High-rise buildings of the world. The tallest skyscrapers in the world
Burj Khalifa is the main attraction of Dubai. This is one of the world's record-breaking buildings, located in the United Arab Emirates. Firstly, it is the tallest building created in the entire history of mankind, secondly, it is the building with the largest number of floors, and, finally, the most expensive building in the world.
And this would seem like something completely unheard of and unprecedented if the Emirates had not surprised the world earlier by building the largest singing fountain, the most prestigious area with the largest artificially created beaches and canals, the most exclusive metro and much, much more, the most diverse and unusual. The skyscraper rises 828 meters high, the number of floors of the building is more than 160. And the total cost of the structure is more than one and a half billion dollars. By the way, controversy and rumors surrounded the Burj Khalifa all the time before the opening of the skyscraper. About height, for example. Initially, it was assumed that the 705 m high tower project would be a modified project of the Australian “Grollo Tower” (560 m). The project managers said that the height would in any case be more than 700 m (that is, the Burj Khalifa, after completion of construction, in any case, would become the tallest structure on Earth). In September 2006, rumors spread to society about the final height of 916 m, and then even 940 m. But still, the final height was 828 meters with 163 floors (not including technical levels).
Clickable 1900 px
The city of Dubai in the UAE, for many centuries it was a small trading port where fish and pearls were caught in the coastal waters of the Persian Gulf. In recent decades, the city's wealth has risen sharply thanks to the discovery of oil and the desire of its rulers to turn Dubai into a business center. In 2003, two hundred skyscrapers had already been built or were under construction. And then the Emir of Dubai, Mohammed ibn Rashid, gave a simple order - to build the tallest building in the world. The construction of the tallest building begins with digging a hole, a very large hole.
Several months have passed since Dubai-based developer Emaar signed a contract with Chicago-based SOM. Oddly enough, this building does not have a foundation firmly anchored in the rocky ground. Here in the desert you won't find as much stone as in New York or other geological areas. We used hanging piles. These piles were screwed into sand and soft rock, and their load-bearing capacity was determined by their diameter and length. These are 45-meter piles, approximately one and a half meters in diameter. In total, we screwed in about 200 of these piles, says one of the project architects.
The skyscraper construction project included the construction of a so-called “city within a city” - its territory had its own parks, boulevards, and lawns. The total cost of the tower construction project was about one and a half billion dollars.
The author of the Burj Khalifa tower project was an architect from the USA, Adrian Smith, who had sufficient experience in designing similar structures. For example, Smith was directly involved in the design of the Jin Mao skyscraper, located in China, whose height is more than 400 meters. The construction division of Samsung from South Korea was chosen as the general contractor for the construction, which had previously participated in the construction of similar facilities, for example, the famous Petronas Twin Towers located in Malaysia.
Construction of the tallest skyscraper in the world was carried out quite quickly. Every week the building became 1-2 floors higher. After the 160th floor was built, concrete work stopped and assembly of the giant 180-meter spire from metal structures began. Construction of the skyscraper lasted for 5 years.
According to the project, 108 floors are allocated for residential premises: a luxury hotel is located on 37 of them, and ordinary apartments are located on the remaining floors. Although it’s hard to call apartments built in the most expensive and tallest skyscraper in the world “ordinary”! As noted above, the Burj Khalifa skyscraper is completely autonomous. To provide energy for such a large-scale structure, an equally large 61-meter turbine is used. In addition, numerous solar panels placed on the walls of the tower help provide the building with energy.
Despite its size, the building is well designed and protected, so in the event of a fire, complete evacuation takes only about half an hour!
The Sheikh of Dubai talks about plans to build the tallest building in the world Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, first announced in 2002. The tower was to become a key element of the new area, designed to attract tourists from all over the world to Dubai. The developer of the tower was a Dubai company Emaar, general contractor - South Korean Samsung Engineering. The tower was originally called Burj Dubai, from the Arabic Dubai Tower, but the completion of the project coincided with the global financial crisis and Dubai was forced to turn to the neighboring emirate of Abu Dhabi for help. In gratitude for the multi-billion dollar support received, the skyscraper was renamed in honor of the Sheikh of Abu Dhabi:“From now on and forever, this tower will bear the name “Khalifa” - “Burj Khalifa.”
In the outlines of the foundation one can see the outlines of the desert pancrat flower. This form facilitates the construction of buildings several hundred meters high. And when construction had already begun, lead architect George Estafio and his client made a bold decision - to increase the height of the building from the original 550, which exceeded the tallest Taipei Tower at that time (509.2 meters) by only a few meters, and not just increase, but almost doubled.
