Great architecture always mesmerizes. From ancient forts to modern buildings, they always leave tourists awestruck, who often queue up for hours for a glimpse. Some modern-day skyscrapers that soar into the sky are star tourist attractions that bring in people in droves from all across the world. Although there are many tall buildings around the world, not all of them are that captivating, in comparison to those which we have included here in the list.
Let’s take a look at some of the tallest buildings in the world:
Burj Khalifa, Dubai (Height: 828m/2,717 ft)
Burj Khalifa has redefined what is possible in the design and engineering of supertall buildings. By combining cutting-edge technologies and cultural influences, the building serves as a global icon that is both a model for future urban centers and speaks to the global movement towards compact, livable urban areas. The tower and its surrounding neighborhood are more centralized than any other new development in Dubai. At the center of the downtown neighborhood, Burj Khalifa’s mixed-use program focuses the area’s development density and provides direct connections to mass transit systems.
Burj Khalifa’s architecture has embodied references to Islamic architecture and yet reflects the modern global community it is designed to serve. The building’s Y-shaped plan provides the maximum amount of perimeter for windows in living spaces without developing internal unusable area. As the tapering tower rises, setbacks occur at the ends of each ‘wing’ in an upward spiraling pattern that decreases the mass of the tower as the height increases.
Merdeka 118, Kuala Lumpur (Height: 679m/2,227 ft)
At a height of 2,227 ft, the structure comprises a dual lateral load-resisting system consisting of the concrete walls of the services core coupled by outrigger trusses to the perimeter bracing of mega-columns, sloping columns, and belt trusses. It is the second tallest building in the list. The mega-columns and core walls in this building are reinforced concrete without embedded structural steel, except within the depth of the outrigger truss. This creative engineering reduced imported steel costs and the number of trades, coordination, and construction time needed.
Shanghai Tower, Shanghai (Height: 632m/2,073 ft)
As the third tower in the trio of signature skyscrapers at the heart of Shanghai’s Lujiazui Finance and Trade Zone, Shanghai Tower embodies a new prototype for tall buildings. Placed in close proximity to Jin Mao Tower and Shanghai World Financial Center, the new tower rises high above the skyline. Its curved façade and spiraling form symbolizes the dynamic emergence of modern China. But its twisting form goes beyond just creating a unique appearance: wind tunnel tests confirm a 24 percent savings in structural wind loading when compared to a rectangular building of the same height.
More than a landmark, the mixed-use tower offers a sustainable way of living in a vertical city. This includes a unique mix of restaurants, shops, offices, and hotels spaced throughout the building. The tower’s program is organized into nine vertical zones. Each of these vertical neighborhoods rise from a sky lobby and a light-filled garden atrium. That creates a sense of community and supports daily life with a varied program catering to tenants and visitors. The sky lobbies function much like traditional town plazas and squares. That brings people together throughout the day.
Makkah Royal Clock Tower, Mecca (Height: 601m/1,972 ft)
At the heart of the holiest Islamic city, Makkah Royal Clock Tower brings an air of modernization to the bustling historic center of Mecca. The tower was developed as a component of the King Abdulaziz Endowment Project. It provides comfortable accommodations for devout Muslims that make the journey to the city every year during the Hajj period. This is conveniently located adjacent to the Grand Mosque. It can accommodate up to two million worshippers over the course of the event.
The clock tower stands in the center of a high-rise complex called Abraj Al-Bait. Six smaller high-rises surround it at heights varying and accommodate both residential and hotel uses. True to its name, four colossal clock faces are mounted near the top of the tower. These clocks hold the record for both the largest and highest in the world. The clock faces are illuminated by one million LED lights during the night. This transforms the tower into a green and white beacon.
Read more | Skyscrapers in the UAE: Ranking the tallest buildings
Ping An Finance Center, Shenzhen (Height: 599m/1,965 ft)
Ping An Finance Center is located in the city’s Futian District. It represents a new generation of the prototypical Asian skyscraper: very tall, very dense and hyper-connected. The centre rises from a prominent location in the center of the city, connecting seamlessly to neighboring commercial and residential properties. It also connects with Pearl River Delta’s high-speed rail corridor. At its final height, the tower will symbolize a city which has witnessed unprecedented urban growth – from 300,000 people to approximately 10 million – in the 35 years since becoming China’s first special economic zone.
The shape of the tower is that of a taught steel cable, outstretched by the sky and the ground at once. At the top of the tower, the façades taper to form a pyramid. This gives the tower a prismatic aesthetic.
