time the style of Art Deco in the architecture of high-rise buildings, a, which particularly in New York today has a relevant influence on the cityscape. Around the same time, a long with about 2 years to build, also the Barclay - Vesey Building was built in New York. The Barclay - Vesey Building is considered the first begun and the American Radiator Building as the first completed high-rise building in the Art Deco style.

In 1929 there were in New York for an interesting race for the tallest building. In Downtown was the tower of the Bank of Manhattan, 40 Wall Street, built the Chrysler Building in Midtown. For a short time the builders of 40 Wall Street with 283 meters believed to have won the race, but was William Van Alen, architect of the Chrysler Building, assemble the top hidden inside the building and put into its final position on 23 October 1929. This was ultimately much higher the Chrysler Building with 319 meters and also the first time surpassed the 300 -meter mark. The Chrysler Building still enjoys a certain reputation as "the most beautiful skyscrapers ever," which is primarily due to its elegant, curved roof structure.

As early as 1931 was followed by the Empire State Building with a height of 381 meters ( with the patch antenna 449 meters in 1950, according to antenna replacement in 1984 with 443 meters ), made famous by the movie King Kong and the white woman. The Empire State Building remained until 1972, the tallest building in the world. Thus, it could last the longest of all high-rise buildings the world record. This was due in part to economic reasons, on the other hand, the technical possibilities were with the classic steel frame gradually exhausted.

In 1932, completed in Philadelphia and 150 meters high PSFS Building is considered the first skyscraper in the International Style. There were already other buildings such as the Grant Building (1928 ) in Pittsburgh, where already less emphasis on ornaments and more emphasis was placed on glass, or the McGraw- Hill Building (1931 ) in New York that even more on the concept of the International style is based, but in these buildings other styles were involved and both were built stepwise by the zoning Resolution. The PSFS Building was built entirely without ornaments and without gradations.

In 1932 the construction of the Metropolitan Life North Tower, now also Metropolitan Life North Building (Met Life North Building ) was called, began. It was originally supposed to have 100 floors and be 400 meters high. Due to problems of financing by the world economic crisis of 1933 construction was halted in the amount of 29 storey. Only in 1950 has completed it at a height of 137.5 meters and 30 storeys. Technically, one could expand the building at any time up to the time planned height.

After the Second World War was mainly built in the International style. Concrete, stones and ornaments fell by the wayside, the façades consisted primarily of steel or aluminum and glass. The Lever House and the Seagram Building were among the first of this generation.

Second half of the 20th century

In 1969, began with the completion of the John Hancock Center again competing for the tallest building in the world, the 344 meters already, all buildings in the world, except the Empire State Building towered.

1972 was completed with 417 meters, the first of the two towers of the World Trade Center. With the built in 1978 antenna on the North Tower (WTC 1 ) reached the World Trade Center even 527 meters. The southern tower measured 415 meters.

In 1974, Sears Tower, Willis Tower opened in July 2009 in Chicago. With a height of 442 meters, he took the title of world's tallest building. Only in 1998, this title he was removed from the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur with 452 meters height. The record of the Petronas Towers, however, is controversial, as the Willis Tower is significantly higher to the roof or up to the top floor, with a much higher height to mast top and much more besides floors has (for height Armed see below, height measurement at skyscrapers ). In 2001 destroyed the World Trade Center was higher than the Petronas Towers in all these categories.

21st Century

In 2004, the Taipei was opened in Taipei 101. It is 508 meters high and sparked the Petronas Towers as the tallest building in the world from. Furthermore, however, remained the Willis Tower with its antenna tip to 527 meters the tallest building on the criterion height to tip.

On 17 January 2009, the Burj Khalifa reached its structural and official final height of 828 meters and with its 830 meters height to tip not only the tallest skyscraper, but also the world's tallest building ever built. Thus it was since the establishment of the Empire State Building is the first time that the title of highest building (which also masts and towers miteinschließt ) went back to a skyscraper. The building was opened on 4 January 2010.

In Europe, in December 2003 sparked the Triumph- Palace in Moscow with 264 meters and 54 floors to 56 floors with 259 meters high Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt am Main on the first place of the ranking of the tallest building in Europe from. The title was won in 2007 at the 268 meters with its slightly higher Naberezhnaya Tower C. Since the year 2012 is the 310 meter high skyscraper, the Shard in London in the first place on the continent (see list of skyscrapers in Europe).

