10. Shanghai World Financial Center, China - 1,614 Feet
The Shanghai World Financial Center was completed in 2008, and has a
height of 1,614 feet with 101 floors. It is located in Shanghai's
skyscraper-laden Pudong district and acts as an international finance
and trade center. It is home to hotel rooms, offices, conferences,
observation decks and shopping malls. Its tower has a trapezoid aperture
towards the peak and has an air controlling feature called Variable Air
Volume (VAV), and it is designed with a diagonal frame to mitigate
bending and compressive forces from people inside the building, the
wind, and heavy equipment on the ground alike. The design of the
skyscraper has been very positively received by critics.
9. Tapei 101, Taiwan - 1,667 feet
Like its name would suggest, Tapei 101 has a total of 101 stories. At
1,667 feet tall, it is among the world's tallest buildings. Taipei 101
made great waves when it was constructed in 2004, as its design was
quite revolutionary at the time. It held the title of the world's
tallest building for six years before being surpassed by the Burj
Khalifa in Dubai. An example of postmodern architecture, Taipei 101 is
well known for its unique green-blue hue. It dominates the skyline of
Taipei and is a major tourist attraction, mainly thanks to its
observatory at the top.
8. China Zun, China - 1,667 Feet
China Zun, in Beijing, is set to be completed in 2018. When it is
completed, it will become the world's eighth tallest building with a
total height of 1,667 feet. The building is intended to act as the hub
of the Central Business District of Beijing. The building is being
developed by the CITIC Group.
7. Tianjin CTF Finance Centre, China - 1, 739 (Tie)
The CTF Finance Centre in Tianjin holds the title of the world's seventh
tallest building, in a tie with the CTF Finance Centre in Guangzhou.
The towers are both 1,739 feet tall. This CTF tower, which stands for
Chow Tai Fook, is set to be officially completed sometime in 2018. Its
construction began in 2013. The building hosts a total of 97 floors
which are dedicated to mixed-use.
6. One World Trade Center, United States - 1,776 feet
Standing at 1,776 feet and 104 stories, One World Trade Center is the
tallest building not only in New York City, but also in the United States,
and the entire Western Hemisphere. Its construction was completed in
2014. Its namesake comes from the North Tower of the original World
Trade Center. One World Trade Center was built as a functional building
in commemoration of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The building has been
praised for its use of renewable energy, which includes the reuse of
rainwater.
5. Lotte World Tower, South Korea - 1,819 Feet
The Lotte World Tower is found in Seoul, South Korea. At 1,819 feet, it
is the fifth tallest building in the world. Construction on the building
was completed in March of 2016. A total of thirteen years of planning
went into the preparation the the Lotte World Tower's construction,
which began in March 2011. The building features 123 floors, six of
which are underground. The roof of the Lotte World Tower was constructed
with such a strength that it is designed to withstand earthquakes with a
magnitude of up to 9 on the Richter scale.
4. Ping An International Finance Centre, China - 1,965 Feet
The Ping An International Finance Centre, in Shenzhen, China, is 1,965
feet tall. It is the fourth tallest building in the world. Construction
of the building topped out in 2015 before being finally completed in
2017. The Ping An International Finance Centre features a conference
center, hotel, and a number of high-end retail spaces. It is also the
home of its namesake, Ping An Insurance. The building uses an impressive
total of 33 double decker elevators to access its 115 floors.
Originally, the building designs called for the inclusion of an antenna.
However, this plan was eventually called off due to concerns of flight
interference.
3. Makkah Royal Clock Tower, Saudi Arabia - 1,972 Feet
Also referred to as the Abraj Al-Bait of Mecca, the Makkah Royal Clock
Tower in Saudi Arabia is the third tallest building in the world. It
stands at a total of 601 meters. The government-owned complex features a
hotel with 120 floors, as well as a conference center, an Islamic
museum, and a prayer room with a capacity of 10,000 people. Other
amenities inside the building include a five story shopping mall and a
Lunar Observation Centre, which is used to watch the moon during the
Holy Month. The Abraj Al-Bait was constructed by the Saudi Binladin
Group, which is the largest construction firm in Saudi Arabia. The clock
of the Makkah Royal Clock Tower is the largest clock face in the world.
2. Shanghai Tower, China - 2,073 Feet
The Shanghai Tower is the world's second tallest building as well as the tallest building in China,
with 121 floors and a height of 2,073 feet. The construction of
Shanghai Tower began in 2006 and took a total of eight years. This
building was designed by Gensler, an American architectural company. Its
initial purpose was to to serve as a hotel and office building. Today,
the Shanghai Tower has a total of 320 hotel rooms and 1,100 parking
spaces. The view from the top of the building offers a stunning view of
the area of Shanghai known as Pudong, which has seen a great amount of
development over recent times.
1. Burj Khalifa, United Arab Emirates - 2,717 Feet
At 2,717 ft, Dubai's Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world.
Primarily constructed from steel and concrete, the building was designed
by the same architects who were responsible for other famous
super-talls like the Willis Tower in Chicago and One World Trade Center
in New York City. The construction of the building, which was completed
in 2010, was part of an initiative by the government of the United Arab
Emirates to shift the country’s economy from one that is solely
oil-based to a more tourism and service based nation. The Burj Khalifa
has 30,000 residences spread out over 19 residential towers, an
artificial lake, nine hotels, and a shopping mall.