<B>The global boom in skyscrapers—why it's happening now how they're made and what they do to cities and people.</B><br><br><br><br>We are living in a new urban age and its most tangible expression is the 'supertall': megastructures that are dramatically bigger higher and more ambitious than any in history. In <I>Supertall</I> TED Resident Stefan Al—himself an experienced architect who has worked on some of the largest buildings in the world—reveals the advancements in engineering design and data science that have led to this worldwide boom.<br><br><br><br>Using examples from the past (the Empire State Building St. Paul's Cathedral the Eiffel Tower) and present (Dubai's Burj Khalifa London's Shard Shanghai Tower) he describes how the most remarkable skyscrapers have been designed and built. He explores the ingenious technological innovations—in cement wind resistance elevator design and air-conditioning—that make the latest megastructures a reality. And he examines the risks of wealth inequality carbon emissions and contagion they yield while arguing for a more sustainable resilient and equitable built environment for everyone.
