Skyscrapers express wealth and power of the city

Monday January 4 was the first day in the office in 2010, and immediately it was a busy one for the staff of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH). The opening of Burj Khalifa, triggered massive media attention. Many press people from around the world wanted to know our opinions and insights on all sorts of questions, such as what the launch of Burj Khalifa symbolises in terms of advancements, what the main factors are that differentiate Burj Khalifa from other tall buildings, what does the launch of Burj Khalifa mean for Dubai, and what is the most impressive aspect of the building? Fascination To answer some of the questions raised above: like no other building, Burj Khalifa embodies the development of Dubai in becoming a global city. It's being used as an iconic image in articles about Dubai, and its opening was a global news item. In a way, the tower is the biggest marketing campaign the city could have thought up. Because for as long as humanity has erected houses, it has been fascinated by tall building. Since the oldest myths up until the recent completion of the tallest buildings ever built, tall buildings have symbolised the human desire to climb higher and expressed the wealth and power of those who commissioned them. Tall buildings trigger the fascination of men for challenging the laws of nature, and the fun it is to overview the world from above. Icons The history of skyscrapers shows many iconic buildings, and all of them come with a special story. The Empire State Building is a true symbol of New York City, which had been known as the tallest building for a long time, since it was built in 1931. The 102-storey building, made famous by the fictional character of King Kong, was topped out within 18 months. During construction, 3,500 people, which is the population of a small town, went to work on it every day. Almost 60,000 tonnes of steel and about 10 million bricks were used during construction. Even today, these are magical numbers. The United States is the birthplace of the modern skyscraper. The invention of the elevator and the development of the steel frame structure allowed cities to develop buildings that respond to high land prices, allowed for an effective utilisation of commercial space, and solve urban residential problems. In the past 25 years, much of the focus on development of tall buildings has shifted to Asia. Malaysia, China, Taiwan and South Korea have seen some remarkable developments, such as the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Taipei 101, the Jin Mao Building and World Financial Centre in Shanghai and the International Finance Centre in Hong Kong. These super-skyscrapers are in a league of mega-tall buildings that really cannot be rationalised though economic theories, urban scarcity and steep land prices. As such, these towers are very much iconic buildings, aiming at those who want an exclusive office or apartment, an iconic address and breathtaking views. Put your name and that of Burj Khalifa or Empire State Building on an envelope, and no postal service in the world will have problems delivering the mail. Tall buildings can be economical when it comes to saving space, high land prices, and creating density, but at some point, the height of a building doesn't have a rational meaning any more, but an emotional one. One could argue that the difference between a tall building and a skyscraper is vanity height. But of course, there is nothing wrong with that. Because of their visibility and presence in the urban landscape, skyscrapers have incorporated various messages throughout history. In the course of the 20th century, the iconic effects of skylines and skyscrapers gradually became another main cause for tall buildings, overtaking the need for density, especially when it comes to super tall buildings. Density became visibility, which is now being used to mimic density and urbanity. Tallness (and hence visibility) can embody various messages, from an individual expression to values representing a society as a whole or the time of development. Building tall and iconic has been a way to make a presence in this world for centuries. Starchitect But as buildings grow taller and architectural styles change, new techniques must be developed. In the past decades we have seen the rise of the starchitect, which is a contraction of the words star and architect. Starchitects create very iconic and quality buildings, but also designs that can be very recognisable for their portfolio. When commissioning a starchitect, one can be sure to get an iconic building, but what does it tell you about the city and how does it relate and contribute to its environment? These are important questions to ask. An important message that is being incorporated in today's development of tall buildings is that of sustainability. The ways in which tall buildings can help to create a more sustainable urban habitat has been a vital topic within the CTBUH for many years. Many new develo