The untold story of the world’s first modern skyscraper 

The skyline of all modern metro cities is laced with stunning high-rises. The Burj Khalifa in the United Arab Emirates is one of the tallest skyscrapers, standing 828 metres tall with 163 floors! But do you know when and how the world’s first skyscraper was built? Built in 1885, the Home Insurance Building in Chicago was the world’s first skyscraper, with 10 floors and a height of 138 feet! It might not sound impressive, but at that time, it was nothing short of a gargantuan. However, it was demolished in 1931. The story of the skyscraper’s inspiration, construction, rise and fall is as impressive as the building itself.  

The Great Chicago Fire 
In 1871, a massive fire wrecked Chicago and came to be known as the great Chicago fire. Although it devastated most parts of the city, it provided an opportunity for new modern buildings to be constructed. As a result, when the New York Home Insurance Company wanted to build a new headquarters in Chicago, they solicited open design submissions. The winning design was fireproof and had more space than any buildings in the past! So, in 1885, the Home Insurance Building became the world’s first skyscraper, standing 10 stories tall. What do you think it was made of—bricks and cement? No, it was made of metal! Yes, American architect William Le Baron Jenney built the building with metal rather than just masonry.  

The inspiration  
When Jenny was watching his wife place a book on top of a birdcage, an idea struck him. The birdcage easily supported the book’s weight. This inspired him to build a structure with an iron skeleton! During the Great Chicago Fire, 3 miles of wooden houses were destroyed. Therefore, the concept of an iron building seemed revolutionary at the time! However, having an iron structure did not imply that the building was thicker and heavier. On the contrary, the structure weighed only one-third of what it would have weighed in stone! You might think of this as a brilliant idea, but not everyone during that time believed the same. People were sceptical because nobody had tried this before. A building made out of iron was brand new.  

Owing to all the criticism, Jenny researched further and found a new way out. He postulated the use of steel rather than iron. But even this was not well received. Eventually, in 1962, he convened a meeting to assess the building’s value and safety and was able to convince everyone in the meeting. At this same meeting, the Chicago School was founded. This school would be a society of architects that aimed to build innovative skyscrapers. In 1890, the Home Insurance Building gained two additional stories. After a long legacy, in 1931, it was ultimately destroyed to make way for a brand-new building known as the field building. You will find LaSalle Bank Building in its place today. The Home Insurance Building is no longer there, but its impact on history is still evident.  

The Chicago School and its impact!  
The Chicago School helped to establish a significant cultural impact. It refined and developed iconic skyscrapers. The school has produced world-class architects who have gone on to build landmark towers. The Chicago School influenced the concept of the ‘loop’, which simply means a design of constructing towers that rose upwards rather than outward. This is why the skyscrapers you see now are thin and tall. The second Chicago School emerged in the 1940s and had an even greater impact. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, a German-American architect, invented the 3D tube structure design. Following him, Fazlur Khan, a Bangladeshi engineer, used the tube innovation to design the John Hancock and Willis towers in New York. Tube design is responsible for making cloud-piercing skyscrapers a reality. A few examples of these include the World Trade Center in New York and the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur!