Tall buildings toward sustainable vertical cities

THE great pyramid of Giza once stood for centuries as the tallest building in the world. It became a monument for a civilization that reaches to the heavens and to the stars. But today, our skyscrapers dwarf the great pyramid. With new technology and engineering feat, the men of this century attempt to defy the pull of gravity and reach for the sky with concrete, glass, and steel. Though the ambition is different from our ancient one, the 21st century is driven by necessity. Le Corbusier puts it as marrying the worldly necessities of men in function and form that radiate art and inspiration.

For the next thirty years, population in the Philippines would approximately grow by upwards of fifty million people and there would be a need of two hundred new cities to accommodate them. With 70% of the population projected to live in the urban areas by 2050, the resurgence of the skyscraper city is one of the most important discussions in architecture, engineering, and planning today.