Fazlur Rahman Khan was a Bangladeshi-American structural engineer and architect, who initiated important structural systems for skyscrapers. Considered the "father of tubular designs" for high-rises, Khan was also a pioneer in computer-aided design (CAD). He was the designer of the Sears Tower, since renamed Willis Tower, the tallest building in the world from 1973 until 1998, and the 100-story John Hancock Center.
Fazlur Rahman Khan
A sculpture honoring Fazlur Khan at the Willis Tower
John Hancock Center is the world's first mixed use tower. When built, it was the second tallest building in the world. It demonstrated how much more efficient and feasible building very tall skyscrapers could be, in comparison to the older design and technology used by the tallest buildings up to that time.
In 1960, buildings over 20 stories were still newsworthy. Apartments in the John Hancock Center in Chicago – shown here with its distinctive exterior X-bracing – are located as high as the 90th floor.
Bangladeshi Americans are Americans of Bangladeshi descent. Most Bangladeshi Americans are also Bengali Americans. Bangladeshi Americans are usually Muslims with roots in Bangladesh in which Bengali is the majority language. Since the early 1970s, Bangladeshi immigrants have arrived in significant numbers to become one of the fastest growing ethnic groups in the U.S. New York City is home to two-thirds of the Bangladeshi American population. Meanwhile, Paterson, New Jersey and Atlantic City, New Jersey are also home to notable Bangladeshi communities. Over 400,000 people leave Bangladesh with the sole goal of finding employment in other countries.
The New York City Metropolitan Area, including New York City, Central New Jersey, as well as Long Island in New York, is home to the largest Bangladeshi-American population.
Paterson, New Jersey, in the New York City metropolitan area, is home to the second largest Bangladeshi American population, after New York City.
Sears Tower (now Willis Tower), was designed by Fazlur Rahman Khan. It was the tallest building in the world for over two decades.
