In 1889, Chicago’s Rand McNally Building became the first all- steel framed skyscraper.In 1885, the Home Insurance Building in Chicago was completed and is widely recognised as the first skyscraper, despite being only 10 storeys (42 m) tall.Although only 5 storeys tall, the Oriel Chambers in Liverpool, built in 1864, was the first building in the world to use an iron frame and glass curtain wall construction which enabled greater load-bearing capabilities.Today, skyscraper construction is still largely dictated by economics, with the price and availability of urban centre land justifying building upward. From the 19th century onwards, cities started becoming denser, creating the necessity for building upwards to maximise floor space efficiency. Skyscrapers are also a feature of urbanisation. The introduction of iron frame and glass curtain wall construction instead of stone or brickwork meant that buildings could be designed to be much taller than before.In 1857, lifts or elevators meant that building height was no longer such a concern to occupants in terms of safe passage between floors.Two specific innovations in the 19th century made skyscrapers much more practical: The development of more modern construction techniques began with the arrival of the Industrial Revolution. The tall structures built throughout the Middle Ages were intended to fulfill the religious function of acquiring a better connection with the gods, or the military function of enabling a good vantage point. Throughout the history of the built environment, skyscrapers have been developed as prestigious structures demonstrating the power and wealth of a city or nation and producing a sense of wonder.Īlthough the term ‘ skyscraper’ was only coined in the late-19th century – to describe buildings of steel-framed construction of at least 10 storeys – the desire for tall and impressive buildings extends back to the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt and the cathedrals built across Europe. The term ‘ skyscraper’ refers to tall, continuously habitable buildings of 40 floors or more. 4 Related articles on Designing Buildings.
0 kommentar(er)