After laying the foundation, the tower began to grow rapidly. Work on site took place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There were about 100 designers, architects, and engineers, and up to 12,000 workers worked on the site every day.
Every three days a new floor appeared. But the higher you go, the more problems there are. And the main one is the wind. It is impossible to build a single tower of such height and uniform shape. Then the effect of the wind will be too strong, the vibrations will become too significant.
The terraces were built according to a certain pattern, rising in a spiral. The shape of the building is asymmetrical. This way the wind creates less vibration of buildings and as it rises the asymmetry changes, but also creeps up.
When you build the tallest building in the world, every centimeter counts. When pouring concrete, engineers needed to know where the center of the building would be, and with constant movement it is not easy to calculate it. The contractor installed 3 different devices GPS on the ground and another one at the very top of the building.
The building's exterior panels presented a major challenge to engineers. The glass had to reflect heat but transmit light. It should also be water-, wind- and dust-proof. About 200 of these panels were required for each floor.
During construction, the creators took into account literally everything - from the high temperatures in the Arabian sun to the angle of incidence of light into the premises of the tower. The building is equipped with special solar protection and reflective glass panels that reduce the heating of the rooms inside (temperatures in Dubai reach 50°C), reducing the need for air conditioning. Well, for air conditioning in the skyscraper, a convection system is used, driving air from bottom to top along the entire height of the tower, and sea water and underground cooling modules will be used for cooling. A special brand of concrete was created especially for the Burj Khalifa - such concrete is heat-resistant and does not deform under the scorching sun of the United Arab Emirates. By the way, the skyscraper will completely independently generate electricity for its own use: for this there will be a 61-meter wind-driven turbine and an array of solar panels (some of them are located on the walls of the tower).
The entire building project costs more than one and a half billion dollars - a huge amount, albeit for a highly developed country at this stage. Due to problems with financing the construction of the Burj Khalifa, the official opening of the skyscraper was postponed from September 9, 2009 (this date was originally planned - the opening date of the Dubai metro) to January 2010.
The Burj Khalifa project was created according to the idea of a “city within a city”. The building is surrounded by adjacent roads, convenient parking spaces, private lawns, boulevards and parks. In addition, the high-rise building hosts independent sponsored entertainment for young people and business people. Once again, a new site in the Khalifa Building is open for business. In addition to the hotel located on the first 37 floors, as well as luxury apartments between the 45th and 108th floors, most of the floors are still given over to office areas and business premises. Spacious, comfortable and air-conditioned rooms for meetings and presentations today attract business people from all over the world, which once again brings Dubai to the level of the business capital of the world - since almost every complex of buildings that open every year has a corner, so to speak, investor. The 123rd and 124th floors are equipped with an observation deck. Thousands of tourists who come here every year say that the sensations cannot be expressed in words - it is so breathtaking and filled with wonder, how could a person create such a thing!
In Arabic, "burj" means "tower".
The creators of the Dubai skyscraper also claim that the distinctive feature of the building is the highest residential floor and an observation deck located on the 124th floor. In the skyscraper, which can be seen from a distance of 90 kilometers, 57 elevators of the world's fastest system, the cabins move at a speed of 18 meters per second. There is also an autonomous power supply system - a 60-meter wind turbine and huge solar panels. The tower has a modern design, but its architecture also shows the influence of Islamic traditions.
According to the designers, the building is resistant to strong wind loads and can also withstand an earthquake. "We were struck by lightning twice, last year we felt the echoes of a powerful earthquake in Iran. In addition, during construction we experienced all possible types of wind. The results are good," Mohamed Ali Alabbar told the BBC. head of Emaar Properties, which built the tower.
Some of the apartments in the skyscraper were sold at a price of 24.3 thousand dollars per sq.m., but now their price has dropped by about half. The project, which has demonstrated resilience to natural disasters, did not remain unaffected by the global financial crisis. According to analysts, there will be especially many problems with the rental of office space in Burj Dubai, since fewer and fewer companies can afford such luxury.
Clickable 1600 px
Clickable 1920 px
The opening ceremony of the skyscraper was timed to coincide with the fourth anniversary of the reign of the current Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashed Al Maktoum, in the emirate of Dubai, who came to power on January 4. At the ceremony, the sheikh renamed the skyscraper, which was known as Burj Dubai during construction, to Burj Khalifa, dedicating it to the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. “From now on and forever, this tower will be called Khalifa - Burj Khalifa,” he said.
