The Skyscraper : a viewing instrument for the metropolis

My doctoral research deals with the summit of the skyscrapers, considered as a dual device: as seen from the city below, and as looking at it, thanks to the viewing decks they deploy.
Whereas their exterior shapes mark the skyline, they offer vantage points for the discovery of the metropolis by the local residents and the tourists alike.
Together with a historical analysis of the main stages in the design of the skyscrapers and their summits, the focus is a comparative analysis of a set of observation desks, located in cities such as New York, Paris and Montreal, and considered in their latest developments.
Shanghai has been an extraordinary stage for high-rise structures for the past twenty years. The investigation of Shanghai’s buildings is particularly relevant to my research, both in terms of the quantity of observation decks located in the city and in terms of their design and operation. Besides the development of the thesis, the research stay will generate publications and support the development of a collaboration on high-rise buildings between Jiao Tong university and UdeM.

Faculty Supervisor:

Jean-Pierre Chupin

Student:

Partner:

Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Agriculture; Education

University:

Université de Montréal

Program: