Skyscraper facts for kids

A skyscraper is a super tall building, usually more than 152 metres (500 feet) high! These amazing buildings are often found in busy cities, especially in the downtown areas. You can see lots of skyscrapers in famous cities like New York City, Chicago, London, Tokyo, and Hong Kong.

The Empire State Building, a famous skyscraper in New York City.

The Willis Tower, another famous skyscraper in Chicago.

How Skyscrapers Came to Be

The word skyscraper actually used to mean a very tall sail on a sailing ship. But over time, its meaning changed to describe the huge buildings we see today.

Before the 1800s, buildings rarely went higher than six stories. Why? Well, tall buildings made of weak materials could easily fall down. Also, people didn't like walking up too many stairs, and getting water to the top floors was a big problem – it could only go up about 15 meters (50 feet)!

New Technology Helps Buildings Grow

Thanks to new technology, buildings could finally reach for the sky! Stronger materials like steel and reinforced concrete were invented. These materials made buildings much stronger and safer. Also, new pumps were developed that could push water up to very high floors.

The First Skyscraper

The very first building to be called a skyscraper was the Home Insurance Building. It was built in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States between 1884 and 1885. This building was ten stories high and was designed by William Le Baron Jenney. It was taken down in 1931 to make space for a new building.

Famous Skyscrapers Through Time

In the same year the Home Insurance Building was taken down (1931), one of the most famous skyscrapers ever, the Empire State Building, opened in New York City.

Later in the 20th century, more and more cities around the world started building their own tall towers. In 1973, the Willis Tower (which used to be called the Sears Tower) in Chicago was finished. It became the world's tallest building for many years, until the late 1990s. Before the Willis Tower, the World Trade Center in New York City was the tallest, opening in 1970. Sadly, it was destroyed in the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Since then, even taller buildings have been built! The Taipei 101 in Taipei was the world's tallest from 2004 to 2008. Then, the incredible Burj Khalifa in Dubai opened. The Burj Khalifa is currently the tallest building and man-made structure ever built! But guess what? The Jeddah Tower in Jeddah is still being built, and it will be even taller when it's finished.

Images for kids

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  tallest building]] in the world, with a height of 829.8 metres (2,722 ft). The setbacks at various heights are a typical skyscraper feature.

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  By some measures, what came to be known as a "skyscraper" first appeared in Chicago with the 1885 completion of the world's first largely steel-frame structure, the Home Insurance Building. It was demolished in 1931.

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  Built in 1864, Oriel Chambers in Liverpool is the world's first metal framed glass curtain walled building. The stone mullions are decorative.

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  The Wainwright Building, a 10-storey red brick office building in St. Louis, Missouri, built in 1891

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  Fazlur Rahman Khan is known for making some very important advancements in skyscraper engineering. Sculpture honoring Khan at the Willis Tower.

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  Contemporary skyscrapers in Shanghai

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  Changes of structure with height; the tubular systems are fundamental for supertall buildings.

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  The Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong uses a trussed tube design

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  The Sky Garden in London's 20 Fenchurch Street

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  Hong Kong's high land prices and geographic limitations justify the construction of skyscrapers

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  30 St Mary Axe in London is an example of a modern environmentally friendly skyscraper.

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  Taipei 101, the tallest and largest LEED Platinum certified building in the world since 2011.

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  The original 1 World Trade Center was the world's tallest building from 1971 to 1973

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  The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur were the tallest from 1998 to 2004.

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  Taipei 101, the world's tallest skyscraper from 2004 to 2010, was the first to exceed the 500-m mark.

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  100px]] Habib Bank Plaza was Asia's tallest building from 1963-1968

Related Pages

• List of tallest structures in the world
• List of tallest buildings in Australia
• List of tallest buildings in Thailand
• List of tallest buildings in the United States

See also

In Spanish: Rascacielos para niños