Typological Aspects of High-Rise Buildings
Towers on churches, town halls and other public buildings were once a crowning architectural feature and emblematic of many different aspirations. Times have changed, however. Towers and spires rising on top of stately edifices have become redundant. They have been replaced by structures that are towers in their own right: skyscrapers that are becoming ever taller and more slender. The Burj Dubai (Tower of Dubai) Hotel, for example (ill. 7), may rise to a height of 800 metres on completion, but within a few years, it will probably be overtaken by an even taller building in Shanghai or Tokyo.
