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By the end of the 20th century, the race to build the world's tallest skyscraper grinded to a halt.
20世纪末，建造世界最高摩天楼的争夺战陷入停滞。
Each new contender was only slightly taller than the one before, and architects were running out of ways to top their previous efforts.
每栋新出现的角逐者都仅比之前的略高些许，建筑师们逐渐无法超越他们之前的成就。
But in 2004 construction began on a new building in Dubai, promising a revolutionary design that would dwarf the competition.
但2004年，在迪拜开工的一栋新建筑使用了一项令其它摩天大楼都相形见绌的革新性设计。
In 2009, the 828-meter Burj Khalifa was complete, surpassing the previous record-holder by over 60%.
2009年，高达828米的哈里法塔竣工，它比之前的世界第一高楼记录保持者高出60%。
So what innovations allowed for such a huge leap in height?
所以，是什么革新性设计才能让高度有如此巨大的飞跃？
For most of architectural history, heavy building materials made it difficult for tall buildings to support their own weight.
建筑史的大部分时间里，沉重的建筑材料使得高楼难以维持它们自身的高度。
To compensate, taller structures had wider, thicker masonry at the base, making them substantially more expensive.
相应地，越高的建筑需要更宽更厚的砌体结构作为地基，也就会令它们的造价更加昂贵。
The arrival of industrial steel in the early 20th century helped buildings shed weight, and stretch to new heights.
20世纪早期由于工业用钢的普及，高楼建筑得以卸下部分负重，高度也得以进一步提高。
But steel frames required intensive labor to produce, often under poor working conditions.
但钢架的生产需要密集的劳动力，且生产环境恶劣。
And when they were finished, these three dimensional grids took up huge amounts of space inside buildings.
除此之外，建成的钢架结构囊括三个维度的钢筋网络，占据了建筑的大量内部空间。
Tall steel skyscrapers also had larger, less dense surfaces, making them vulnerable to strong winds.
钢筋建成的高楼表面积更大、密度却更低，因此无法抵御强劲的风力。
Architects designed various countermeasures to prevent swaying and structural damage,
建筑学家们设计出了种种对策来防止建筑摇晃或结构破坏，
but to increase height further, engineers would have to completely rethink how tall buildings were designed.
但要是想进一步增加高度，工程师只能重新构思高楼的架构。
Enter the father of modern skyscrapers: Fazlur Rahman Khan.
让我们看看现代摩天大楼之父：法兹勒·R·汗。
This Bangladeshi-American engineer believed tall structures should bear their weight where they were widest and most stable -- on the outside.
这位孟加拉裔美籍工程师认为高楼建筑的承重应在最宽最稳的地方，即外部。
He proposed swapping an internal grid of steel beams for a steel and concrete exoskeleton
他提议将内部钢梁网格替换成由钢筋和混凝土组成的外骨骼，
that would make buildings more resilient to wind while using far less heavy materials.
这样有助于提高建筑的抗风能力，并同时减少沉重建筑材料的用量。
Khan developed this idea into what he called tubular designs.
汗将这个想法称为“管状框架结构”。
These buildings had exterior steel frames that were braced with concrete and connected to horizontal floor beams.
这些建筑物外部的钢筋架构是由混凝土支撑并与平行于地面的钢梁相接。
Tubular frames proved superior at absorbing and transferring the force of wind to a building's foundation.
事实证明，管状框架结构在面对强劲风力时优势显著：吸收风力，将风力转化给建筑的地基。
And since the exterior walls could bear the bulk of the load, internal supporting columns could be removed to maximize space.
既然外墙可以承受大部分的承重，那么就可以移除内部的支撑柱，将使用空间极大化。
Following the 1960s, tubular design became the industry standard.
之后的20世纪60年代，管状框架结构成为了工业建筑的标准。
This new philosophy allowed for the construction of taller, sturdier skyscrapers, including many of the record holders for world's tallest building.
这种创新概念使得摩天大楼更高、更坚固，其中包括了许多世界最高建筑的记录保持者。
But planning the Burj Khalifa would take one more innovation.
但建造哈里法塔还需要另一个革新性设计。
In 2004, the late Fazlur Khan's longtime employers, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, completed the Tower Palace III in South Korea.
2004年，已故的法兹勒·汗的长期雇主美国SOM建筑设计事务所，完成了位于韩国的Tower Palace三期建筑。
This building took Khan's exoskeleton design one step further, with a central column supported by three protruding wings.
这栋摩天高楼对汗的外墙设计有了进一步拓展，中心柱子是由三个突出的翼部所支撑。
Each wing's weight carries the other two, while the heavy concrete core acts as a support beam,
每个翼部的重量由另外两个翼部承载，而沉重的混凝土核心充当支撑梁，
that also houses the building's elevators and mechanical infrastructure.
还能容纳建筑物的电梯和机械基础设施。
This design, called the buttressed core, allowed the entire structure to work as a single load-bearing unit, supporting the building's 73 stories.
这种结构称为“扶壁核心”，让整个结构作为单一的承重单位，支撑着73层的高楼建筑。
SOM was confident the buttressed core could support a much taller building, and they were determined to see how high they could go with their next project.
SOM建筑设计事务所坚信，扶壁核心可以支撑更高的建筑，他们决定看看以这种结构，下一座摩天大楼可以达到多高。
As only the second building to use this design, the Burj Khalifa spans an unprecedented 163 floors.
作为唯一使用这种设计的第二栋建筑，哈里法塔就达到了史无前例的163层。
To battle the monumental vertical and lateral forces, the design strategically places the strongest, load-bearing areas where the wind is also most powerful.
为了对抗极大的垂直向和侧向作用力，这所建筑战略性将最主要的承重区域落地于风力最强的地区。
Additionally, the Y-shaped layout was specifically calibrated to minimize local wind forces.
同时，经过了专门校准的Y形布局，将当地风力减至最小。
Every several floors, one of the wings recedes slightly, forming a series of setbacks in a clockwise pattern.
每隔几层楼，其中一个翼稍往后移，形成一个顺时针方向的后移界。
This spiral shape disperses air currents, transforming 240 kilometer per hour winds into harmless gusts.
这种螺旋形状可以分散气流，将时速240公里的狂风转为无关痛痒的一阵风。
Considering its height and unique design, the Burj Khalifa was completed in a staggeringly short five year period.
考虑到它无可匹敌的高度和独一无二的设计，哈里法塔耗时5年才终于完工。
However, this pace came at a great human cost.
然而，这一步耗费了巨大的人力。
The workforce consisted mostly of South Asian migrants, who regularly endured shifts over 12 hours long for a daily wage of roughly $10.
大部分的施工工人都是南非的移民，轮班时长超过12个小时，日薪只有大约10美元。
Those who tried to quit or return home had their paychecks and passports withheld by the project's construction company.
想离职或者回家的工人，薪水和护照都被项目建设公司扣留了。
These abusive conditions led to multiple protests, in addition to at least one suicide, and one fatal accident reported on site.
恶劣的工作条件引发了多次抗议以及至少一次的自杀事件和工地现场的致死事故。
In the years following the tower's completion, the United Arab Emirates fell under harsh scrutiny for failing to enforce worker protection laws.
哈里法塔竣工后的几年时间里，阿联酋因违反劳工保护法律而受到了严密的审查。
Hopefully, future projects will prioritize the individuals behind these engineering marvels over the buildings themselves.
真诚地希望，未来的建筑项目能够优先考虑建筑工程背后的人本身，而不是雄伟的建筑物。
