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Will there ever be a mile-high skyscraper? - Stefan Al

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TEDEd Animation

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In 1956, architect Frank Lloyd Wright proposed a mile-high skyscraper, a building five times as high as the Eiffel Tower. While this massive tower was never built, today bigger and bigger buildings are going up around the world. How did these impossible ideas turn into architectural opportunities? Stefan Al explains how these megastructures became fixtures of our city skylines.

Giant skyscrapers are made possible by strong materials, a deep foundation, tuned mass dampers, and fast elevators. What are some other things that can help make buildings taller?

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TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Stefan Al
  • Director Franz Palomares
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Designer Tara Sunil Thomas
  • Illustrator Tara Sunil Thomas
  • Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Fact-Checker Joseph Isaac
  • Associate Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler

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