1st Edition

Understanding Tall Buildings A Theory of Placemaking

By Kheir Al-Kodmany Copyright 2017
    270 Pages
    by Routledge

    270 Pages
    by Routledge

    In recent years, the rapid pace of tall building construction has fostered a certain kind of placelessness, with many new tall buildings being built out of scale, context and place. By analyzing hundreds of tall buildings and by providing hundreds of visuals that inspire, stimulate and engage, Understanding Tall Buildings contends that well-designed tall buildings can rejuvenate cities, ignite economic activity, support social life and boost city pride. Although this book does not claim to possess all the solutions, it does propose specific tall building design guidelines that may help to promote placemaking. Through this work, it is the author’s hope that ill-conceived developments will become less common in the future and that good placemaking will become the norm, not the exception. This book is a must-read for students and practitioners working to create better tall buildings and better urban environments.

     

    Acknowledgements

    Dedication

    List of Figures

    Introduction

    PART I: The Urban Design Dimension

     Chapter 1: Tall Buildings and Imageability

    Chapter 2: City Skyline 

    PART II: The Architectural Dimension 

    Chapter 3: The Rise of the Iconic TowerChapter 4: The New Age of the Iconic Tower 

    PART III: The Human Dimension

     Chapter 5: The Tower Base

    Chapter 6: Urban PlazasChapter 7: Public Parks and Open Spaces 

    PART IV: The Transport Dimension 

    Chapter 8: Tall Buildings and the Transport SystemChapter 9: Case Studies: Tall Buildings and Transit Oriented Development

    Chapter 10: Placemaking and Tall Buildings: Ten Planning Guidelines 

    Bibliography

    Index

    Biography

    Kheir Al-Kodmany is a Professor of Sustainable Urban Design at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Having published over 100 articles on planning and design, this is Dr. Al-Kodmany’s fourth book on tall buildings. He previously worked as an architect at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

    "This book is a must read if you want to understand tall buildings in multiple dimensions - from human scale to architectural and urban design."

    Kyoung Sun Moon, PhD, AIA, Associate Professor, Yale University School of Architecture