Lotte World Tower, Seoul (Height: 555m/1,819 ft)
Taking inspiration from traditional Korean art forms in the design of the various interior program spaces, the sleek tapered form of Lotte World Tower will stand out from Seoul’s rocky, mountainous topography. The tower is programmed with a greater variety of functions than is normally found in a tall building. It contains retail components, offices, a 7-star luxury hotel, and an officetel. Officetels, common in South Korean real estate, offer studio apartment-style accommodations. It offers this for those people who work in the building and often feature certain services found in hotels. These services include furnishings, a security desk and gym access. The building’s top 10 stories are earmarked for extensive public use and entertainment facilities. Also includes an observation deck and rooftop café.
The design of the tower melds a modern aesthetic with forms inspired by Korean ceramics, porcelain and calligraphy. The seam that runs from top to bottom of the structure gestures toward the old center of the city. Elegance of form was one of the prime objectives, following the desire of stakeholders to bestow a beautiful monument to the capital city skyline
One World Trade Center, New York City (Height: 541m/1,776 ft)
One World Trade Center recaptures the New York skyline. It reasserts downtown Manhattan’s preeminence as a business center, and establishes a new civic icon for the country. This is a memorable architectural landmark for the city and the nation. It connects seamlessly to the city with linkages to an extensive underground transportation network. Extending the long tradition of American ingenuity in high-rise construction, the design solution is an innovative mix of architecture, structure, urban design, safety, and sustainability.
The tower is a bold icon in the sky that acknowledges the adjacent memorial. While the memorial, carved out of the earth, speaks of the past and of remembrance, it also speaks about the future and hope as it rises upward in a faceted form filled with, and reflecting, light.
Guangzhou CTF Finance Center, Guangzhou (Height: 530m/1,739 ft)
Guangzhou CTF Finance Center is a mixed-use tower located across from Guangzhou International Finance Center and Canton Tower. The project is adjacent to a large central park and a subterranean retail concourse with transportation interchanges, integrating the project into the city and the wider region.
The design of Guangzhou CTF Finance Center is taken from the efficient synthesis of its multiple uses. The centre’s form is sculpted at four major transition points. These are office to residential, residential to hotel, hotel to crown, and crown to sky. Instead of tapering to accommodate the smaller floor plates required for different programs, the tower steps back at four angled parapets. These four setbacks allow for lush sky terraces and dramatic skylights.
Tianjin CTF Finance Center, Tianjin (Height: 530m/1,739 ft)
The Tianjin CTF Finance Center is located in the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area, an outer district of Tianjin, China. The tower serves as an anchor for the larger area development. It houses office space, luxury serviced apartments, and a hotel. By stacking reducing floor plates, the tower tapers dramatically to minimize the surface area exposed to wind, sun and moisture. The gently-undulating curves of the façade subtly denote the integration of the three distinct programs within a singular smooth object.
Square in plan with rounded corners, the floor plate geometry enables unique interior fit-outs and customization options for occupants. Research has the shown that lateral forces due to vortex shedding can be managed by tapering the vertical profile of the tower and softening any sharp corners in plan. The building’s aerodynamic shape greatly reduces this vortex shedding by ‘confusing the wind’. And also disrupting the opportunity for any resonating wind forces and loads on the structure.
CITIC Tower, Beijing (Height: 508m/1,731 ft)
CITIC Tower will be the flagship building of Beijing’s comprehensively planned 30-hectare central business district core. The tower’s gently rising and curving form resembles an ancient Chinese ceremonial vessel, called the ‘zun’. The design concept is that of a transforming shell that gradually bends to create a dramatic form.
This concept is also used for other key elements of the tower. This includes the entrances, ground-floor lobby and observation deck. At the base, the tower thrusts into the ground with massive corner supports, while the exterior shell is gently lifted up and stretched forward at the four sides. The design physically extends the lobby outward, forming dynamic drop-off spaces. At the top, the exterior envelope becomes more transparent at the observation deck. And, it allows more visibility to the inner trumpet-shaped business center. That centre lights up at night, forming a beacon that will be visible throughout the city.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Is there any building taller than Burj Khalifa?
Jeddah Tower would (0nce completed) be the tallest building or structure in the world, standing 180 m (591 ft) taller than the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Who owns Burj Khalifa?
The Burj Khalifa is owned by Emaar Properties, a real estate development company owned by Mohamed Kajoor Alabbar. But it was built by three major companies including Samsung C&T of South Korea, Arabtech of the United Arab Emirates and BESIX of Belgium.
How many floors is Burj Khalifa?
The Burj Khalifa has a total of 163 floors.
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