Vertical education

With the advent of skyscreapers and a sort of engineering architecture, a new way of occupying space has been reached, developing real cities in height, which have now become the symbol of man's power.

However, it is clear that these cities would not exist if they lacked strong economic support at the base, combined with a specific political and cultural vision.

But where does a country's economic development emerge?

Walking through the streets, what strikes the scrutiner's attention, a symptom of a growing city, is the presence of construction sites.

The construction of skyscrapers is strongly conditioned by the historical and cultural heritage of a country, and this is the reason why whenever we think of large buildings, we cannot fail to refer to the United States. We were led to believe by the great masters of the Chicago school, such as Henry Richardson and Louis Sullivan, with the first Guaranty Building and Auditorium Building.

The birth of the skyscraper is closely linked to the first large steel constructions and the development of the elevator system. From here begins the real education in the vertical, which in the various countries of the world, has determined a real rush to construct increasingly excessive and flexible buildings, capable of covering residential, commercial and decision-making areas.

The height is not the only one to determine the characteristics of a skyscraper, in fact, over time, even the shape has been added. If in the past the skyscrapers acquired a more angular and essential physiognomy, today they have more sinuous features. At the same time, the point of arrival of technological growth has become the origin of an increasingly demanding society, which in turn has changed the needs of manufacturers. At the moment it is not possible to give a clear reading of the near future, but I am sure that we will continue to design in height and to shape skyscrapers that are increasingly pushed and representative.

Andrea Sanò