Thanks to new construction materials, future skyscrapers could reach heights of 500 stories, resembling vertical cities.
Vertical Cities
The city council is currently reviewing three designs for 135-story buildings to be constructed near Central Park. The design by De Simon & Chaplin, one of the world’s leading skyscraper architecture firms, has received the highest praise and is being further developed with economic and technical arguments, making it a strong candidate for approval.
All three skyscrapers are commissioned by construction tycoon Donald Trump. However, some have suggested buildings with 150 stories, reaching up to 500 meters above the city. If this is true, New York City would reclaim the title of the tallest skyscraper on the planet, following its historical achievements with the Chrysler Building (1930 – 345 m), the Empire State Building (1931 – 412 m), and more recently, the “Twin Towers” – the World Trade Center (WTC) (1972 – 451 m). “In the last half-century, there hasn’t been much change in height. From the 102 floors of the Empire State to the 110 floors of the Sears Tower, the increase is only 8 floors,” said Hari Wees, the renowned architect from Chicago who helped construct the 480 m tall Sears Tower in 1974. “The only change has been in form, as skyscrapers have become more elegant and diverse.”
According to H. Wees, we are now facing a “leap” in height that many recently believed to be unattainable. With new, lighter, and more durable building materials, along with new structural forms and faster elevator systems, buildings of 150-200 stories have achieved significant technical capabilities.
Dozens of super-tall skyscrapers are in the design phase, including a 210-story building in Chicago designed by H. Wees himself. “The building I designed is actually a vertical city. It will require its own power plant, telephone center, and post office, as well as independent sewage and piping systems.” Additionally, two other renowned architects, Robert Sobel and Hag Crall, have spent six years working on the concept of a “Great Statue” that would stand 50 stories tall. R. Sobel, who was involved in the creation of the WTC in New York, stated, “From a structural standpoint, the only limit is the sky. The massive 500-story building we are designing could have thousands of stories, as today we have strong enough construction materials and advanced building techniques. A half-mile-high building will soon rise in Houston, designed as a triangular prism, relying on each other for stability against the wind.”
“Swaying in the Wind”
From a structural perspective, the challenges faced by skyscrapers can be divided into two categories: vertical loads caused by gravity and surface loads caused by wind (or earthquakes). If the steel and concrete can withstand the pressure, then it is not a significant concern. Thus, the structural integrity of a skyscraper primarily depends on its ability to handle loads from various surfaces. For outsiders, it may seem strange that the biggest concern is… wind. With speeds of 160 km/h, wind can cause the top of a 300-meter building to shift a full meter off-center.
Of course, in the case of an earthquake, the situation becomes even more complicated. All skyscrapers worldwide currently “sway” in the wind. For instance, the WTC in New York (destroyed by terrorists on September 11, 2001) had a sway period of up to 10 seconds, while the City Coral Building swayed for 6 seconds. To mitigate wind pressure (otherwise, people living on higher floors might experience symptoms akin to seasickness – high blood pressure, while dishes and picture frames would be thrown about), architects create massive openings in all the upper parts of the building or “attach” large concrete blocks (like the City Coral Building – 400 tons) that are “counterbalanced” against the wind direction, providing stability to the rooftops of skyscrapers.
Other Technical Issues
There are still many other issues related to the use of a skyscraper. One of the two towers of the former WTC in New York had 99 elevators, but a 200-story building would require at least three times that number: double-decker elevators serving two floors simultaneously. There will be a super-fast elevator system operating at 700 m/min, stopping, for example, at floors 25, 50, 75, and so forth. From there, transfers to adjacent floors will be managed by a different elevator system operating at a slower speed.
However, increasing speed can lead to health issues such as blood pressure problems, dizziness, and tinnitus, especially in cold weather. Therefore, elevator cabins must maintain a certain level of pressure – consistent like on an airplane, which is not a simple task, as doors are constantly opening and closing. The fear of fire is addressed by creating “fire-resistant zones” every 20 floors. In the event of an emergency, hundreds of thousands of people in a skyscraper cannot rush through the main exit all at once, but they can shelter in these specially designed areas, which can withstand smoke and fire for up to three hours while waiting for rescue teams to arrive…
Social Issues
Once constructed, super-tall skyscrapers will inevitably face inherent social issues. Traffic in the area will increase dramatically, leading to problems such as congestion and pollution. The provision of potable water is also a significant concern, as sourcing the vast amounts of water needed and ensuring the piping systems can withstand “devilish” pressure is challenging. The aviation industry is also affected. The management of John F. Kennedy International Airport has consistently urged the New York City Council not to approve permits for new super-tall skyscrapers, as this could pose dangers to aircraft and helicopters.
Finally, will there be enough people willing to live in such “cloud-scraping” buildings, where office rents do not cover construction expenses? Billionaire D. Trump once remarked: “In America, everyone wants to do something extraordinary, but no one dares to do the crazy thing of living in the tallest building in the world!”.
