The "skyscraper" is a uniquely American invention that has come to symbolize the cultural and economic predominance of the United States in the twentieth century. With the invention of the elevator in 1859 and the development of new building materials and techniques, tall buildings have been occupying the heart of American cities since the late nineteenth century. They are both soaring examples of technological capability and symbols of deeper concerns. As architectural historian Carol Willis wrote in a 1995 book: "Skyscrapers are the ultimate architecture of capitalism. The first blueprint for every tall building is a balance sheet of estimated costs and returns." The modern city, center of economic activity and capital of culture, is unimaginable without skyscrapers.

Several skyscrapers across a cityscape.

While the definition of what qualifies as a skyscraper has changed over the years with increasing technological capabilities, the inherent elements remain the same as a century...