Skyscrapers have been around since the so-called
"Chicago-style" architecture arose in the
1880's. Developers routinely seek to push the envelope on
height in order to gain more rentable space, and make the structure
economically viable. Bloomberg reports today that a mile-high skyscraper may
be possible by 2025. Exactly what are we proving to ourselves
by designing and building structures this tall? Is there a
height limit on cost-effectiveness?
The consensus is that any building over one kilometer tall will
require two or three buildings at the base, with connections
between or among them at higher elevations in order to provide
stability and bracing. To put this height in perspective, the
Burj
Khalifa in Dubai, the current tallest building, is 818 meters;
it will be eclipsed by the Kingdom Tower, in Jeddah, which reportedly will
reach one kilometer when completed in 2018 (original plans to build
it to the height of one mile were abandoned).
