Like is there a specific reason or is it just a design choice? Or do they have so many tall windows to let as much sunlight in as possible?
It just occurred to me since the futuristic full glass look of skyscrapers really stands out against normal building surrounding them.
In: Engineering
Glass isn’t always windows. Glass is cheap, very durable, and not that heavy. It makes a much better cladding for a building that the marble/granite facades of early skyscrapers.
It’s a design choice.
Reasons for it:
1. Lets lots of natural light into the building
2. The windows are more high tech than you might think and can be very energy efficient. There are more efficient systems, but glass can be pretty good, particularly when you’re trying to keep heat in.
3. People like the look. This is subjective, obviously, but a common attitude with developers.
4. Once the slab edge is ready the cladding can go up very quickly and in one phase. With something like brick facade backed by wall studs you first have the light gauge sub come in and install the studs, then you inspect it and the have the Sheetrock folks come in, then you inspect that and then have the waterproofing folks come along, then you inspect that, then you have the brick folks come along and install the brick. In contrast with fully glazes systems it’s an all-in-one package and they just drop the panels into inserts cast into the slab.
It’s for both aesthetic and practical reasons.
Aesthetically it looks stylish, and allows for a lot of options for colors and tinting. It also makes the offices inside more desirable when they have big windows with nice views and lots of natural light.
Practically glass is lighter and easier to install and maintain than a lot of other cladding materials. Skyscrapers also almost always carry their weight on internal support beams so structural strength isn’t a big concern for the exterior walls.
Fun fact: If all the glass in Manhattan were to break, you would have a glass sea 35 feet deep!
Cheaper, easier to build, easier maintenance (it’s a pain to tick point a tall concrete/stone building), less busy design, less issue with privacy/people seeing in.
Skyscrapers are steel-framed. Leaving the option of all glass or not.
Smaller buildings 2- 5 stories are usually wood framed. And more space is taken up by structure and the need for solid sheer walls. Leaving less room for Windows.
Doing brick, concrete or cladding systems is not really practical at skyscraper height mostly because of weight. Glass and aluminum extrusions is so much lighter and easier to get up there and install. Most of the load bearing elements of tall structures is concentrated within the building core, putting heavier materials at the perimeter could make for an unbalanced structure.
Since people have listed advantages already
I request someone to list the disadvantages as well
Can I add to this question? How come people don’t fall through those glasses? Like I’ve never heard about an accident of someone falling through one of those.
One thing that no one pointed out is the architectural style.
We tend to draw a line between traditional and modern architecture. In a nutshell, traditional architecture is constrained by exterior walls being load bearing. Windows are introduced into the walls. More windows means less wall strength and worse heat efficiency, both are problematic in traditional architecture.
In contrast, modern architecture takes advantage of new materials and systems. With the advent of steel frame, my walls do not have to be load bearing any more. With HVAC, I can sacrifice some energy efficiency. This means I can put windows whenever. For an office building, modularity is important, so converting all the walls into windows makes practical sense — can put up walls and cut floors into offices without regards to where the windows are with regards to the facade. Thus we say that while traditional architecture is about the facade, modern architecture is about enclosing space.
By putting functionality over looks, modern architecture tends to be much more accepted in commercial buildings compared to residential ones. At the same time, there is no way to build a skyscraper using traditional methods. This is why most skyscrapers you see will be built in modern style and residential neighborhoods largely not.
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