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The Tall Building's Effect on Scale, Perspective

A work made of ink on illustration board.

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  • A work made of ink on illustration board.

Date:

1952

Artist:

Myron Goldsmith
American, 1918-1996

About this artwork

Myron Goldsmith is recognized as one of the great innovators of tall-building structure, stemming from his training in architecture and engineering. Although he was responsible for many notable projects during his long career at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, Goldsmith is perhaps best known for his 1953 master’s thesis, “The Tall Building: The Effects of Scale,” in which he argued for new structural principles for very tall buildings. He proposed a range of new types, including a concrete “super frame” and a series of diagonally gridded steel-tube structures. This research led to the groundbreaking trussed tube of the SOM John Hancock Center (1965) and underpins many spectacular tall buildings, from Norman Foster’s Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank (1986) to the China Central Television Headquarters by OMA (2010).

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Architecture and Design

Artist

Myron Goldsmith (Architect)

Title

The Tall Building's Effect on Scale, Perspective

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1952

Medium

Ink on illustration board

Dimensions

76 × 102 cm (30 × 40 3/16 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Myron Goldsmith, 1982.

Reference Number

1982.652

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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