American Scientist

Throughout history, architects, engineers, and scientists have put down on paper their ideas for buildings, bridges, and theories that remained unrealized in their lifetimes. For instance, drawings and models of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Mile-High Illinois skyscraper have been reproduced in books, displayed in museums, and discussed in classrooms since the concept was revealed in 1957. Whether the building of more than 500 floors and 75 elevators is buildable remains to be proven, given that the tallest skyscraper in the world today is the 163-floor Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and its height of 828 meters measures just a percentage point over a half mile. Even the one building that is currently under construction (projected to be completed this year) and expected to take the title of tallest—the 200-floor Jeddah Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia—will reach only 63 percent as high as the Illinois building proposed more than 60 years ago.