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The Home Insurance Building in Chicago, photographed around 1926, was a groundbreaking structure. Unfortunately, it was demolished in 1931. Discover more photos of skyscrapers.
Chicago History Museum/Getty ImagesAs of 2011, the Burj Khalifa, a towering structure completed between 2004 and 2009 in Dubai, holds the title of the tallest building in the world. It reaches a height of 828 meters (2,717 feet) and houses over 163 floors, not including its spire. This colossal building, with its 206 stories, continues to define the Dubai skyline [source: Glass Steel and Stone]. The Burj Khalifa stands as the latest addition to a long history of skyscrapers pushing the boundaries of architectural design.
Though we've been constructing homes, offices, and businesses for centuries, the term "skyscraper" only entered architectural vocabulary in 1884. Skyscrapers are typically known for their height, though there's no specific height requirement to classify a building as one. So, what truly makes a skyscraper? It all began with the Home Insurance Building in Chicago. This 10-story marvel is hailed as the first structure in the world to incorporate a steel skeleton to bear its weight. This innovation became the key feature for modern skyscrapers [source: Chicago Architecture Info].
When architects began using iron and steel in construction, they unlocked the ability to build taller and more durable structures without the need for thick, heavy stone walls. These incredibly strong materials enabled the rise of buildings with 10, 20, and eventually over 100 stories. However, strength alone is not enough—the taller the buildings, the more complex the construction process. Architects must contend with challenges such as wind resistance to ensure that high-altitude gusts don’t cause the buildings to twist or collapse. Today's architects owe many of their solutions to the pioneering work of William Le Baron Jenney and the Home Insurance Building.
The Home Insurance Building: The First Skyscraper
In the 1880s, as William Le Baron Jenney designed the Home Insurance Building in Chicago, he had an innovative idea: to replace the heavy stone with metal to support the 10-story structure. At one point, the city of Chicago paused construction to assess the stability of the building and its new structural approach, which employed a frame to bear the weight rather than traditional load-bearing walls [source: PBS]. Jenney’s plan proved effective—the metal frame was more capable of handling the weight.
Jenney started constructing the building with an iron frame but switched to steel midway through the project. This decision proved pivotal in architectural history, as the Home Insurance Building set the blueprint for future skyscraper designs. While the steel used was costly, it offered multiple benefits: thinner walls allowed for more spacious interiors and larger windows, while fire risks were reduced compared to older masonry buildings [source: Chicago History].
There is some debate about whether the Home Insurance Building can truly be called the first skyscraper. The Equitable Life Assurance Building, finished in 1870 in New York City, incorporated an early form of metal framing in its design [source: Peterson]. Even if the Home Insurance Building wasn't the absolute first to use a steel frame, it certainly popularized the concept and had a lasting impact on skyscraper design, and it is widely regarded as the first of its kind.
The "First Chicago School" of architecture emerged after the devastating fire of 1871, which led to a period of experimentation with new design techniques. William Le Baron Jenney’s use of steel in the Home Insurance Building during the 1880s marked the beginning of a metal renaissance, while other architects shaped the aesthetic principles of the movement. Steel also influenced the designs of numerous buildings in the 1880s and 1890s [source: Chicago History].
