Abstract An optimal assessment method for the design of accelerograph arrays to monitor the seismic response of high-rise buildings is presented. This method uses a finite element model of the structure based on a simplified multi-degree-of-freedom system model defined using the parameter identification method. The off-diagonal element of the Modal Assurance Criterion (MAC) matrix of mode is taken as the target function in order to facilitate the selection of optimum locations. An example for a high-rise building in Dalian indicates that a minimum of 15 locations provide the optimum sites for monitoring the dynamic response of the selected building in view of economic benefit.