Description

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A gorgeous graphic tour of the inner workings of skyscrapers—from the author of The Works

Indispensable and unforgettable, The Heights is the ultimate guide to the way skyscrapers work—from the bases of their foundations to the peaks of their spires. With skyscrapers becoming essential elements of urban life, there has never been a greater need for understanding and embracing these complex structures. Using innovative illustrations to tackle the vast complexity of these buildings, The Heights explores with remarkable insight every aspect of designing, building, and maintaining a modern skyscraper, as well as the individuals who build and maintain these architectural cathedrals. In the process, The Heights provides a remarkable snapshot of urban life at the dawn of the twenty-first century.

About the Author

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Kate Ascher is the author of The Works: Anatomy of a City. She serves on the faculty of Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation and manages Happold Consulting’s U.S. practice. She lives in New York City.

Praise For…

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“Lavishly illustrated…meticulously and lucidly deconstructs the design.”
─The New York Times
 
“[An] eye-widening piece of illustrated deconstruction…on the most enduring symbol of city life.”
─Wired
 
“Images of diaphragm walls, skeletal frame systems and elevator shafts may not sound like a colourful depiction of the high life, but a new intricate detailing of the inner workings of the mighty skyscraper might well be one of the most interesting books published all year.”
─The Independent (UK)
 
“A remarkably plain-language reexamination of tall buildings in a sustainability-conscious age…a laudable, one-stop summary that goes beyond lists and photographs of tall buildings and gives a rich grounding in vertical basics that all students of cities both need and deserve”
─The Atlantic Cities