In Beijing in 2009 was caused by the 234 meter high building of the China Central Television Headquarters ( CCTV) by the architect Rem Koolhaas, a new form of skyscraper in the form of a stirrup or a bow. This design was equally as important, although this building contributed to its comparatively low height to any record.

Future Development

Since the 1990s, more skyscrapers to be built again. While there after the completion of the Empire State Building (1931 ) and the Sears Tower (1974, now called the Willis Tower ) to the next level each record lasted decades, this period has shortened to a few years since 1998.

In total there are currently about 27 buildings with more than 400 meters under construction. The financial crisis starting in 2007 led to some settlement freeze or total deletions. The trend towards high-rise but basically remains unbroken to many economic, settlement and economic ( but this is disputed) ecological reasons for this.

By 2015, many super tall skyscraper to be built, so that the list of the tallest skyscrapers will change at the top. Many of the new record-breaking skyscrapers arise or are planned in Asia, but some also in the USA.

The maximum achievable height of skyscrapers is technically about 1.5 up to 2 km - higher buildings would indeed be constructed, but hardly usable as a building, as the skyscraper almost only could bear his own construction. However, it is possible that this limit is shifted in the future through the use of new artificial materials further up.

Examples:

→ See List of tallest buildings in the world: the tallest skyscrapers under construction; Building freeze

• One World Trade Center with 541 meters, which is built on the site of the World Trade Center in New York, is the tallest office building in the world.

• Shanghai Tower with 632 meters in Shanghai, China
• Busan Lotte World Tower with 510 meters in Busan, South Korea
• World One with 442 meters in Mumbai, India ( is expected to the highest residential building in the world )

Was announced for Dubai Nakheel Tower more than 1,000 meters, the Burj Khalifa are designed to replace as the tallest building and structure in the world would. This calculated to ten years of construction, construction project was abandoned in December 2009.

Since 2013, the Kingdom Tower under construction in Saudi Arabia will be over 1,000 meters high, the opening is planned for 2019.

Height measurement at skyscrapers

The International Commission Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat ( CTBUH ) is the " guardian " of the records of tall buildings, which determines the official record heights of the tallest buildings in the world on the basis of their present altitude. Originally four categories were defined for the ranking of the buildings, which currently apply nurmehr three.

Is always measured from the level of the lowest, located in the main free access for pedestrians to the building (' Height is Measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to ...' ):

The fourth category, height up to the roof, was abolished in 2009, as with many newer buildings architectural reasons no longer clear the roof is to be defined.

The height to the absolute peak height is only used in comparisons, when a building is generally in a speech. Therefore, it can happen when comparing two buildings over and over again that one, although the taller buildings, but the other is the higher building. The Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai, for example, has an architectural level of 421 meters, but has no antenna. Although the Empire State Building has a total height to antenna of 443 meters, but an architectural height of only 381 meters. Thus, the Jin Mao Tower is indeed higher than the building, but not referred to as the higher building.

Especially when it comes to the world record, it therefore always comes back to disagreements. The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur have a roof height of 378 meters, the highest level is situated on 375 meters. On the roof is still a metal tip, which 452 meters are reached. Since the metal spikes are counted for the building construction, the towers were in 1998 the official world record for the tallest building. Subsequently, there was a heated discussion. The Willis Tower in Chicago ( Sears Tower until 2009 ) has a roof and structural height of 442 meters, the highest level is situated on 412 meters. Thus, the Willis Tower would be significantly higher than the Petronas Towers in at least two of the three categories. Hotly debated is whether the metal tips of the Petronas Towers may ever be considered for architectural building height, or otherwise for the comparison of the official amount you would have to take into account as well as the antenna of the Willis Tower and he thus 527 meters to the tip is high with this one.

The recently built ever more numerous and ever higher aspiring skyscrapers have brought it about that further sub-groups were introduced to the structural level:

• Skyscraper (English, skyscraper '): 150 to 299.99 meters, construction time about 2-4 years
• Super Tall Skyscraper (german, super tall skyscraper '): 300 to 499.99 meters, construction time about 3-5 years
• Hyper Tall Skyscraper (English, hyper- tall skyscraper '): 500 meters, construction time about 5 years

Historical development of the individual records since 1930

→ Main article: List of tallest structures of its time