In less than 30 years, Vietnam has developed from one of the poorest nations in the world to the third fastest growing economy of Asia 1, and is the fourth fastest growing economy in the world. The country aspires to be a developed country by 2020. While some of these changes have improved people's living standards, many of the changes are having a negative impact on people's quality of life, particularly that of the poor and importantgroups such as children and the elderly.

Since the start of the Millennium, the city’s skyline is rapidly changing as well, from a city of low buildings to one of high rises, a development mostly taking place in the specialized districts in the new suburbs around Hanoi. The existing urban fabric with which citizens identify themselves is rapidly being replaced by a 'modern' city, a new urban form unfamiliar to most of the city’s residents.

In some ways, tall buildings are like tall people. They are more noticeable. In some cases they attract more attention. In others they demand it. But tall people don’t choose to be tall. Those who create tall buildings do.

In addition, firms pay more to locate in skyscrapers, and workers have been shown to be more productive in them; they often have their own restaurants, gyms and cafes, “all of which help people meet and exchange ideas,” some have noted.

From developers to managers of companies, the prestige of a landmark address is preferable – what one study called the “reputation effect,” stating that “skyscrapers are caused by agglomeration economies and a prize for being the tallest.”

But height has its downsides – especially extreme height.

As buildings rise taller, they face a series of obstacles too. “At ground level, a breeze might barely register. A hundred floors up, it could be gusting at 40 mph,” an article in Popular Science, looking at the rise of the “Super Talls,” noted.

Architects and engineers must take the issues of stability very seriously. And they have to figure out how to effectively move people through them, utilizing different design techniques from their shorter counterparts, employing sky lobbies and double-decker elevators to create fluid movement, that article noted.

Space

One of the biggest benefits of towers is the space advantage they provide. Storage towers like silos make it easy to store items above the ground, keeping them safe from water and animals without occupying a large area. Tall buildings like skyscrapers use multiple floors to increase total floorspace without increasing the size of the building's footprint, making the design ideal for a congested city where real estate is at a premium.

Views

Towers also provide long-range views for people at or near the top level. In modern office buildings and residential towers, this means attractive vistas that may rise over a congested city or afford views of nearby landmarks and natural formations.

Other towers offer views with a more practical function. Watchtowers in forests give observers a clear view of where fires start, making them easier to contain. Lookout towers on military sites or in ancient cities provide a view of oncoming enemies, making the site easier to defend.

Symbolism

Towers also provide symbolic benefits that other types of buildings lack. Besides proclaiming the architectural abilities of a given nation or culture, people have often built towers to commemorate important events or honor important individuals. For example, the Eiffel Tower was built for the Paris Exposition of 1889 to mark the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution. Today it is major symbol of the city of Paris. Other symbolic and famous towers include the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia, the Chrysler Building and Empire State Building in New York City, the leaning tower of Pisa in Italy and the CN Tower in Toronto.

Broadcasting

Towers provide excellent sites for installing broadcasting equipment. By placing an antenna at the highest point in a city, broadcasters can send a powerful signal that will reach television viewers, radio listeners or cell phone users for many miles. Placing broadcasting antennas on towers (rather than natural formations like mountains) also makes them more accessible for service and maintenance.

Safety

Safety is one of the major disadvantages of a tower. Defective towers may pose a risk of falling and causing severe damage on the ground. In addition, towers present a special challenge for evacuations, since those on higher floors need special means of escape in the event of a fire on a lower floor.

Architects and engineers must be attentive to safety when designing towers. Every tall structure is subject to powerful winds and low temperatures that occur at high altitudes, and towers must be able to withstand such forces while also handling the weight of the structure itself and external force from earthquakes.

Finally, safety is a major concern during the construction of a tower. Workers must use harnesses, safety nets and scaffolding to build and repair towers to prevent dangerous falls.

Cost

Towers are often more expensive than lower structures. Besides costing more to construct, towers require more money and work hours to clean, repair and renovate. The tallest towers make use of new technologies like special lightweight building materials, shock absorbers and mass dampers to prevent excessive swaying. All of these systems add to the cost of a tower, making it economically feasible only in certain cases.