Sheikh Khalifa is also the emir of Abu Dhabi, which has allocated $10 billion to Dubai to help pay off debt obligations, including to support the investment company Dubai World.
The long-awaited opening of the legendary building took place with fireworks and festive concerts. The event was amazing in its incredible scope - the public saw the promised fireworks, theatrical performances, and a laser show. The list of honored guests invited to the opening ceremony included six thousand people. Others were able to watch a tour of the building on huge screens installed on the streets or on television. In total, the opening ceremony was broadcast on television and was watched by more than two billion people around the world.
From the first to the 39th floors of the building are occupied by the Armani Hotel. Above are office and technical premises, as well as individual apartments. In addition, there are special observation floors that serve as a high-altitude observatory. The 180-meter spire houses special communications equipment. Burj Khalifa (Burj Dubai) boasts 65 double-decker elevators. True, you will have to make several transfers on the way up or on the way down. From the first to the very last floor there is only one technical elevator. By the way, the Burj Khalifa elevator system is the fastest in the world, as the elevators reach speeds of up to 18 meters per second.
Here are some technical specifications of the Burj Khalifa:
— Style: Modernism
— Materials: structures - reinforced concrete, steel; facade - stainless steel, aluminum, glass.
— Purpose: office and retail space, residential real estate and hotel.
— Height: 828 meters.
— Floors: 164 (including two underground floors).
— Area: 3595100 sq. m.
— The highest observation deck is located at an altitude of 442.10 m.
- The Armani Hotel (the first of its kind) will occupy the lower 37 floors.
— From the 45th to the 108th floor there are about 700 apartments.
— The remaining floors will contain office and retail space.
Clickable 1900 px
Interesting facts about Burj Khalifa:
— The skyscraper has the world's fastest 57 elevators. They are designed to serve their group of visitors to the Burj Khalifa - staff and attendants, cargo, office workers, visitors and residents of the building, VIPs.
— From the 124th floor, two-story observation elevators operate - they accommodate from 12 to 14 people. The ascent speed is 10 meters per second.
— To build the tower, 330,000 cubic meters of concrete and 31,400 tons of steel reinforcement were required.
— The tower is located in the center of an artificial lake
— The Burj Khalifa has several recreational areas for visitors to relax - fitness and spa are located on the 43rd, 76th, 123rd floors, and swimming pools (the highest in the world), rooms for relaxation and other events are located on the 43rd and 76th floors.
Clickable 1600 px
— The shape of the building plan (three rays emanating from the center) is based on a desert flower bud growing in this region.
— The highest residential floor is 109.
— The highest observation deck is located on the 124th floor.
— The depth of the foundation piles is more than 50 meters.
— The building’s water supply system uses recycled rainwater (about_0 rain in the desert?)
— The tower will independently generate electricity for itself: for this, a 61-meter turbine rotated by the wind will be used, as well as an array of solar panels (partially located on the walls of the tower) with a total area of about 15 thousand m².
— The building is equipped with special sun protection and reflective glass panels that will reduce the heating of the rooms inside (in Dubai there are temperatures of up to 50 °C). For air conditioning in the skyscraper, a convection system is used, driving air from bottom to top along the entire height of the tower, and sea water and underground cooling modules will be used for cooling. It is stated that the air temperature in the building will be about +18 °C.
Burj Khalifa was created according to the principle vertical city- floors are arranged in blocks designed for different functions. The tower contains about 900 apartments, a hotel with 304 rooms, 35 floors are given over to offices. There is parking for 3,000 cars on three underground floors.
| Floor | Purpose |
| 160-163 | Technical |
| 156-159 | Communications and broadcasting |
| 155 | Technical |
| 139-154 | Offices |
| 136-138 | Technical |
| 125-135 | Offices |
| 124 | Observation deck |
| 123 | Sky lobby |
| 122 | Restaurant At.mosphere |
| 111-121 | Offices |
| 109-110 | Technical |
| 77-108 | Apartments |
| 76 | Sky lobby |
| 73-75 | Technical |
| 44-72 | Apartments |
| 43 | Sky lobby |
| 40-42 | Technical |
| 38-39 | Hotel apartments |
| 19-37 | Hotel rooms |
| 17-18 | Technical |
| 9-16 | Hotel rooms |
| 1-8 | Hotel |
The list has been compiled more than once by a variety of publications in the Old World. Today we decided to follow their example, presenting to your attention a small selection of the most impressive and unusual buildings with a height of more than 100 meters.
