Abstract
For more than 100 years, American skyscrapers got along with the change of Modern architecture. However, high-rise building can not be regarded anymore as a monopoly of America. The purpose of this study is to clarify the aesthetic characteristics of Asian high-rise buildings. Basic concepts on the aesthetic and artistic expression of high-rise building have been discussed, emphasizing the importance of artistic characteristic. A brief introduction on the rise of Asian high-rise buildings also summarized in terms of changing trends for decades from 1970s. Among the 75 buildings in Asian countries out of 100 tallest buildings in the world, 10 buildings are selected to clarify the artistic characteristics which can be presented as an Asian trend in 21st century. The results can be summarized as follows; It was from 1990s that the Asian high-rise buildings began to express a specific regional aesthetics as a trend of post-modernism. Conventional ideas, traditional objects, and regional shapes and patterns are good instruments to successfully represent their national prides. Religions in Chinese and Islamic culture are popular motifs in Asian countries as well as feng shui and conventional idea of five primary elements. Traditional objects like pagoda and minaret are good precedents that can provide friendly recognized vertical objects. Many other interesting cases can be found referring to the traditional shapes and patterns like Chinese character, geometric pattern, Islamic sign, etc.