CTBUH 10th World Congress

On the 50th anniversary of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s founding, the CTBUH 10th World Congress returns to the Council’s home, and birthplace of the skyscraper: Chicago. Focusing on the theme “50 Forward; 50 Back”, the Congress will explore the most significant advancements in tall buildings and cities from the last 50 years, whilst inquiring into the future of our cities 50 years from now. This event thus represents a critical reflection on both the skyscraper typology, and urban development as a whole, by marking their trajectory to date, and considering the evolutions that must take place to accommodate a dynamic and uncertain global future.

Since the Council’s founding in 1969, cities have grown exponentially, all incorporating, in some way, the lessons and technologies of those that came before them. On a building scale, the manifestation of the contemporary skyscraper is a collective accomplishment – one that has experienced several wholesale evolutions over time. Whereas back in 1969, the tall building was predominantly a technical challenge, now it is, arguably, more of a social challenge – how does it fit in with, and enhance, society?

We thus stand at a critical juncture in time, amidst major change in the typological status of tall buildings, the cities they call home, and the people that inhabit them. The 10th World Congress, Chicago, will directly embrace critical issues in the future progression of our cities, including urban planning and infrastructure; smart technology/automation; resilience and climate change; passive environmental strategies; tall timber structural systems; modular construction; inter-/intra-building transportation; the future of the workplace; building modeling; and much more.

Thus, join us in Chicago, the birthplace of the skyscraper and headquarters of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, for the CTBUH 2019 World Congress, and engage in the conversations that will shape the next 50 years of our urban planet.