DC Tower (Vienna, Austria)
Our list opens with the tallest building in Austria, the environmentally friendly skyscraper DC Tower 1, also known as Donau City Tower. This structure was built on the banks of the Danube in 2013 and immediately found its way onto all sorts of lists of the most impressive structures of our time. The thing is that this 250-meter building with a wavy facade is one of the few skyscrapers on the planet built in accordance with all the standards of “green” architecture. In particular, the building has water-saving showers, energy-efficient elevators, as well as many other interesting features that are inextricably linked with environmental issues. The tower’s “life support” comes from environmentally friendly energy. The author of such an impressive project is the French architect Dominique Perrault.
Currently, opposite DC Tower 1, construction is underway on a second similar tower - DC Tower 2. Construction of the overall complex is planned to be completed in 2015, but already now the Vienna business center Donau City can safely be called one of the most beautiful skyscrapers planets.
Petronas Towers (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)
Petronas Towers is one of the oldest complexes on our list. The construction of these two amazing towers lasted from 1992 to 1998. At the same time, the two towers were built in parallel by two different construction companies, and the then leader of the country, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, took an active part in the design of the facility. It was at his behest that eight-pointed stars were incorporated into the silhouette of the buildings, which was supposed to make the Petronas Towers the most “Islamic” skyscrapers in the world.
However, this is not what brought the complex worldwide fame. After its construction, Petronas Towers were recognized as one of the most structurally complex structures on the planet, as well as one of the largest structures in Southeast Asia. The usable area of the buildings is equal to the area of 48 football fields, and the total territory of the complex exceeds 40 hectares. In addition, the foundation on which 450-meter buildings are supported reaches 100 meters in depth, which is an absolute record on the planet.
Currently, the Petronas Towers are one of the most recognizable symbols of Malaysia, as well as one the most beautiful skyscrapers Asia.
- Federation Tower (Moscow, Russia)
photo city.rf
A complex of two buildings in the center of Moscow rises above the ground by 242 (West) and 374 (East) meters, respectively. According to this indicator, the building ranks first in Europe, remaining not only one of the most beautiful skyscrapers in Russia, but also one of the tallest buildings in the Old World.
A total of 67 elevators are used to support the tower (10 more than in Burj Khalifa), each of which moves at a speed of 8 meters per second. And a special concrete frame, made of unique high-strength concrete grade B90, gives the complex increased stability, which, according to the authors of the project, should be enough for the building to withstand a direct hit from an aircraft.
photo gorproject.ru
Initially, the project also included a 506-meter spire, which was planned to house an observation deck. However, this idea was later abandoned. Currently, the Federation Tower is in the final stages of construction. One of the most beautiful skyscrapers Europe will be finally put into operation in 2016.
CAYAN Tower (Dubai, UAE)
One of the most unusual buildings in Dubai, and also the tallest “twisted” building on the planet rightfully takes its place on the list the most beautiful skyscrapers our vast Earth. The design of this 300-meter tower was carried out by the famous American bureau Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and, as conceived by the architects, was supposed to minimize the influence of wind on the stability of the tower.
However, the twisted body of the high-rise also has a pronounced aesthetic significance: from the base to the roof, the silhouette of the building is twisted exactly 90 degrees. This fact allowed the CAYAN tower, also known as the Infinity Tower, to become one of the regular participants in various lists of the most impressive buildings on our planet.
Read also: .
Flame Towers (Baku, Azerbaijan)
The “Fire Towers” of Azerbaijan are located exactly in the center of our list. The three gigantic buildings, 190 meters high, amaze with their unusual concept and impressive lighting. In 2013, the authoritative portal skyscrapercity.com ranked Flame Towers first in the list of buildings on earth with the most impressive lighting. Subsequently, the Discovery Channel and the Science Channel presented their separate reports about this complex. However, such attention is quite understandable. In fact, the entire façade of the buildings is made up of high-precision LED screens, thanks to which in the evenings Flame Towers look like giant tongues of flame.
Due to the favorable location of the building, it can be seen from almost anywhere in the city. At the moment, the “Fire Towers” are one of the main symbols of Baku and all of Azerbaijan, the name of which, by the way, is also translated from Persian as “Gathering Fire”.
