A Brief History of the Skyscraper
From a 10-story building to China's growing collection of monster buildings. The skyscraper has come a long way.
From a 10-story building that marked the beginning of the skyscraper age to the Empire State Building to China's collection of tall towers. Skyscrapers have come a long way.
1855: The Bessemer Converter
Sir Henry Bessemer patents an affordable method of mass-producing steel: blowing oxygen through molten pig iron to remove impurities. The innovation changes architecture from the ground up.
1857: The Elisha Otis Elevator
A tall building's not such a marvel when you have to take the stairs. Elisha Otis makes the skyscraper a realistic proposition by designing the first truly safe passenger elevator for New York City's five-story E.V. Haughwout department store.
1885: Structural Steel
At 10 stories high, Chicago's Home Insurance Building isn't the tallest structure in town. But it's the first to use structural steel in its frame and to be called a skyscraper.
1903: Reinforced Concrete
A Cincinnati reporter stays up all night waiting for the 15-story Ingalls Building, the first reinforced-concrete skyscraper, to collapse. It's still standing. The reporter isn't.
1931: Empire State Building
NYC reaches for the stars with the Empire State Building, completed in 410 days. The Art Deco marvel is the first to exceed 100 floors; it's the tallest until 1972.
1972: The Twin Towers
The 110-story North Tower of the World Trade Center outgrows the Empire State Building. A year later the South Tower becomes the world's second tallest building.
1973: Chicago Goes Skyward
Chicago's on cloud nine when the Sears Tower becomes the world's tallest building, at 1,451 feet. In 2009, the structure is renamed Willis Tower and adds retractable all-glass balconies.
1998: An Impressive Skybridge
The 1,483-foot Petronas Twin Towers, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, become the world's tallest buildings. The towers connect via a sky bridge that retracts during high winds.
2004: Going Green
Taiwan erects the 1,670-foot-tall Taipei 101, the tallest sustainable skyscraper. Its other records: biggest sundial, largest countdown clock, and fastest ascending elevators (37.7 mph).
2010: A New Champ
Dubai's 2722-foot colossus, the Burj Khalifa, surpasses Taipei 101.
2014: A Spire Controversy
Although only 1,300 tall, the World Trade Center's spire pushes it all the way up to 1,776 feet, which eclipses the previous North American tallest building record holder—the Willis Tower.
2015: China's Boom
While no tower has yet to eclipse the Burj Khalifa, China's economic boom has resulted it many of the world's tallest building. The Shanghai Tower (pictured) is the second tallest building in the world and has one of the world's highest observation decks. It also focuses on green energy sustainability with improved insulation, geothermal energy sources, and recycled rain and waste water infrastructure.
Other impressive towers in China include the Ping An Finance Center (2017), Shanghai World Financial Centre (2008), and China Zun (2018).
Darren lives in Portland, has a cat, and writes/edits about sci-fi and how our world works. You can find his previous stuff at Gizmodo and Paste if you look hard enough.
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