Gerard Loozekoot & Harlen Miller speak at The University of Toronto

The high-rise typology has always been synonymous with modernist notions of a futuristic utopia. The grand impressions of spires rising from the urban fabric while piercing the sky have shaped our collective culture over the last century through our writing, film, public policy, means of transportation, economic stratification and urban disposition. Towers have become targets for sharp criticism where they boarder on being icons of egotistical opulence, to a sociopolitical byproduct of greed. Yet despite the critique, we remain in an ever challenged world, with a growing populous in need of food, energy, and ultimately space… leaving only one option for us to move forward… but to build upward. Once the spectacle of constructing upward has faded from the conversations of pop culture, what will keep this typology relevant? The high-rise, in the end, will have to demonstrate resilience and true value through its functionalist and utilitarian character.

Watch the Livestream on YouTube below.

More information here.