CCTV Headquarters (Beijing, China)
Read also:
One of the most unusual buildings on our list. The China Central Television building was built in 2009 according to the design of Dutch and German architects Rem Koolhaas and Ole Scheeren. The aesthetics of the 234-meter skyscraper have been repeatedly questioned. But the originality of the structure has always been noted by the leading architectural publications on the planet.
In 2010, the famous “Pants” were included in the TOP of the most unusual buildings in the Middle Kingdom. Several times CCTV Headquarters was also included in the list the most beautiful skyscrapers in the world.
Al Bahar (Abu Dhabi, UAE)
The headquarters of the Abu Dhabi Investment Council are two 145-meter towers located right in the middle of the Arabian deserts. The architecture of the towers is an amazing mixture of modern technology and the traditional “mashrabiya” style, characterized by an abundance of lattices with complex patterns. However, this fact is not the only interesting feature of these towers. The thing is that the golden “scales” of the buildings are not only a decorative element, but also a special ventilation system consisting of two thousand modules that open depending on the location of the sun. Thanks to them, even in 50-degree heat, a comfortable atmosphere is maintained in the building, and the energy consumption of the tower is reduced by 50 percent.
Burj al Arab (Dubai, UAE)
The next point is the UAE again. “Arab Tower” - Burj al Arab - opens the top three of our list the most beautiful skyscrapers on the planet. The 321-meter building, built on an artificial island, is rightfully considered one of the most elegant, aesthetic and recognizable buildings on our planet. In addition, the famous hotel is also a true embodiment of Arabian luxury. Helipads, an underwater restaurant simulating a submarine, a hall covered in gold leaf, panoramic elevators and golf courses located at dizzying heights - all this splendor has turned the Burj al Arab into a living symbol of Dubai life. Today, the image of a “seven-star” hotel appears on thousands of postcards, magnets and other souvenirs brought from Dubai.
A few years ago, the authorities of the emirate even presented a separate logo for the city, where the letter “D” in the word “Dubai” was made in the form of an “Arab Tower”.
Sheraton Huzhou Hotel (Huzhou, China)
Honorable silver on our list the most beautiful skyscrapers in the world goes to another representative of the Middle Kingdom - the Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort. This building, reaching a height of 102 meters, is more than half the height of the CCTV building, but despite this, its construction cost investors almost twice as much - $1.5 billion! This fact is associated with the unusual bionic shape of the hotel, which, in fact, made this skyscraper famous throughout the world. However, such a “horseshoe-shaped” structure also has a purely practical function. This engineering solution adds greater resistance to earthquakes to the structure.
In addition to the unusual silhouette, a striking detail of the skyscraper is also its façade, which is decorated with 19,000 LED lights.
Absolute Towers (Mississauga, Canada)
Despite the fact that most of the most beautiful and impressive skyscrapers of our time are located in the PRC and the United Arab Emirates, the first place on our list today goes to the birthplace of high-rise buildings - North America. Canadian skyscrapers Absolute Towers today proudly top our list, as well as dozens of other “hit parades” of multi-story buildings.
It is very noteworthy that the author of this structure was the Chinese architects from the MAD studio, who developed the design of these amazing wave-shaped buildings. The "twisted" form of the building causes the building to visually rotate, and also helps to eliminate vertical barriers common in multi-story buildings. Both skyscrapers do not have a single repeating balcony or floor, which creates unique conditions for the residents of this residential complex.
Currently, two towers, 180 and 161 meters high, are the main symbol of the small town of Mississauga, located in the suburbs of Toronto. In 2012, the architectural complex was awarded the title of best high-rise building in America. Today we decided to put it in first place in our ranking of the most beautiful skyscrapers on the planet.
Good luck and goodbye!
Every year, thousands of buildings, hundreds of high-rises and dozens of skyscrapers are erected all over the world. Some of the presented buildings are recognizable throughout the world, while others are masterpieces of architecture. In this rating we will talk about the 20 tallest skyscrapers in the world for 2012. The height of buildings takes into account the spiers and masts on their roofs. In addition to the location, height and number of floors of buildings, we will briefly describe their features.
20
The ranking of the tallest skyscrapers opens with Central Plaza, the third tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong. It was built in 1992 and has a height of 374 meters. This skyscraper has 81 floors, 3 of which are underground. The shape of the building resembles a three-dimensional triangle or pyramid. The tower mainly houses company offices and technical floors. On the roof of the building rises a 102-meter mast, inside of which there is a church.
