ABSTRACT
This chapter introduces the fifth skyscraper age (ca. 1990-present). As the ubiquity of postmodern architecture reached a high point in the late 1980s, the pendulum started to swing back, producing new styles that integrated shades of Modernism, Postmodernism and other novel forms. In the early 1990s, this process of transformation marked the beginning of a pluralistic phase, or “the fifth skyscraper age” (Jencks, 2005). This age extends into the present and continues to offer a multitude of innovative designs for tall buildings. This “revolution” in iconic tower design does not necessarily represent chaos or anarchism in style. To the contrary, it has yielded remarkable building forms and expressions. Without emphasizing one particular style, architects have instead focused on environmental, emotional, historical and cultural elements of skyscraper design, while continuing to develop new aesthetics. During the fifth age, a shift has taken place in regards to the form, texture and iconography of skyscrapers. This chapter highlights the driving forces that have fostered the emergence of the new iconic tower and then presents a design classification scheme to elucidate the architectural design direction that skyscrapers have been moving toward. Altogether, this chapter provides nearly 40 illustrative project examples to illuminate the various design approaches used during this new age of towers.
