The gleaming skyscrapers of the UAE, such as Burj Mohammed bin Rashid in Abu Dhabi, owe much to the vision of Mies van de Rohre. Photo: Victor Besa / The National
The gleaming skyscrapers of the UAE, such as Burj Mohammed bin Rashid in Abu Dhabi, owe much to the vision of Mies van de Rohre. Photo: Victor Besa / The National
The gleaming skyscrapers of the UAE, such as Burj Mohammed bin Rashid in Abu Dhabi, owe much to the vision of Mies van de Rohre. Photo: Victor Besa / The National
The gleaming skyscrapers of the UAE, such as Burj Mohammed bin Rashid in Abu Dhabi, owe much to the vision of Mies van de Rohre. Photo: Victor Besa / The National

Weekend

A tall story: the man who invented the skyscraper (in 1921)

Mies van de Rohe was ahead of his time with the idea of a building that reached for the skies – so why did it take another 40 years for his concept to become concrete?

James Langton
James Langton

April 07, 2023

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Towering glass structures are a symbol of modernity in the great cities of the UAE.

Buildings like the five glittering Etihad Towers and the shining walls of the Burj Khalifa represent the country’s astonishing progress and its embrace of the future.

So it may come as some surprise to learn that the idea of a skyscraper made of glass was first proposed in 1921 — more than a century ago.

Ludvig Mies van de Rohe was born on March 27, 1896, a stonemason's son from Aachen, Germany, a city of medieval spires.

Towering vision of the future

Mies van der Rohe helped pave the way for the modern cities of the world. Photo: Getty Images
Mies van der Rohe helped pave the way for the modern cities of the world. Photo: Getty Images

By 1912, he was working as an architect in Berlin, embracing the modernist ideals and designs of Walter Gropius and Le Corbusier, with whom he worked.

This was the beginning of the age of the skyscraper, made possible by steel frames and high-speed lifts.

Structures such as New York’s Flatiron Building and the 241-metre Woolworth Building hinted at the possibility of giants still to come.

Those first skyscrapers, which included the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings, used stone and brick for the outer walls. Glass was just for windows.

Mies (he had dropped the Ludvig) had other ideas. He conceived a form of architecture he called “skin and bones”, where steel alone supported the weight of the building. The exterior — the skin — could be what ever you wanted.

His vision was one of glass. In 1921 he entered a competition for Berlin’s first skyscraper on Friedrichstrasse. Van der Rohe called his design the “Honeycomb”, clad in glass and like nothing the world had seen.

It was radical, certainly too radical for a Germany poised to descend into Nazism. By the 1930s, Mies had become director of the avant-garde design school, the Bauhaus, denounced by Hitler as “degenerate”.

Fearing the worst, Mies left Germany for the US, accepting a job at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago.

It would be nearly 40 years before his design for a glass skyscraper finally left the drawing board.

Now an American citizen and with a successful architectural practice, Mies was commissioned in 1954 to build a new headquarters for the Seagram distillery company on a prestigious site on midtown Park Avenue.

A glittering success

A 1960s snapshot of the Seagram Building, which has inspired generations of architects. Photo: Getty
A 1960s snapshot of the Seagram Building, which has inspired generations of architects. Photo: Getty

The resulting Seagram Building has inspired generations of architects. Completed in 1958, the 157-metre tall glass rectangle was described in the magazine Architectural Forum as challenging ”accepted skyscraper practice all the way down the line".

Not everyone was impressed. Frank Lloyd Wright, the godfather of American architecture, dismissed it as “a whisky bottle on card table”.

But the glass skyscraper would now dominate city skylines all over the world.

Mies’s final project was another rectangular giant, the 212-metre IBM building on Chicago’s North Wabash Avenue. It was completed four years after his death in 1969.

Helping to set the scene

Dubai’s first skyscraper, the World Trade Centre, was built in 1979 as more conventional concrete design.

But a year earlier, the capital became the site of the first glass fronted tower on the Corniche, built as the headquarters of the Emirates-BCCI bank and now home to the Union National Bank.

Designed by the UK architecture firm Fitzroy Robinson & Partners, the building takes full advantage of its glass panels to reflect the night sky and reflections from the sea.

