ABSTRACT
The very existence of skyscrapers is dependent upon structure. Along with the invention of the elevator, the creation of tall building structural systems has enabled the era of the skyscraper. As the structural engineering of tall buildings advances, so do the opportunities to create architecture that had not previously existed. Structure is the armature upon which all other parts of the building reside, so it must respond to, and work with, the forces of nature and the architectural functions of the tower. The possibilities of structure form the basis for the possibilities of skyscrapers.
