Skyscrapers first arose in the late 19th century in areas of New York City and Chicago with insufficient land prices. Today, skyscrapers usually refer to towers over 50 floors. In fact, the main factor in the development of skyscrapers is the invention of elevators.
As of January 2020, there are nine cities in the world with more than 100 skyscrapers (limited to more than 150 meters): Hong Kong (355), Shenzhen (289), New York (284), Dubai (201), Shanghai (163), Tokyo (158), Chicago (127), Chongqing (127) and Guangzhou (118).
Next, let's take a look at the 20 tallest skyscrapers in the world.
1. Willis Tower is a skyscraper located in Chicago, USA, with a height of 442.3 meters. Completed in 1973, the building surpassed the World Trade Center in New York to become the tallest building in the world at the time, and was called sears tower when it was completed.
The Exchange 106 is a skyscraper located in the Financial Central Business District of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The skyscraper has 95 floors, 445.5 meters high, and at the top features a 12-story 48-meter-high luminous tower crown.
3. Zifeng Tower, also known as Greenland Center Zifeng Tower, is a skyscraper located in Gulou Square, Gulou District, The capital of Jiangsu Province, China. It was topped out on September 26, 2008, with a height of 450 meters and a total of 89 floors, making it the tallest skyscraper in Jiangsu Province.
Suzhou International Finance Square (IfS) is also 450 meters.
Petronas Twin Towers at 451.9 meters, located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, was once the tallest skyscraper in the world and was later surpassed by Taipei 101. Petronas Twin Towers remain currently the tallest twin-buildings in the world.
5. Changsha International Finance Square (Changsha IFS) is located in the core area of Wuyi Business District, Furong District, Changsha City, with a total of 94 floors of the main tower T1 with a height of 452 meters. At present, Wharf Group's investment property projects are the largest investment amount, the highest building height and the largest commercial area. Changsha International Finance Center is currently the tallest building in Hunan Province.
6. The Landmark 81 is a 461.2-meter-tall skyscraper in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, making it the tallest building in Vietnam.
7. The Lakhta Center is 462 meters high and is located in St. Petersburg, Russia. Lakhta Center is the tallest building in Russia and Europe.
8. Central Park Tower, 472 meters high, is a super-tall skyscraper located in Midtown Manhattan, New York, USA, the second tallest building in New York City and the United States. It may also be the tallest residential building in the world.
9. Wuhan Greenland Center is a 455-meter skyscraper project under construction in Wuhan. In 2018, due to clear space control, the current allowable altitude of the green space center under construction is 455 meters, which has changed from the planned tallest building in China (636 meters) to the tallest building in central China.
10. International Commerce Centre (ICC), Hong Kong, 490 metres, located in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. The International Commerce Centre is a 118-storey complex with the Top Floor of The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong. The building was completed in 2010 and completed in 2011. It is the tallest and only Hong Kong building with over 100 floors in Hong Kong.
11. The Shanghai World Financial Center is the tallest flat-roofed building in the world with a height of 492 meters and 101 floors above ground.
12. Taipei 101 is a 509-meter-high skyscraper with 101 floors above ground and 5 floors underground in Xinyi District, Taipei City, Taiwan Province. Taipei 101 is the tallest building in Taiwan and the only building with more than 100 floors, and was the world's tallest building from December 1, 2004 to January 7, 2010.
13. Beijing CITIC Tower, also known as China Zun, is the headquarters building of CITIC Group in China, covering an area of 11,478 square meters, with a total height of 528 meters, and the number of floors is 108 floors above ground and 7 floors underground. At present, the China Zun is the tallest building in Beijing.
14. Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre 530 meters, also known as Guangzhou East Tower. The land tender for Chow Tai Fook Financial Centre was completed on 12 September 2008 and was acquired by Hong Kong developer Chow Tai Fook Group at a reserve price of RMB 2,860 per square metre for a total price of RMB1.55 billion. Today is the tallest building in Guangzhou.
Tianjin CTF Finance Centre, also known as Tianjin CTF Binhai Centre, is also 530 meters away.
15. One World Trade Center, 541 meters, is a skyscraper in Lower Manhattan, New York, United States, which was the name used in the North Tower of the World Trade Center before the September 11 attacks. The new World Trade Center No. 1 building built after the 9/11 incident was built on the site of the old World Trade Center No. 6 building destroyed during the 9/11 incident. Completed on November 3, 2014, it is currently the tallest building in the United States and New York. Because of its spirit of post-disaster recovery, the overall design of the building also incorporates some of the key components of the old New York skyline.
16. Ping An Finance Center is 599.1 meters away, located in Futian District, Shenzhen. It is the world's tallest office building with the highest floors and total height available.
17. Abraj Al-Bait Clock Tower, 601 meters from the Holy City of Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Completed in 2012, the building is the world's tallest hotel, the world's tallest clock tower, the world's largest clock face, and the world's largest floor area. The Royal Clock Tower Hotel in Mecca was built by the Saudi Bin Laden Group, the largest construction company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the main purpose of the bell tower on the building was to be used as a proofreading of standard time during the pilgrimage period.
18. At 632 meters, the Shanghai Tower is currently the tallest building in China and has the second tallest observation deck in the world.
19. Merdeka 118 is a 678.9-meter 118-storey building under construction in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, and is expected to be completed in 2022. Upon completion, it will become the second tallest building in the world and will also replace the Petronas Twin Towers, completed in 1998, in the ranking of the tallest buildings in Malaysia.
20. The Burj Khalifah, located in Dubai, is currently the tallest building and artificial structure in the world, with a height of 828 meters and a total of 169 floors.
China Jiangsu Nantong Liujian Group Company contracted civil construction, and the curtain wall was contracted by Hong Kong Far East, Shanghai Lijin and Shaanxi Hengyuan companies.
Text: Xiao Ao
I hope you can add, comment, like and bookmark.
We'll see you next time.