高層
こうそう · kousou · JLPT N2 · na-adj
tall
🏢 高 (tall) + 層 (layer/storey): a building with many layers stacked high
高 means tall or high, and 層 means layer or storey. Together they name a tall building made of many stacked floors, so the word for tall skyscraper is literally tall storeys.
高 — pictograph of a tall building/tower
高 is a pictograph of a tall structure, likely a watchtower or multi-story gate, with a roof on top, an upper chamber, and a base below. From this concrete image of height it extended to the general meanings 'tall,' 'high,' and figuratively 'lofty' or 'noble.'