Skyscrapers
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Structure and Design
Matthew Wells
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Format: ClothPrice: $60.00
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.
Skyscrapers features these buildings and more:
• Commerzbank, Frankfurt, Germany
• Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• London Bridge Tower, London
• Turning Torso, Malmö, Sweden
• AOL Time Warner Center, New York
• New York Times Building, New York
Matthew Wells is a practicing structural engineer and author of 30 Bridges (2002).
“Whatever statement contemporary buildings make, Wells’ generously illustrated album translates it for architecture fans.”—Booklist
Stands out for the detailed way it studies—not just ogles—the objects of affection.
"This richly illustrated book takes us on a tour of twenty-nine case studies—descriptions of buildings and meditations on their designs, materials, and purpose. The color photographs and graphic designs enrich our understanding of these modern temples; Wells explains how they get built, how they stay up, and what construction features are unique to each. Some provoke us to scratch our heads in wonder, others drop the jaw. All are fun to look at and contemplate."—Virginia Quarterly Review
Publication Date: September 11, 2005
75 b/w + 175 color illus.
