Final answer:
Skyscrapers required the inventions of steel girders and electric elevators to reach unprecedented heights. Steel allowed buildings to exceed previous height limitations, and elevators made these tall buildings accessible, spurring the skyscraper boom in cities where space was at a premium.
Step-by-step explanation:
Skyscrapers wouldn't have been feasible without the concurrent invention of elevators and steel beams. The invention of steel girders allowed buildings to be constructed beyond the 10 to 12-story height that was the limit for traditional brick buildings. Another critical invention that made skyscrapers viable was the electric elevator, first installed by the Otis Elevator Company in 1889, allowing for the movement of people and goods in these tall buildings. The pricing of constructing skyscrapers also reflected the high value of real estate in city centers, further emphasizing the need for such buildings to accommodate burgeoning urban populations.
The Otis Elevator Company led by inventor Elisha Otis installed the first electric elevator, which began the skyscraper craze, particularly in crowded eastern cities. These cities needed elevators to make taller buildings feasible and desirable locations for business. Over time, innovation in materials, such as the introduction of glass cladding, combined with steel skeletons to enable further architectural advances, as seen in the designs of Mies van der Rohe.
Historically, as seen with key examples like the Home Insurance Building in Chicago and the Woolworth Building in New York, new engineering technologies, including safety elevators and steel frames, allowed skyscrapers to soar to impressive new heights. These buildings not only tackled the issue of limited urban land space but also became potent symbols of commercial success and architectural ingenuity.