The skyscraper, whatever it may be as physical fact, looms large in our lives and as a figment of our imaginations carries with it ideas of wealth, ambition, and dominance. The image of the skyscraper has been made and remade in the news, in literature and film, and now in all forms of our now global media. Paradoxically, as the building type continues to become more complex and is designed to address fundamentally different cultural conditions, the image, that is to say, the idea, of the skyscraper in the public mind seems to become simpler, more omnipresent, and more consumable.

Tall Building explores what the skyscraper evokes in us as a curious and complex technical achievement and also as a powerful image that has inspired artists for over 100 years. Johnson’s readable text and his intimate knowledge of tall building brings the skyscraper to life both technically and emotionally. Numerous rarely seen images of landmarks of architecture make this book a visual treat.