Viability of options for super tall tower

Question

I've been reading through other posts about such megastructures and they're getting me part of the way to my destination. Wanted to see about a few specific options my imagination has latched onto.

The original concept is a tower, an arcology with a 1 km base level (willing to taper it as it gets higher if necessary), reaching to at least 8 km altitude.

Assume that available power is not an issue.

One idea is: Blocks, rectangular or triangular prisms, containing powerful electromagnets that are the 'mortar'. I liked this option because the society is ancient, and a blocky look fits the aesthetic better, masking the futurism. I realize it is power inefficient. Would such a thing work on this scale?

Thanks!

EDIT to reflect excellent comments:

Trying to avoid elegant solutions such as Space Fountain, Space Elevator, etc. We want to solve the issue of structural stability with brute force as much as possible. Would a system like this hold up versus gravity, bending and torque at high altitudes?

Answer 1

I am enamored of the combination of unlimited power and primitive blocky architecture!

My suggestions:

1. Spin. The entire tower spins on its axis. This provides

1a: Gyroscopic stabilization. The tower will be disinclined to tip while spinning, for the same reason a spinning bicycle wheel stabilizes the bike.

1b: Levitation. There are propellers mounted along the tower which use the tower as an axis. The spin generates lift, reducing the weight of the tower by pushing down against the air.

2. Static electricity. The tower is predisposed to hold a charge, because it is made of obsidian glass. Just as a static charge streaming up a hair will lift the hair from the head or a straw from a table, a static charge generated by the unlimited power source and streaming up the tower reduces the weight of the tower. The tip of the tower is sharply pointed and is surrounded by a bright corona discharge which will turn into upwards lightning bolts if any clouds come near.

I would like the static electricity to come from some sort of earth current or earth-sky conductive circuit. I would like the static electricity to somehow also be responsible for the spinning motion. That way the thing can stay working, unattended after the original builders are gone. Explorers can find it in some later age, still spinning, still sparking.

Answer 2

The tallest building in the world is the Burj Kalifa in Dubai - it required much ingenuity but mainly the issues it faced were:

• The foundations - getting solid enough grounding to support the building
• The width - the taller your building, the wider the base to support it. The wider then the less light penetration. The Burj was split into 3 to deal with this problem.
• The height - even at only 828m in height, the building would sway significantly in the wind and could cause distress to occupants
• The elevators - most elevators can only do a limited height at a time. Most skyscrapers then use 'sky lobbies' as a way to solve this problem, but it is only a matter of time (or height) where this becomes a nuisance too much for people.
• The money - Tall buildings are very expensive, not only to build but to maintain, service and occupy. Also, there comes a point where the cost to benefit ratio is no longer there - even the Burj was on the verge of unfeasibility when it was built.

I read another article that it is conceivable to build an 8km tall skyscaper, the height of Everest, but the base would likely be the width of Everest too. At this size it would be difficult to have satisfactory solutions to the above issues.