The construction of high-rise buildings is often accompanied by highly emotional debate. On the one hand, this building type is seen as a solution for the current challenges facing cities; on the other, it is viewed as aesthetically unacceptable or as an expression of undesirable gentrification. Modern designs demonstrate a typological fatigue that stands in stark contrast to the structural richness of the high-rises of past decades. Referring to a catalogue of 100 projects, Falk Schneemann provides a critical overview of the development of high-rises in West Germany between 1945 and 1980. By taking both a philosophical and developmental approach to the technology involved, he identifies breaks with tradition and moments of innovation that contribute to a foundational understanding of this type of building and enable a better assessment of current developments.
