Ashwin Nayanar

 Man has always built monumental structures for the gods, including temples, pyramids and cathedrals which pointed to the sky; however, today’s monuments, i.e. tall buildings, symbolize power, richness, prestige, and glory. Tall buildings, which are usually designed for office or residential use, are primarily a reaction to the rapid growth of the urban population and the demand by business activities to be as close to each other as possible. Today, it is virtually impossible to imagine a major city without tall buildings. Tall buildings are the most famous landmarks of cities, symbols of power, dominance of human ingenuity over natural world, confidence in technology and a mark of national pride; and besides these, the importance of tall buildings in the contemporary urban development is without doubt ever increasing despite their several undeniable negative effects on the quality of urban life. The feasibility and desirability of tall buildings have always depended on the available materials, the level of construction technology, and the state of development of the services necessary for the use of the building. Therefore, advances in structural design concepts, analytical techniques, and a more sophisticated construction industry, in conjunction with the high-strength lightweight materials have made it possible to construct very tall, much more slender and lightweight buildings at a surprisingly low cost premium compared to conventional construction. However, every advance in height comes with a new difficulty and hence the race toward new heights has not been without its challenges as well.