Skyscrapers add to the beauty of various cities in the world. Some of these tall buildings are engineering marvels.
Here is a brief overview of the top 10 tallest buildings in the world.
10) Guangzhou International Finance Center – Guangzhou, China
Architectural Height: 438.6 Meter
Built: 2005 – 2010, Cost: GB£280 Million
This 103-storey building is 438.6 meters (1,439 feet) tall. Located at Zhujiang Avenue West in the Tianhe District of Guangzhou, this building is used as a conference center, office and hotel.
9) Willis Tower – Chicago, IL, USA
Architectural Height: 442.1 Meter
Built: 1970 – 1973
Formerly referred to as Sears Tower, this skyscraper is 442 meters (1,451 feet) tall. This 108-storey structure is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Chicago. It has featured in many movies like “Transformers: Dark of the Moon.”
8) Zifeng Tower – Nanjing, China
Architectural Height: 450 Meter
Built: 2005 – 2010
Also known as Greenland Center-Zifeng Tower or Greenland Square Zifeng Tower. This engineering marvel is 450 meters (1,480 feet) tall. This 89-storey skyscraper comprises retail and office space in the tower section and restaurants, a hotel and a public observatory near the top.
7) Petronas Towers – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Architectural Height: 451.9 Meter
Built: 1993 – 1996, Cost: $1.6 Billion
These twin skyscrapers (452 meters, 1483 feet) are the tallest twin towers in the world. They attract many tourists daily. Tower One is occupied by Petronas and its subsidiaries and associate organizations. Many companies like IBM, Boeing and Microsoft have their offices in Tower Two.
6) International Commerce Centre – Hong Kong
Architectural Height: 484 Meter
Built: 2002 – 2010
This commercial skyscraper is 484 meters (1,588 feet) tall. It is a 118-storey building which houses the five-star hotel The Ritz-Carlton, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse and offices of other companies.
5) Shanghai World Financial Center – Shanghai, China
Architectural Height: 492 Meter
Built: 1997 – 2008, Cost: $1.20 Billion
This skyscraper is 492 meters (1,614.2 feet) tall. It has hotels, conference rooms, offices, shopping malls and observation decks. The most distinctive feature of the building’s design is the trapezoid aperture at the peak.
4) Taipei 101 – Taipei, Taiwan
Architectural Height: 509 Meter
Built: 1999 – 2004, Cost: $1.8 Billion
This tall structure is located in Xinyi District, Taipei. This 101-storey building is 508 meters (1,667 feet) tall. Many reputed companies like Google Taiwan, Bank of America and McKinsey & Company have their offices in this building.
3) One World Trade Center – New York, NY, USA
Architectural Height: 541.3 Meter
Built: 2006 – 2014, Cost: $3.9 Billion
This 104-storey structure is 541 meters (1,776 feet) tall. This building’s footprint is nearly identical to the footprints of the original Twin Towers. The tower rises from a 185-foot windowless concrete base.
2) Abraj Al Bait (Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower) – Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Architectural Height: 601 Meter
Built: 2004- 2012
This government-owned building complex holds many records. It is the tallest clock tower in the world. It is 601 meters (1,972 feet) tall. The minaret and its base have large loudspeakers that emit prayer calls that can be heard around seven kilometers away.
1) Burj Khalifa – Dubai, UAE
Architectural Height: 828 Meter
Built: 2004 – 2010 – Cost: $1.5 Billion
Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. This engineering marvel is 829.9 meters (2,722 feet) tall and was constructed by Samsung Engineering and Construction of South Korea. It cost $1.5 billion to construct this building, which uses the bundled tube design. Burf Khalifa has featured in many popular movies like “Mission: Impossible-Ghost Protocol.”
The above-mentioned super-tall buildings reflect the progress made by their respective nations.
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