A study on main architectural and structural design considerations of contemporary supertall buildings

The design of supertall buildings (300m+) involves many professionals from several disciplines. The need for coordination among numerous experts, increases complexity of the entire process, which is typically conducted under the leadership of the architect, or sometimes the contractor. Consequently, the architects designing supertall buildings must be aware of architectural and structural design considerations and their interrelations. In this paper, the main architectural design considerations and structural system details of supertall buildings are studied; these include 93 completed or under construction buildings from the 1980s onwards. This study analyses the contemporary trends in main architectural and structural design considerations and corresponding interrelations. In addition, more inclusive and consistent classifications of structural system, building form, and core planning are proposed. The comparison between design considerations over the new proposed classifications is intended to aid and direct architects in the planning and development of supertall building projects as a basic guideline.