Supertall cover art

Supertall

How the World's Tallest Buildings Are Reshaping Our Cities and Our Lives

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Supertall

By: Stefan Al
Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
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About this listen

The global boom in skyscrapers—why it's happening now, how they're made, and what they do to cities and people.

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 Supertall, 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.

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.

©2022 Stefan Al (P)2022 Tantor Architecture Engineering History History & Culture Technology

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Most relevant
I was looking for a long time for a book like this. Describing what we see in ever growing and building cities like London, Dubai, Chicago, New York, Paris and more. We tend to see walking under towers and pay very little attention to them but it’s time to raise our heads and start thinking about them. This book opens dialog how future of our cities can look. Great book, well written with excellent narration.

Incredible book!

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