Book excerpt: As tall buildings have achieved greater heights and their designs have become more complex, the challenges of façade access and maintenance have grown exponentially, demanding new levels of efficiency, coordination and customization to effectively preserve a building's function and value to owners and tenants for years to come.Through a series of detailed case studies - contextualized with supporting material on equipment types, spatial considerations, special façade typologies and more this CTBUH technical Guide attempts to illustrate the systems and components that are available to provide access solutions for the many and varied challenges inherent in the tall building typology. Key design considerations and best practices, distilled from the case studies and research within, aim to provide guidance for choosing the most appropriate solutions.This desktop reference for designers, builders, developers and owners is intended to promote a better overall understanding of the needs, requirements and options for façade access - conveying innovation solutions and in-depth analyses for this crucial element of skyscraper design.