Last February, the architecture community lost a prominent figure with the passing away of Frank Williams. For over forty years, Mr. Williams designed dozens of skyscrapers that impact the skylines of many cities like New York, Dubai, and Shanghai.

After graduating from the University of California at Berkeley and receiving a master’s degree from Harvard, Frank Williams taught at Columbia University for four years before opening his own office, Frank Williams & Partners in New York. Since then, the firm has received many honors, including those from the Municipal Art Society of New York and the American Institute of Architecture. Mr. Williams died on February 25th, 2010, he was 73.

A new book about the late Frank Williams has just been released in September. The book, with a strikingly elongated format, starts with an introduction by the architect, then features 35 skyscrapers designed by Mr. Williams, including renderings and photographs. While going through these mega-buildings, one can notice the architect's attention to details, as well his constant effort in bringing those huge volumes to the human scale.


Skyscrapers, assume a role that goes far beyond its functional requirements. They are are symbolic landmarks that define a city's skyline. Their stylistic form-givers vary from cultural background of the host city to the technological criteria that allow those building to go ever so higher.

In the book's introduction, Mr. Williams explains that the buildings are never designed as islands but integrate to their surroundings. "In my experience, the urban context of specific sites in various cities of the world has been a major influence on the skyscrapers I have designed. Additionally, the concern of making places for urban activities such as outdoor restaurants, urban parks, plazas, and events, are strong architectural form determinants in how these vertical towers meet the horizontal ground level of our cities."

This book is a great reference for this specialized field. Beyond the logistics relating to the megaprojects, we perceive the implications of architectural values and urban design consideration that permeate through the layers of technological innovation.

List of the featured projects:
3 West 57th Street Mercury City Tower 50 Connaught Road Crocus City Office Tower 176 Madison Ave 18 West 57th Street 10-18 West 57th Street 87-89 Jervois Street Allied Tower 11 Burj Dubai Boulevard Shanghai International Plaza New Moscow Ring	The Terrace Tower 29 Burj Dubai Boulevard Wattana Plaza Tower Samsung Residential Towers W Times Square Hotel F-4 Residential Complex Bolyston Street Hotel Nobu Hotel 515 Park Avenue Trump Palace Four Seasons Hotel The London NYC Hotel	The Belaire The Alexandria The Mark Trump Parc World Wide Plaza 48 Wall Street The Vanderbilt The Gotham The Park Belvedere The Columbia Longzeyuan Community