Once the capital’s tallest building, it is now eclipsed by other glass giants like the 324-metre Landmark Tower, the 268-metre twins at Nation Towers and the tallest of them all, the 381-metre Burj Mohammed bin Rashid.

Dubai is renowned for its collection of gleaming skyscrapers. Reem Mohammed / The National
Dubai is renowned for its collection of gleaming skyscrapers. Reem Mohammed / The National

If Mies’s design, first proposed in the 1920s, is now ubiquitous, a century later, from London to Shanghai and Dubai to Tokyo, not everyone is a fan.

In the 1980s, his design for Mansion House Square in the City of London was abandoned, with King Charles, then Prince of Wales, dismissing it as “a giant glass stump” for spoiling the view from St Paul’s Cathedral.

At least his once radical designs seem more acceptable to the public with the passage of time.

Todd Reisz, the architect and writer with a special interest in the UAE, says Mies's ideas continue to be visible in structures like the National Bank of Dubai on the banks of the Creek.

Mies only made technological advances thorough the glass curtain wall, but also raised its aesthetic value, he says.

“His ideas helped formulate what Henry-Russel Hitchcock and P Johnson called the International Style, which ultimately shaped what is the sparse, non-referential look of steel and glass that was the look of 20th Century business.”

There are those that question the use of glass for its impact on the environment, reflecting the sun’s rays and raising the already scorching heat of an Arabian Gulf summer.

Scott Coombes, co-founder of the Dubai-based building consultancy AESG, has spoken of his concerns of “designing glass boxes in a country that has got sunlight throughout the year.”

Older buildings, with thick walls and recessed windows, may be more suitable for the region, he says.

“We’ve got a very, very harsh climate and then we’re trying to complement these and call them sustainable by putting photovoltaics on buildings and sugar-coating them with what they’re calling green technologies, which isn’t right,” he told The National in 2017.

The international design and planning consultancy Stantec, says the “completed structures, enveloped in cases of glass, often result in a significant environmental impact, as consistent temperatures, often in large atriums, need to be maintained along with vast networks of technical and electrical systems.

“These buildings risk becoming looming monuments to our lack of foresight and planning,” it concludes.

An article in the Architects Journal last year even dismissed Meis’ most iconic building for its poor environmental credentials. ‘It is time no longer to praise the Seagram Building, but to bury it’, the authors wrote.

Perhaps the future is no longer glass. The most radical skyscraper designs now propose wood. Even Mies is not safe.

A reimagining last year of his famous pavilion for the 1929 Barcelona world fair proposed replacing its concrete and glass with eco-friendly sheets of laminated timber.

