Skyscraper: Designs of the Recent Past and for the Near Future

No other building type captures the imagination like the skyscraper, yet following the World Trade Centre tragedy, its future has been called into question. In Skyscraper, Eric Höweler presents convincing evidence that the future of tall buildings is as secure today as it was over one hundred years ago.

Described and accompanied by striking full-colour photography are over fifty new constructions that punctuate the skylines of the major cities around the world. Incisive essays delve into cutting-edge skyscraper design and building, as well as offering a brief history of the skyscraper, the evolution of the ‘green’ or sustainable skyscraper, their symbolism and design, and the meteoric rise of the skyscraper in Asia. A special section is devoted to the designs for Ground Zero, including never-before-published drawings and plans.

Far from being a dying form, the skyscraper continues to exert a huge influence on the international landscape, and a continued reinvention of the form awaits us in the next decade.