Abstract:

The morphological character and the top is the most important component of the tall building in terms of its impression in the city silhouette. Designers of attractive tall buildings, whose investors tend to create a symbolic image, mostly prefer tops with aesthetic expressions. However many tall buildings with slipshod tops create unidentified skylines as it is the case for many modern cities of today. In this paper, the particular issue of visual impact and tops of tall buildings are addressed and a historical category system of seven periods is proposed. Then each period is illustrated in a series of outline figures showing the comparative heights and profiles of leading examples within each category. As a result, it is recognized that tall building design is a holistic process, and it is impossible to consider formal and aesthetic principles in isolation without reference to technology of the era, as well as the investors’ demands. The impact of tall building tops involves a consideration of social values followed by scale and traditional design principles versus contemporary expression of architectural design objectives.                                                Key Words: Tall buildings, skyline, skyscraper, high-rise, aesthetic, urban context.  

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