- This is about the architectural term. For the book, see "High Rise".
A high-rise is a tall building or structure. Normally, the function of the building is added, for example high-rise apartment or high-rise offices.
High-rise buildings first became possible due to the invention of the elevator (also known as the lift in British English) and a cheap building material.
Although the exact definition is immaterial, various bodies have tried to define what 'high-rise' means:
- The International Conference on Fire Safety in High-Rise Buildings defined a high-rise as "any structure where the height can have a serious impact on evacuation"
- The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary defines a high-rise as "a building having many storeys".
See also
