archKIDecture

Building with
STEEL + GLASS

Steel is a mix of iron with small amounts of carbon.

This skyscraper was built in 1967. Architect Bruce Graham of Skidomore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) architecture firm and Fazlur Khan is the famous engineer who kept it standing!

The secret of building with steel and glass is to build a skeleton that supports all of the weight of the building. Often the skeleton is built as a series of horizontal columns and vertical beams.

In the case of the John Hancock Building in Chicago, the skeleton also has huge diagonal braces, which form triangles, the strongest shape.

The use of the diagonal braces on the John Hancock Building allow the strong forces of wind upon this skyscraper to be absorbed by all of the columns on the building.

The quality of steel has improved over time, so that steel can do many moe things now than it used to do.

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John Hancock Building
Chicago