Ever since the Tower of Babel was constructed over 2000 years ago, man has been obsessed with building tall structures. With the recent launch of the Burj Khalifa, every other country is going bonkers, trying to raise the stakes to launch the next ‘tallest’ building in the world. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat is a global referee for determining official building heights. We’ve gleaned our list of Tallest Buildings (completed and due to complete) from their database. Here goes!
World One, Mumbai, India
This 1450 foot condo tower has a three-leaf clover base that narrows into a single cylindrical structure. Wraparound balconies go around the cylinder around each condo, affording a superb view to residents.
Nanning China Resources Tower, Nanning, China
This tower is climbing its way to 1456 feet, just a bit shorter than Dubai’s Marina 106. Due for completion in 2019, this tower will be housing residences and commercial properties.
Marina 106, Dubai, UAE
The Marina 106 is Dubai’s new luxury residential skyscraper. Climbing up to 1460 feet, the structure is only 62 feet taller than the Marina 101. The tower, due for completion in 2018, is tiered with vertical strips of LEDs for color and drama.
Suzhou IFS, Suzhou, China
This tall financial center is now at 1476 feet mark. Seamlessly defined, the building tends to pinch like a spout towards the top. Scheduled to complete in 2017, we expect the building’s final height to be announced soon.
Lakhta Center, St. Petersburg, Russia
Located in subarctic St Petersburg, this 1516-feet tall tower house offices and residences. Due for completion in 2018, the Lakhta Center looks like a shard of ice reaching its way into the sky.
International Commerce Center, Hong Kong
Standing tall at a height of 1,588 feet, this 108-sotrey building is located in West Kowloon, Hong Kong. The building houses the Ritz-Carlton, the Sky100 observatory and Hong Kong hotel.
Shanghai World Financial Center, China
This building is the financial center of Pudong district in Shanghai. It stands proud at a height of 1,614 feet, and has been praised for its beautiful trapezoid aperture at the highest point.
Taipei 101, Taiwan
Taipei 101 stands tall at 1,670 feet; till 2004, this skyscraper was the acknowledged world’s tallest building. Consisting of 101 storeys, the building puts on a grand display every New Year.
China Zun, Beijing, China
Beijing’s new flagship skyscraper was given the form of a ‘zun’ – an ancient Chinese ceremonial vessel by the designers Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. The building stands at 1732 feet, looking like a tall and slender hourglass figure.
CTF Finance Center, China
This structure is one of the two Guangzhou Twin Towers overlooking Pearl River in Guangzhou. Completed in 2016, this building houses hotels and office buildings, and stands at 1, 740 feet.
One World Trade Center, USA
Standing at a height of 1,776 feet, this building was constructed post the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. It is currently the tallest building in the Western hemisphere and the tallest building in the United States.
Lotte World Tower, South Korea
The Lotte World tower has a height of 1,823 feet, has 123 floors, and was completed in 2016. Located in the city of Seoul, it took 13 years of preparation to get this building up and going. Today it is the tallest free-standing structure in the whole of Korea.
Abraj Al-Bait Clock Tower, Saudi Arabia
Located in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, this tower has the world’s largest clock face and a prayer room that can hold over 10,000 people, a five-star hotel, and a five-story shopping mall. It stands at 1,971 feet.
Shanghai Tower, China
The Shanghai Tower rises up to 2,073 feet, comprising of 127 floors above ground and 5 podium floors. The 119th floor has an observatory deck for sightseeing. It is currently the second-tallest building in the world.
Burj Khalifa
The Burj Khalifa, Dubai, is the certified tallest building currently in the world. This gorgeous building is constructed like a desert flower, with the stamen flaring and tapering all the way to the top till it pierces the sky, at a height of 2,717 feet. The building has 57 elevators, 8 escalators, nine hotels, parkland, and nineteen residential towers.
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Conclusion
It’s mesmerizing, watching these unbelievably complex supertall structures come up. It’s like nothing can challenge human might anymore. It’s a bit scary when you think about it, but also extremely exciting. It’ll be fun to see if the Shanghai Towers manages to take the title of the Tallest Building in the World away from the incredible Burj Khalifa. Only time will tell.