New Structural Forms in Tall Buildings

The drive to build even taller has eased off in recent years, certainly in terms of realized construction. Development has instead taken a more complex course than the simple push for height. Structure remains the main determinant of what is feasible with tall buildings. The capacity of engineers in terms of analysis, materials, construction times and control of quality has continued to grow rapidly. This rich comprehension has allowed much greater confidence in design and shows itself as a wide ranging freedom in determining the forms of buildings. Three of today's tall buildings are now described to illustrate this trend, one in Japan and completed in 1991, one in Hong Kong being occupied in 1992 and the third in France awaiting the start of construction. Their different responses to the varying project objectives and contexts show how wide the range of valid designs has become.