In this blog post, we’ll examine the characteristics of wind that threaten the structural stability of supertall buildings, wind-resistant design methods to reduce wind loads, and examples of these methods applied to actual supertall buildings.
Lotte World Tower in Seoul, South Korea, reached a height of 555 meters in March 2016 upon completion of construction on the spire at its topmost level. Since its completion in 2017, it has established itself as the tallest building in South Korea and one of the world’s leading skyscrapers. Currently, the architectural height of Lotte World Tower is 554.5 meters, and its total height, including the spire, reaches 555.7 meters. As of 2026, it is the sixth-tallest completed building in the world. Just as New York’s Empire State Building and Dubai’s Burj Khalifa are iconic structures representing their respective regions and cities, Lotte World Tower has also established itself as one of South Korea’s premier landmarks. Currently, interest in supertall buildings—which have the potential to become national and urban landmarks—continues to grow not only in South Korea but around the world. China is one of the countries with the highest number of supertall buildings in the world, and in Saudi Arabia, the Jeddah Tower—designed to exceed 1 km in height—is currently under construction. As of 2026, construction on the Jeddah Tower is underway, and upon completion, it is slated to become the world’s first structure to exceed 1 km in height. Skyscrapers not only serve as symbols of a nation’s and city’s economic strength, but the cutting-edge technologies applied to them also serve as indicators of that country’s level of construction and structural engineering expertise. This is why the construction of skyscrapers continues around the world. So, what is the most critical structural consideration when building a skyscraper?
Among the numerous cutting-edge technologies used in the construction of super-tall buildings, a significant number are related to overcoming wind forces. You’ve likely experienced at least once how the wind blows stronger at high altitudes than at ground level. Generally, as altitude increases and the effect of friction at the ground surface decreases, wind speed increases; consequently, the swaying of a building caused by wind must be given even greater consideration in super-tall structures. Furthermore, as wind strikes a building, it splits into two streams on either side before converging again, creating vortices around the structure. In particular, the vortices that periodically form on both sides of the building cause the structure to vibrate perpendicular to the direction of the wind. For this reason, in the case of slender, tall supertall buildings such as Lotte World Tower, it is crucial to carefully consider not only the building’s dead load and seismic forces but also the effects of wind to ensure structural stability. Taking Lotte World Tower as an example, its top-floor diagonal grid structure was designed to withstand strong winds with a maximum instantaneous wind speed of 80 m/s. This design ensures it can withstand wind speeds significantly higher than those observed during Typhoon Maemi in 2003. Let’s now examine the methods used to protect supertall buildings from such strong winds—specifically, wind-resistant design techniques—and look at examples of how they have been applied in practice.
First, simply modifying the building’s design can reduce wind loads. Simply chamfering the corners of a building or rounding them off can minimize the impact of wind on the structure. Centum Star (212 m) in Busan was designed with all four corners chamfered to reduce the impact of wind loads, and Japan’s Yokohama Landmark Tower (296 m) also employed a design featuring chamfered corners to minimize the wind loads on the building. The design of supertall buildings, where the cross-sectional area narrows as the structure rises, is also an effective method for reducing wind loads. World-famous supertall buildings, such as the Burj Khalifa (828 m) in Dubai—the world’s tallest building—and China’s Jin Mao Tower (421 m), feature designs that gradually taper toward the top; Lotte World Tower also employs a design that changes shape as it rises to minimize the impact of wind.
Second, there is a method of effectively configuring the building’s structural system to counter wind loads. In the past, there were limitations to constructing supertall buildings using only concrete, so structures like New York’s Empire State Building (381 m) and South Korea’s 63 Building (249 m) were primarily built using steel frame structures. However, with advancements in high-strength concrete and steel technology, composite structures combining steel and high-strength concrete are now widely used, ensuring structural stability while reducing construction time and improving efficiency. Furthermore, just as a weightlifter wears a belt around the waist to lift heavy weights, the use of advanced structural methods—such as the outrigger method, which stabilizes a building by connecting its central columns and core to the outer columns—is enabling the construction of safer and taller supertall buildings. Structural systems such as outriggers and belt trusses were also applied to Lotte World Tower, enhancing the building’s stability against strong winds and earthquakes. Finally, mechanisms that dampen building vibrations can be employed. This method involves installing vibration control devices—which use heavy counterweights in the upper levels of a supertall building—so that when the building vibrates, the counterweights move in the opposite direction of the building’s motion, thereby dampening the vibrations. Alternatively, water can be used instead of a counterweight; when the building sways, the water moves in the opposite direction due to inertia, thereby minimizing the building’s movement. Taipei 101 in Taiwan features a large steel mass weighing approximately 660 metric tons suspended on the 92nd floor, which effectively dampens vibrations caused by wind and other factors. This device is called a Tuned Mass Damper (TMD), which operates by moving in the opposite direction of the building’s motion when it sways, thereby reducing vibration energy.
So far, we have examined various methods that supertall buildings use to withstand wind. Wind is a highly variable factor influenced by terrain, climate, and surrounding structures, and since wind-induced building vibrations also exhibit complex patterns, they are not easy to predict accurately. Therefore, for super-tall buildings, the effects of wind must be accurately assessed and tested from the initial design stage. In particular, wind tunnel tests and numerical simulations must be used to examine how the building’s form and structure respond to wind, taking into account not only structural safety but also the vibrations felt by occupants inside the building and its usability. Wind is inextricably linked to the construction of supertall buildings. As long as humanity’s desire to reach ever greater heights and the challenge of building modern-day Towers of Babel continue, an accurate understanding of wind and wind-resistant design technologies to overcome its effects will become increasingly important in supertall architecture.
