The global boom in skyscrapers—why it’s happening now, how they’re made, and what they do to cities and people.

We are living in a new urban age and its most tangible expression is the “supertall”: megastructures that are dramatically bigger, higher, and more ambitious than any in history. In Supertall, TED Resident Stefan Al—himself an experienced architect who has worked on some of the largest buildings in the world—reveals the advancements in engineering, design, and data science that have led to this worldwide boom.

Using examples from the past (the Empire State Building, St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower) and present (Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, London’s Shard, Shanghai Tower), he describes how the most remarkable skyscrapers have been designed and built. He explores the ingenious technological innovations—in cement, wind resistance, elevator design, and air-conditioning—that make the latest megastructures a reality. And he examines the risks of wealth inequality, carbon emissions, and contagion they yield while arguing for a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable built environment for everyone.

“Lighter concrete, faster elevators, and even faster-growing cities are part of the formula architect Stefan Al lays out in this foundational book. Rather than describing the latest supertall skyscrapers, he shows us what makes them possible and why cities and companies think they are necessary. Mixing personal experience, history lessons, and explanations of technology that are clear and simple, Al's book shows how and why a new generation of skyscrapers is now under construction around the world.”

Aaron Betsky, author of Architecture Matters

“In Supertall, Stefan Al turns the jumbled skylines of our biggest cities into a powerful story of human possibility. Looking to both past and future, this astonishing synthesis reveals how skyscrapers have made us who we are and can help us become who we want to be.”

Andrew Blum, best-selling author of Tubes and The Weather Machine