‘One Vanderbilt Avenue’ in New York is the newest in a roster of megatall structures, set to redefine future skylines. Here’s why we’re obsesed with building tall.

The Shard: a tall order. Davide D'Amico/Flickr, CC BY-SA. Yet these grand historical efforts are dwarfed by the skyscrapers of the 20th and 21st centuries.