The purpose of this paper is to provide structural and architectural technological solutions applied in the construction of high-rise buildings, and present the possibilities of technological evolution in this field. Tall buildings always have relied on technological innovations in engineering and scientific progress. New technological developments have been continuously taking place in the world. It is closely linked to the search for efficient construction materials that enable buildings to be constructed higher, faster and safer. This paper presents a survey of the main technological advancements on the example of selected tall buildings erected in the last decade, with an emphasis on geometrical form, the structural system, sophisticated damping systems, sustainability, etc. The famous architectural studios (e.g., for Skidmore, Owings and Merill, Nikhen Sekkei, RMJM, Atkins and WOHA) that specialize, among others, in the designing of skyscrapers have played a major role in the development of technological ideas and architectural forms for such extraordinary engineering structures. Among their completed projects, there are examples of high-rise buildings that set a precedent for future development.

The purpose of this paper is to present a new skyscraper typology which has developed over the recent years – super-tall and slender, needle-like residential towers. This trend appeared on the construction market along with the progress of advanced structural solutions and the high demand for luxury apartments with spectacular views. Two types of constructions can be distinguished within this typology: ultra-luxury super-slim towers with the exclusivity of one or two apartments per floor (e.g. located in Manhattan, New York) and other slender high-rise towers, built in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Melbourne, among others, which have multiple apartments on each floor. This paper presents a survey of selected slender high-rise buildings, where structural improvements in tall buildings developed over the recent decade are considered from the architectural and structural view.

Currently, new housing in city centers is more and more often developed on small plots of land, or existing buildings on such plots are rebuilt to such an extent that only their façade walls remain. In both cases, as a rule, a deep excavation is also made, either at the existing object or within its area. Serious damage often occurs because of the carried out work. It is not possible to accurately determine the response of a building to the deformation associated with the excavation due to the variability of many factors that influence it. As a result, the response of the building must be estimated on the basis of constant monitoring and approximate calculations. Depending on the size of the predicted ground displacements and the technical condition of buildings, it is often necessary to protect or strengthen their structural elements. In the paper, the authors analyzed various risk factors for the implementation of infill buildings and the revitalization of historic buildings using only their façade walls. In addition, examples of contemporary solutions for securing the walls of existing buildings, and the method of monitoring vertical deformations using the Hydrostatic Levelling Cell (HLC) system, are presented.