Building higher, ever higher, is the culmination of an ancient dream, from the mythical tower of Babel to the Eiffel tower.



A landmark feature for over two centuries in the cityscapes of New York, Chicago, Rio or Sao Paulo, towers have now reached Asia where they are beating all records for height. A building over one kilometre high is being planned in Malaysia. Far from going out of fashion, this architectural challenge has become an essential element of the contemporary urban landscape. All over the globe, architects rival each other in originality and engineers in their use of stronger and lighter materials.