Skyscrapers : Structure and Design

by Matthew Wells

• ISBN13: 9780300106794
• ISBN10: 0300106793
• Format: Trade Book
• Copyright: 2005-09-11
• Publisher: Yale University Press

Summary

Skyscrapers, ever taller, astound us with their immensity and beauty. Despite the challenges associated with their design and safety, there is continued growth in the size and number of tall buildings being built around the world. In this fascinating book, Matthew Wells, a practicing structural engineer, explains the principles behind the construction of skyscrapers and the ways they are designed to withstand such forces as earthquakes, high winds, and fire. Beginning with a concise architectural and cultural history of the skyscraper, Wells then offers thirty case studies of high profile buildings recently built or under construction by some of the world's most renowned architectural firms, including Foster and Partners; Zaha Hadid Architects; Cesar Pelli and Associates; the Renzo Piano Building Workshop; and Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill. Each is illustrated in color alongside accompanying text, drawings, plans, and details that show how the building is constructed and what particular innovative design features it incorporates in order to address such issues as sustainability, the needs of mixed-use sites, local vernacular traditions, and technological advancements in building materials. Skyscrapersfeatures these buildings and more: Commerzbank, Frankfurt, Germany Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia London Bridge Tower, London Turning Torso, Malmo, Sweden AOL Time Warner Center, New York New York Times Building, New York

Author Biography

MATTHEW WELLS is a practicing structural engineer and author of 30 Bridges (2002).