skyscraper
Vertical city block
A skyscraper is a very tall building, typically one with many stories supported by a steel frame.
The term emerged in the late 19th century when buildings began rising high enough to seem to scrape the sky.
There's no fixed height threshold—what qualifies as a skyscraper depends on context.
A twenty-story building might be a skyscraper in a small city but unremarkable in Manhattan.
Dubai's 828-meter tower
- Empire StateNew York's sobriquet
- Willis TowerChicago supertall office building
- Petronas TowersKuala Lumpur's iconic towers
- Taipei 101Supertall tower in Taiwan
One World Trade · CN Tower · Chrysler Building · Sears Tower · The Shard · John Hancock
Carbon-hardened iron alloy
- concreteSolid building mixture
- glassTransparent solid from sand
- façadeFalse outward appearance
- cantileverBeam supported one end
girder · truss · beam · column · foundation · cladding · elevator · atrium
Central business district
- metropolisLarge important city
- silhouetteFilled-in outline shape
- horizonApparent earth-sky meeting
- panoramaUnobstructed wide-angle view
vista · district · density · urban · vertical · cluster · canyon · shadowing
Of imposing height
- soaringRising effortlessly upward
- loftyImpressively high or noble
- colossalExtremely large in scale
- monolithicMassive and undifferentiated
supertall · vertiginous · dizzying · imposing · looming · massive · stories · floors
Rented unit in building
- condoOwned multi-unit dwelling
- penthouseTop-floor luxury apartment
- flatLacking vertical variation
- luxuryExpensive nonessential comfort
doorman · concierge · amenities · balcony · view · studio · duplex · unit
Professional work location
- headquartersCentral command location
- corporateOf or relating to companies
- hotelCommercial lodging establishment
- restaurantPlace serving meals
retail · mixed-use · boardroom · convention · coworking · tenant · lease · premium
Lifter or wader
- scaffoldingTemporary exterior work platform
- contractorHired construction professional
- developerOne who builds things
- engineerTechnical design professional
site · foundation · blueprints · zoning · permits · excavation · ironworker · groundbreaking
Able to endure long-term
- energy-efficientUsing minimal power
- biophilicAttracted to living systems
- carbon-neutralNet-zero emissions state
- aerodynamicMinimizing drag through shape
Desire for achievement
- powerEnergy transfer rate
- progressMovement toward improvement
- prosperityGood fortune, success
- statusOne's relative position
prestige · dominance · capitalism · aspiration · wealth · monumentality · hubris · achievement
Burj Khalifa
Dubai's 828-meter tower
- Empire StateNew York's sobriquet
- Willis TowerChicago supertall office building
- Petronas TowersKuala Lumpur's iconic towers
Taipei 101 · One World Trade · CN Tower · Chrysler Building · Sears Tower · The Shard · John Hancock
steel
Carbon-hardened iron alloy
cantilever · girder · truss · beam · column · foundation · cladding · elevator · atrium · blueprint
downtown
Central business district
- metropolisLarge important city
- silhouetteFilled-in outline shape
- horizonApparent earth-sky meeting
panorama · vista · district · density · urban · vertical · cluster · canyon · shadowing · aerial
towering
Of imposing height
monolithic · supertall · vertiginous · dizzying · imposing · looming · massive · stories · floors · height
apartment
Rented unit in building
luxury · doorman · concierge · amenities · balcony · view · studio · duplex · unit · tenant
office
Professional work location
- headquartersCentral command location
- corporateOf or relating to companies
- hotelCommercial lodging establishment
restaurant · retail · mixed-use · boardroom · convention · coworking · tenant · lease · premium
crane
Lifter or wader
- scaffoldingTemporary exterior work platform
- contractorHired construction professional
- developerOne who builds things
engineer · site · foundation · blueprints · zoning · permits · excavation · ironworker · groundbreaking · formwork
sustainable
Able to endure long-term
- energy-efficientUsing minimal power
- biophilicAttracted to living systems
- carbon-neutralNet-zero emissions state
ambition
Desire for achievement
- powerEnergy transfer rate
- progressMovement toward improvement
- prosperityGood fortune, success
status · prestige · dominance · capitalism · aspiration · wealth · monumentality · hubris · achievement · competition
- American Architecturecolonial, Craftsman, bungalow, ranch house, Cape Cod
- Building Heightshigh-rise, mid-rise, low-rise, tower, supertall
- City SightsStatue of Liberty, Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Empire State Building, Sydney Opera House
- high-riseshigh-rise, highrise, elevator, balconies, floor number
- skyscraperstower, high-rise, Empire State Building, Burj Khalifa, Willis Tower
- skylinehigh-rise, cityscape, horizon, silhouette, office tower
skyscraperbungalow
One-story house with porch
ranch house · low-rise · cottage · basement · cellar
skyscraperfarmhouse
Dwelling on agricultural land
barn · cabin · rural cottage · country house · homestead
- modern skyscrapersTall recent urban buildings
- skyscraper heelsVery high-heeled shoes
- skyscraper viewScenery from tall building
- skyscraper designCreating plans for towers
- skyscraper constructionBuilding towering urban structures
- skyscraper architecturePlanning extremely tall buildings