[Reading Science] Light and Shadow of Super-Tall Buildings

The skyscrapers of New York. In the event of a disaster, the great vertical distance of these super-tall buildings can pose challenges for residents' evacuation and other safety measures.
[Photo by YouTube screenshot]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] Ultra-high-rise buildings are commonly called "macheonru (摩天樓, skyscraper)." According to the dictionary, it means "a house that reaches the sky" or "so tall that it scars the sky." These ultra-high-rise buildings are increasing every year, and their heights are rising day by day.

However, due to their structural characteristics, ultra-high-rise buildings are more likely to cause severe casualties and property damage in the event of an emergency compared to small-scale low-rise buildings. Scientists acknowledge that although architectural technology has advanced alongside scientific development, the range of possible equipment and available technologies to respond to ultra-high-rise buildings is still insufficient.

Ultra-high-rise buildings refer to those with 50 or more floors or a height of 200 meters or more. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's "2019 National Building Status Statistics," as of the end of last year, there were 113 ultra-high-rise buildings with 50 or more floors in South Korea. Representative buildings include the Lotte World Tower in Jamsil, Seoul (123 floors, 555m tall) and the Haeundae LCT The Sharp in Busan (101 floors, 411m tall).

In Daegu, ultra-high-rise buildings such as S Apartment (57 floors), T Apartment in Incheon (64 floors), M Apartment in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province (66 floors), and P Apartment in Cheonan (66 floors) are increasing, housing thousands of residents. This is because living in an ultra-high-rise apartment is perceived as a model of a successful life.

The reason ultra-high-rise building disasters are a frequent theme in movies is that these buildings are vulnerable to disaster situations. Additionally, with the increase in air traffic congestion nowadays, there are concerns about collisions between ultra-high-rise buildings and aircraft. Still, people are willing to endure astronomical construction costs and tedious approval processes to build ultra-high-rise buildings. Why is that?

The characteristic of modern society is urbanization. Urbanization causes intensified population concentration in city centers, urban congestion, and a shortage of available land. Ultra-high-rise buildings emerge as one solution to address urban overcrowding. They become landmarks symbolizing a country's economic revival and advanced architectural technology.

When an ultra-high-rise building is constructed, the area undergoes economic transformation. Large-scale construction creates many jobs, numerous businesses move into the buildings, and these businesses provide many employment opportunities. This can lead to a virtuous economic cycle in the region. In fact, the Empire State Building in the United States reportedly earned about 70 billion won annually just from operating its observation deck.

Despite these advantages, problems arise when disasters occur. According to the National Disaster Safety Research Institute, a certain distance of separation is necessary around ultra-high-rise buildings to prepare for emergencies. However, most ultra-high-rise buildings in South Korea are densely packed with various buildings and multi-use complexes based on the principle of agglomeration economy, resulting in narrow fire access routes around the buildings.

Ultra-high-rise buildings have different management entities depending on their use and purpose, such as commercial, residential, or medical. In other words, safety management responsibilities are diversified, making accountability unclear. There is doubt whether multiple safety management entities can come together to make proper decisions during emergencies.

A more critical issue is the anxiety stemming from structural limitations. The increased population density in vertical spaces like multi-use complexes can escalate accidents. Especially, elderly people with mobility difficulties and children find it hard to evacuate safely to refuge areas during emergencies. The extensive internal corridors and long travel distances increase the likelihood of large-scale casualties and property damage.

Skyscrapers in Haeundae, Busan. High-rise apartments line the area.
[Photo by YouTube screen capture]

Recently, the operation and management of ultra-high-rise buildings heavily rely on Internet of Things (IoT) technology. This dependence makes them vulnerable to power outages and cybersecurity threats. There is also a possibility that these buildings could become targets of terrorism, escalating the severity of potential problems.

Additionally, being isolated and closed off from the outside and lacking grounding contact with nature can cause mental and physical illnesses. Structural characteristics lead to poor ventilation and airflow, and problems such as glare and temperature rise caused by light reflected from ultra-high-rise buildings, as well as obstruction of passage, have also emerged.

It is common for nearby residents to file lawsuits due to light reflection, and in the UK, reflected sunlight from an ultra-high-rise building melted the plastic trim of black parked cars. To address these issues, recently, temporary horizontal refuge areas have been created to ensure the safety of vulnerable evacuees, and separate evacuation elevators for vertical evacuation guidance have been installed.

While preparing such countermeasures is important, the most crucial thing is to spare no effort in developing and investing in safety technologies. Living in a macheonru is considered a model of a successful life, but wouldn't it be even better if it could also be a model of a safe life?