#10. Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan – 508 m (1,667 ft)
– Formerly known as Taipei World Financial Center, Taipei 101 is a 101-storey mixed-use skyscraper located in the Xinyi District of Taipei, Taiwan.
– It has a height of 508 meters (1,667 ft). It was the tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2010. In 2011, Taipei 101 gets a platinum rating under the LEED certification system and becomes the world’s tallest green building.
– It features an indoor and two outdoor observation decks, office spaces, a conference center, restaurants, etc.
#9. CITIC Tower / China Zun, Beijing, China – 527.7 m (1,731 ft)
– Popularly known as China Zun, CITIC Tower is a mixed-use skyscraper located in the Central Business District of Beijing, China. It has a height of 527.7 meters (1,731 ft) and consists of 109 floors. It the tallest building in Beijing and the 5th tallest building in Mainland China.
– The tower has a shape of ancient Chinese vessel “zun”, that’s why the name China Zun.
– CITIC Tower features luxury apartments, office spaces, a hotel with 300 rooms, a rooftop garden, and an observation deck.
#8. Tianjin CTF Finance Centre, Tianjin, China – 530 m (1,739 ft)
– Tianjin CTF Finance Centre is a mixed-use high rise building located in Tianjin, China. It stands 530 meters (1,739 ft) with 97 floors above the ground and 4 below the ground.
– Its construction took six years to complete. The owner of this skyscraper is Chow Tai Fook Enterprises. It features office spaces, luxury serviced apartments, and a hotel.
#7. Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre, Guangzhou, China – 530 m (1,739 ft)
– Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre is a supertall mixed-use skyscraper located in the Tianhe District of Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. It is a part of the Guangzhou Twin Towers. This one is located on the east of the central axis connecting the two towers, that’s why it is known as “East Tower”. We have talked about the other tower previously at #22.
– With a height of 530 meters (1,739 ft) and 111 floors above the ground, it is the third tallest building in China and the 6th tallest building in Asia. Similar to the previous one, this building is also owned by Chow Tai Fook Enterprises.
– It features office space, serviced apartments, and a hotel. It also holds the Guinness World Record for having the fastest elevator/lift in the world which travels at 47 miles/hr (75.6 km/hr).
#6. One World Trade Center, New York City, USA – 541.3 m (1,776 ft)
– World Trade Center was destroyed after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. One World Trade Center is a supertall skyscraper build on the legacy of the World Trade Center in New York City, USA.
– With an architectural height of 541.3 meters (1,776 ft), it has 94 floors above the ground and 5 below the ground. It is the tallest building in the United States of America.
– This skyscraper is a part of the World Trade Center complex which includes five high-rise office buildings and the National September 11 Memorial & Museum located just south of One World Trade Center.
#5. Lotte World Tower, Seoul, South Korea – 554.5 m (1,819 ft)
– Lotte World Tower is a supertall mixed-use skyscraper located in Seoul, South Korea. With an architectural height of 554.5 meters (1,819 ft), it has 123 floors above the ground and 6 below the ground, thus making it the first building in Korea to have more than 100 floors.
– Its design is inspired by traditional Korean art forms. Lotte World Tower consists of retail outlets, office spaces, a 7-star luxury hotel, officetels, a rooftop cafe, and an observation deck.
In South Korea, officetel (a combination of “office” and “hotel’) is a type of apartment that combines the facilities of a house, hotel, and office.
#4. Ping An International Finance Centre, Shenzhen, China – 599.1 m (1,965 ft)
– Located in the Futian District of Shenzhen, China, Ping An International Finance Center is the tallest building in Shenzhen and the second tallest building in China.
– With a height of whopping 599.1 meters (1,965 ft) and 115 floors above the ground, it also holds the record of having the world’s highest observation deck called Free Sky at 562.2 meters.
– It contains a conference center, hotel, office spaces, retail spaces, and shopping mall.
#3. Abraj Al Bait, Mecca, Saudi Arabia – 601 m (1,972 ft)
– Abraj Al-Bait is a complex of seven skyscrapers with Makkah Royal Clock Tower being the tallest among them with a height of 601 meters (1,972 ft). This hotel complex which comprises of seven skyscrapers is located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
– Makkah Royal Clock Tower is the tallest skyscraper in Saudi Arabia, the second tallest building in the Middle East, and the third tallest building in the world.
– It is located just a few meters away from Islam’s most sacred site, the Great Mosque of Mecca. These towers were built after the demolition of Ajyad Fortress, an 18th-century Ottoman citadel overlooking the mosque.
– These towers hold multiple world records:
- World’s most expensive building with a total construction cost of $15 billion USD.
- Makkah Royal Clock Tower is the world’s tallest clock tower.
- This clock tower also has the world’s largest clock face with a diameter of 43 meters.
#2. Shanghai Tower, Shanghai, China – 632 m (2,073 ft)
– With an architectural height of 632 meters (2,073 ft), Shanghai Tower is the tallest building in China and the second tallest building in the world with 128 floors above the ground.
– It is located in the Pudong district of Shanghai. Shanghai Tower is also a part of the world’s first trio of adjacent high rise buildings, the other two being Shanghai World Financial Center and Jin Mao Tower.
– It also shares the world record for having the highest observation deck in the world at 562 meters with Ping An International Finance Center, also located in China. Along with that Shanghai Tower has the world’s second-fastest elevator/lift in the world which can travel at a top speed of 20.5 m/sec (or 74 km/h or 46 mph).
#1. Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) – 828 m (2,717 ft)
– Located in Dubai, UAE, Burj Khalifa is by far the tallest building in the world since 2009. With a whopping architectural height of 828 meters (2,717 ft), it has 163 floors above the ground, thus also making it the building with the highest number of floors in the world.
– Initially, it was named “Burj Dubai” but was later changed to “Burj Khalifa” in honor of Khalifa bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, current ruler and president of UAE.
– Burj Khalifa was designed by Adrian Smith, of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. His firm also designed the Willis Tower and One World Trade Center. It’s designed is inspired by the Islamic architecture of the region notably the Great Mosque of Samarra.
He has also designed the Jeddah Tower, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia which is going to be the world’s first 1km (3,281 ft) tall building and will surpass Burj Khalifa as the tallest building in the world.
– Burj Khalifa is a mixed-purpose supertall skyscraper that consists of an observation deck, corporate suites, Atmosphere – the world’s tallest/highest restaurant at 122nd floor, residential suites, etc.
Also Read:
- The Strange Story of Albert Einstein’s Brain After Death & The Key Findings
- Shakuntala Devi – The Human-Computer
- 3 Reasons Why School Buses Are Yellow In Color
- 51 Mind-Blowing Facts About the English Language That You Must Know