World famous skyscrapers - in pictures

The $5.7 billion Marina Bay Sands hotel and resort, left, (L) is world-renowned and frequently tops world's most beautiful skyscraper lists. AFP
The $5.7 billion Marina Bay Sands hotel and resort, left, (L) is world-renowned and frequently tops world's most beautiful skyscraper lists. AFP
Dubai's Burj Khalifa is the world's tallest building at 829.8 metres high. AFP
Dubai's Burj Khalifa is the world's tallest building at 829.8 metres high. AFP
Willis Tower, formerly Sears Tower, was the tallest building in the world until 1998. To this day, it is the tallest property in Chicago. AFP
Willis Tower, formerly Sears Tower, was the tallest building in the world until 1998. To this day, it is the tallest property in Chicago. AFP
A view of the Transamerica Pyramid building on August 19, 2019 in San Francisco, California. It was completed in 1972 and was the tallest building in San Francisco until 2018. AFP
A view of the Transamerica Pyramid building on August 19, 2019 in San Francisco, California. It was completed in 1972 and was the tallest building in San Francisco until 2018. AFP
Kuwait's tallest building is Al Hamra Tower, left. AFP
Kuwait's tallest building is Al Hamra Tower, left. AFP
The Evolution Tower is in Moscow, Russia. Formerly known as Wedding Palace and City Palace, its twisted, futuristic form designed by British architect Tony Kettle is what makes it stand out. Getty Images
The Evolution Tower is in Moscow, Russia. Formerly known as Wedding Palace and City Palace, its twisted, futuristic form designed by British architect Tony Kettle is what makes it stand out. Getty Images
While Torre Glories only has 38 stories, it has famously redefined the Barcelona skyline. Alamy Stock Photo
While Torre Glories only has 38 stories, it has famously redefined the Barcelona skyline. Alamy Stock Photo
Formerly known as London Bridge Tower, the Shard is a 72-storey skyscraper that's become one of the most recognisable buildings on the English capital's skyline. AFP
Formerly known as London Bridge Tower, the Shard is a 72-storey skyscraper that's become one of the most recognisable buildings on the English capital's skyline. AFP
Bahrain World Trade Centre was the first skyscraper in the world to integrate wind turbines and has even won awards for sustainability. AFP
Bahrain World Trade Centre was the first skyscraper in the world to integrate wind turbines and has even won awards for sustainability. AFP
Kingdom Centre Tower in Riyadh is the world's third-tallest building with a hole in it. Getty Images
Kingdom Centre Tower in Riyadh is the world's third-tallest building with a hole in it. Getty Images
The Taipei 101, formerly known as the Taipei Financial Centre, is Taiwan's tallest building, and was the world's tallest until 2009. AFP
The Taipei 101, formerly known as the Taipei Financial Centre, is Taiwan's tallest building, and was the world's tallest until 2009. AFP
The Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur were for six years the tallest in the world, until 2004. AFP
The Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur were for six years the tallest in the world, until 2004. AFP
Shanghai Tower in Pudong area, Shanghai is the tallest building in China and the world's second tallest building. EPA
Shanghai Tower in Pudong area, Shanghai is the tallest building in China and the world's second tallest building. EPA
The Chrysler Building has been a key part of the New York City skyline for more than 90 years. Between 1930 and 1931, it was actually the world's tallest building. AFP
The Chrysler Building has been a key part of the New York City skyline for more than 90 years. Between 1930 and 1931, it was actually the world's tallest building. AFP
The China Central Television Tower is in the central business district in Beijing. It's referred to as an 'anti-skyscraper' because of its unique design. AFP
The China Central Television Tower is in the central business district in Beijing. It's referred to as an 'anti-skyscraper' because of its unique design. AFP
The Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Chinese-American architect I M Pei and the triangular glass building was for a few years the tallest building in the world outside the US. Getty Images
The Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning Chinese-American architect I M Pei and the triangular glass building was for a few years the tallest building in the world outside the US. Getty Images
Home to three schools, Tokyo's Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower boasts a unique cocoon-inspired design. Getty Images
Home to three schools, Tokyo's Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower boasts a unique cocoon-inspired design. Getty Images
Hotel & Casino Grand Lisboa in Macau boasts unique lotus flower-shaped architecture. AFP
Hotel & Casino Grand Lisboa in Macau boasts unique lotus flower-shaped architecture. AFP
The Turning Torso in Malmo, Sweden is the tallest building in Scandinavia, but it was also the world's first "twisting" tower. AFP
The Turning Torso in Malmo, Sweden is the tallest building in Scandinavia, but it was also the world's first "twisting" tower. AFP
30 St Mary Axe is a 41-storey office tower that cost £138m to make. Getty Images
30 St Mary Axe is a 41-storey office tower that cost £138m to make. Getty Images
The Shanghai World Financial Centre is among the top 15 tallest buildings in the world and among the top 10 in China. AFP
The Shanghai World Financial Centre is among the top 15 tallest buildings in the world and among the top 10 in China. AFP
Istanbul Sapphire Tower is among the Turkish city's tallest buildings and was formerly its tallest until 2016. Getty Images
Istanbul Sapphire Tower is among the Turkish city's tallest buildings and was formerly its tallest until 2016. Getty Images
The Lotte Corp. World Tower is the tallest building in South Korea, and the fifth-tallest in the world. Getty Images
The Lotte Corp. World Tower is the tallest building in South Korea, and the fifth-tallest in the world. Getty Images
The Ryugyong Hotel is the world's tallest unoccupied building. It's based in Pyongyang, North Korea. AFP
The Ryugyong Hotel is the world's tallest unoccupied building. It's based in Pyongyang, North Korea. AFP
The Gran Torre Santiago, formerly known as Torre Gran Costanera, part of the Costanera complex, is the tallest skyscraper in South America. Getty Images
The Gran Torre Santiago, formerly known as Torre Gran Costanera, part of the Costanera complex, is the tallest skyscraper in South America. Getty Images
Dubai's Burj Al Arab is the tallest all-suite hotel in the world, one of the most recognisable buildings in the Middle East and only 60m shorter than the Empire State Building. AFP
Dubai's Burj Al Arab is the tallest all-suite hotel in the world, one of the most recognisable buildings in the Middle East and only 60m shorter than the Empire State Building. AFP
New York's One World Trade Centre is the tallest building America and the Western Hemisphere, and the sixth-tallest in the world. Getty Images
New York's One World Trade Centre is the tallest building America and the Western Hemisphere, and the sixth-tallest in the world. Getty Images
For 40 years, the steel-framed, 103-storey Empire State Building was the tallest in the world, until 1971, and remains to this day one of the best examples of Modernist Art Deco design. AFP
For 40 years, the steel-framed, 103-storey Empire State Building was the tallest in the world, until 1971, and remains to this day one of the best examples of Modernist Art Deco design. AFP
The 75-storey corporate headquarters of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, designed by HOK. Reuters
The 75-storey corporate headquarters of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, designed by HOK. Reuters
Construction outside the ICD Brookfield Place building on Al Mustaqbal Street, Dubai Photo: Reem Mohammed/The National
Construction outside the ICD Brookfield Place building on Al Mustaqbal Street, Dubai Photo: Reem Mohammed/The National

