Since the emergence of skyscrapers in Chicago at the end of the 19th century, super high-rise buildings have drastically changed the appearance of major cities worldwide.

Every few decades, the rise of new economies heralds another wave of supertall buildings that will refresh city skylines. From racing to rational construction, let's delve into the architectural history of skyscrapers.

Skyscrapers first sprang up in the late 19th century in New York City and Chicago, where land was expensive and scarce. To accommodate the commercial development of these cities, Chicago added more business areas and built skyscrapers.

Following a great fire in Chicago in 1871, high-rise buildings came into being as a means of saving land in the city center during post-disaster reconstruction.

The city's reconstruction plan extensively adopted new building techniques and materials, including the use of elevators. The resulting Chicago School discussed the application of new technologies in high-rise buildings, as well as the modeling of high-rise buildings.

In the 1920s, with the rapid development of the steel industry, steel structures gradually became the main material of skyscrapers.

In 1929, the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building in New York were completed one after another, becoming the tallest buildings in the world at that time, marking a new stage in the technological development of skyscrapers.

After the 1990s, with the acceleration of globalization and economic development, the number of skyscrapers began to rise again. During this period, Asia became a hotspot for skyscraper construction, such as the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia and the World Financial Center in Shanghai.

Moreover, the design of skyscrapers has become more diverse and innovative, such as the Shard in London and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. In this way, the height of skyscrapers has climbed to unprecedented heights.

However, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom soon issued an order to limit the height of buildings, and European countries also successively issued height limit laws because of the aesthetics and fire safety of skyscrapers.

Later, even the birthplace of skyscrapers, the city of Chicago, stipulated that the height of new buildings should not exceed 40 floors.

In the wave of globalization and increasingly fierce urban competition, the construction of high-rise buildings has become an important means for metropolises to shape an international image and demonstrate economic prosperity.

But in reality, the construction and maintenance costs of supertall buildings are quite staggering. The tallest building in the world currently is the Burj Khalifa, which stands at 828 meters.

Moreover, super high-rise buildings also face a series of challenges and problems. Among them, one of the most prominent issues is security. The fire safety of high-rise buildings, their anti-seismic ability, the durability and safety of building materials, and other aspects need to be highly valued.

In addition, super high-rise buildings will have a significant impact on the surrounding environment and urban traffic. High-rise buildings can cause overcrowding in surrounding areas, putting a lot of pressure on urban traffic.

At the same time, the construction of high-rise buildings may also lead to excessive consumption of land resources and even have adverse effects on the local environment.

As we move forward, it will be important to approach the design and construction of high-rise buildings with a critical and thoughtful perspective and to work towards creating structures that are not only impressive in their height and grandeur, but also sustainable, equitable, and socially responsible.