In recent years, contemporary architectural theory and practice have shifted from a focus on how a building appears to how it performs.

Nowhere are these performative properties more evident than in the field of skyscraper design, where the emergence of ultra-performing materials, interactive processing systems, and digital design and fabrication techniques are making remarkable new structures possible. In Performative Skyscraper, acclaimed skyscraper architect Scott Johnson describes how the combination of sophisticated modeling software and demands for ever-increasing environmental sustainability have led to an overwhelming emphasis on high performance. From advanced window-walls to vertical mixed-use towers, Johnson captures the breadth and immediacy of skyscraper design now.