Why the Skyscraper? Towards a Theoretical Framework for Analysis

The question is broached of the development of a conceptual framework for examining the genesis of skyscraper construction in Chicago. At the outset it is emphasised that a theoretical perspective should be embraced which is both cognisant of the complex social relations surrounding building production and consumption and the dialectical relationship between the individual and the social. The empirical work on the Chicago skyscrapers and theoretical approaches to skyscraper development are reviewed, in order to assess their specific contribution to the question posed. It is noted that these approaches do not address the theoretical issues identified. From this position the advantages of a materialist perspective are detailed, with an examination of the contribution of political economy, Williams's cultural materialism, and Giddens's structuration theory to an analysis of the social process of skyscraper production and consumption. It is argued that these conceptual frameworks together embrace the theoretical concerns of the paper, providing a perspective which is cognisant of the social, political, and cultural relations surrounding skyscraper production and consumption and the role of individual creative practice within this wider social process.