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”

KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
On Women's Day
VEZEETA PROFILE

Date started: 2012

Founder: Amir Barsoum

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: HealthTech / MedTech

Size: 300 employees

Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)

Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC

So what is Spicy Chickenjoy?

Just as McDonald’s has the Big Mac, Jollibee has Spicy Chickenjoy – a piece of fried chicken that’s crispy and spicy on the outside and comes with a side of spaghetti, all covered in tomato sauce and topped with sausage slices and ground beef. It sounds like a recipe that a child would come up with, but perhaps that’s the point – a flavourbomb combination of cheap comfort foods. Chickenjoy is Jollibee’s best-selling product in every country in which it has a presence.
 

Kareem Shaheen on Canada
On Women's Day

Mountain Classification Tour de France after Stage 8 on Saturday: 

  • 1. Lilian Calmejane (France / Direct Energie) 11
  • 2. Fabio Aru (Italy / Astana) 10
  • 3. Daniel Martin (Ireland / Quick-Step) 8
  • 4. Robert Gesink (Netherlands / LottoNL) 8
  • 5. Warren Barguil (France / Sunweb) 7
  • 6. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) 6
  • 7. Guillaume Martin (France / Wanty) 6
  • 8. Jan Bakelants (Belgium / AG2R) 5
  • 9. Serge Pauwels (Belgium / Dimension Data) 5
  • 10. Richie Porte (Australia / BMC Racing) 4
The fake news generation

288,000 – the number of posts reported as hate speech that were deleted by Facebook globally each month in May and June this year

11% – the number of Americans who said they trusted the news they read on Snapchat as of June 2017, according to Statista. Over a quarter stated that they ‘rarely trusted’ the news they read on social media in general

31% - the number of young people in the US aged between 10 and 18 who said they had shared a news story online in the last six months that they later found out was wrong or inaccurate

63% - percentage of Arab nationals who said they get their news from social media every single day.

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg

Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).

Second leg

Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm

Games on BeIN Sports

List of alleged parties

 

May 12, 2020: PM and his wife Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at least 17 staff 

May 20, 2020: They attend 'bring your own booze party'

Nov 27, 2020: PM gives speech at leaving party for his staff 

Dec 10, 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson 

Dec 13, 2020: PM and his wife throw a party

Dec 14, 2020: London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff event at Conservative Party headquarters 

Dec 15, 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz 

Dec 18, 2020: Downing Street Christmas party 

Crops that could be introduced to the UAE

1: Quinoa 

2. Bathua 

3. Amaranth 

4. Pearl and finger millet 

5. Sorghum

Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin

Five personal finance podcasts from The National

 

To help you get started, tune into these Pocketful of Dirham episodes 

·

Balance is essential to happiness, health and wealth 

·

What is a portfolio stress test? 

·

What are NFTs and why are auction houses interested? 

·

How gamers are getting rich by earning cryptocurrencies 

·

Should you buy or rent a home in the UAE?  

While you're here
Company%20profile
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
E-cigarettes report
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

On Women's Day
Superliminal%20
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Updated: April 10, 2023, 7:46 AM
Architecture