Council seeks to tell story of skyscrapers' unique benefits

The Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat has opened an office in China that will oversee its operations and lead its initiatives in the country and elsewhere in Asia, where skyscrapers are remaking urban landscapes.

Chinese cities have experienced unprecedented vertical growth. In 2014, there were 58 "tall buildings" (defined as those higher than 200 meters) completed in China, accounting for about 60 percent of the world's total.

Tall buildings are big business in more ways than one, with environmental, financial and cultural implications. In China, the industry may leverage sectors with total turnover of hundreds of billions of yuan annually, from financial planning to security consultancy, according to a report by China IRN, an industry research organization.