Final answer:
The invention of steel frame construction and the electric elevator were critical technological advancements that made the construction of skyscrapers feasible. These, combined with economic factors from the Industrial Revolution, led to a surge in skyscraper development.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main technological advancement that made skyscrapers possible was the development of steel frame construction, which allowed for the weight of tall buildings to be supported in a way that was not possible with traditional brick and other building materials. Supplementing this advancement was another critical invention: the electric elevator, which was first installed by the Otis Elevator Company in 1889. This innovation made high-rise buildings practical, as it became feasible to move people and goods to higher floors efficiently. The economic factors of the Industrial Revolution, including the mass production of steel and the wealth that it generated, combined with the demand for office space in crowded city centers, encouraged the rapid development of the skyscraper. Emblematic of this era, the Home Insurance Building in Chicago, completed in 1885, is often considered the first modern skyscraper. Further innovations, such as zoning laws like the 1916 Setback Law in New York, influenced the design and aesthetics of skyscrapers, like the Chrysler Building and Rockefeller Center.