Shiny Glass Skyscrapers Are a Hot Thing. Literally.

One thousand feet above city traffic, from her new 74th-floor apartment, Anastasia Zeeman has the kind of enchanting views that only floor-to-ceiling glass can offer. She looks out on a skyline and horizon where storms and sunsets play out like big-screen movies. But Malaysia’s tropical sun sometimes delivers what Ms. Zeeman calls a “wall of heat” radiating from her windows. More than any other form of architecture, glass skyscrapers testify to the human desire for sweeping views and a sense of rising above the fray.

In some of the world’s fastest developing places — Dubai, Mumbai, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur — they have become city-defining showpieces, signaling sophistication and rising financial clout. And yet glass tends to be ill-suited for keeping out the heat, and its overuse often makes buildings more energy intensive to cool. That’s fueling a debate about whether these symbols of modernity make sense in a world growing hotter because of climate change.

Some argue that the ambition and innovation that spawned the high-rise era can help modern skyscrapers fend off rising temperatures while maintaining the million-dollar views. Others say the all-glass aesthetic is at odds with the environmental goal of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. They say it is time to rethink city skylines. We are having trouble retrieving the article content. Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings. Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in . Want all of The Times? Subscribe .