Since ancient times tall buildings were associated with awe, worship, achievement and magnificence. The constantly growing ambition of humans to conquer the relentless laws of nature as well as to reach the sky by building has driven them to discover new methods and building techniques using innovative material. There is a major development of tall buildings at the end of the 19th century, when young architects considering the industrial and economic reality suggested the construction of a new model of a multi-story building, the skyscraper. This way, the tall building starts changing completely the scale, the appearance, the understanding of the cities, as well as the perception that people have of them. Nowadays, the model of the skyscraper, either as an architectural or as an economic element, is widely used in contemporary cities or determines the organization of the urban landscape to a great extent. 

This specific research study entitled “Tall buildings: Their evolutionary march in time… The 4th generation skyscrapers” studies tall buildings in general through a complete global historic retrospect together with the study of the architecture of the 4th generation skyscrapers. The 4th generation skyscrapers, thanks to the new developments and possibilities of the technology in the field of architecture, have managed to reach extreme heights developing their diversity at the same time. They stand out and differ from all the other buildings since they develop particular techniques in regard to their composition and the material they use, as well as a particular attention to the choice of their structural organization due to their great height.

In a nutshell, by mentioning the advantages and disadvantages of tall buildings we pursue a better understanding of the vertical urban development of large cities. Do skyscrapers actually offer quality coverage of the needs not only of the urban community but also the people or do they lead to unfavorable situations? Can Greece follow the lead of large cities, such as America, Asia and the rest of Europe?