19
Emirates Park Towers is a 77-storey hotel complex consisting of two towers, each 376 meters high. This tallest hotel in the world was built in 2011, and each tower consists of two levels of basement, ground floor, six levels of parking, seventy floors with balconies. The skyscraper also has outdoor terraces, 18 restaurants and cafes, a business center, a conference room, an extensive banquet hall, a spa and health club, shops, a swimming pool and a gym.
18
This 85-story skyscraper was built in 1997 in Kaohsiung City in Taiwan. The height of the building is 378 meters. The skyscraper has an original crenellated design: two separate 39-story buildings are connected together and support a central tower that rises upward. Thus, the building copies the outline of the Chinese character "gao", which means "high", present in the name of the city. In addition to offices, the skyscraper contains residential space, a shopping center, a hotel and an observation deck on the 75th floor.
17
This tower was built in 1996 in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, with a height of 384 meters, it consists of 69 floors, most of which are occupied by offices, apartments and shopping centers. It is the tallest steel building in China. There are 34 elevators inside the building, and there is an observation deck on the roof. The active construction of the building was facilitated by the status of a free trade zone. A small fishing village within twenty years has turned into a metropolis with a population of 4 million.
16
CITIC Tower is an 80-story skyscraper with a height of 391 meters located in Guangzhou, China. Built in 1997 in the Tianhe district, it is part of a complex of the same name, which also contains two 38-story residential buildings. The skyscraper, which mainly houses offices and shops, is served by 36 elevators. As of early 2007, it was the third tallest building in China.
15
The Al Hamra skyscraper was built in the capital of Kuwait, Kuwait City, in 2011. The skyscraper, with 74 floors and a height of 412 meters, is the tallest building in the country. The peculiarity of this skyscraper is its shape, which is quite unusual for buildings of this type. The fact is that the Al Hamra tower is asymmetrical. It is made in the form of traditional clothes of the country's inhabitants fluttering in the wind. Moreover, cement became the main building material in the construction of this 80-story building. The building houses offices, a cinema, a sports club, restaurants and an observation deck overlooking the Persian Gulf.
14
The Hong Kong International Financial Center Tower was built in 2003 on the waterfront of the city's central district. It is 415 meters high and consists of 88 floors, making it the tallest building in Hong Kong. It is understood that the building can accommodate 15,000 people. It should be noted that not all of the 88 floors exist in reality. Some "taboo floors" are missing, such as 14 and 24, which sound like "definitely dead" and "easy to die" respectively in Cantonese. The top floor of the second international financial center is located slightly above the city's landmark, Victoria Peak.
13
This skyscraper was built in 1998 in the Chinese city of Shanghai. The height of the 88-story building is 421 meters. The main proportion of this building is the number 8, which in Chinese culture is associated with well-being. The 88 floors are divided into 16 segments, each of which is 1/8 shorter than the sixteen-story base. The skyscraper is built on an octagonal concrete central frame surrounded by eight huge composite columns and eight external steel columns. The building houses offices, shops and a hotel.
12
It was in the USA that the tallest buildings in the world began to appear. This skyscraper hotel in Chicago is the second tallest building in the United States. It has 92 floors and its height is 423 meters. The building project includes retail space, a garage, a hotel and condominiums. The skyscraper consists of three parts, which is in the style of the architecture of Chicago buildings. The height of each part is at the level of the neighboring building to ensure visual continuity with the surrounding landscape. From the 3rd to 12th floors there is a lobby, retail spaces and a garage. There is a health club and spa on the 14th floor. From the 17th to the 21st - hotels and executive halls. From 28 to 85 there are condominiums, and from 86 to 89 there are penthouses.
11
The tower was built in 2011 in the city of Shenzhen in the Chinese province of Guangdong. With a height of 442 meters, the building consists of 100 floors. On the upper four floors there is a hanging garden and several restaurants, and on the lower floors there is a luxury brand of shops, restaurants and supermarkets “KK Mall”, 68 floors are occupied by a class “A” office center, and on 22 floors there is a six-star hotel. It is also home to Shenzhen's first IMAX cinema.
10
This tower is the western part of the Guangzhou Twin Towers complex under construction in the city of Guangzhou. The West Tower of the Guangzhou Twin Towers is 441 meters high and has 103 floors. Part of the West Tower complex is also a 28-story building connected to the tower by a 4-story common basement. The streamlined shape of the skyscraper makes it possible to optimally neutralize the impact of air flows on the structure.
9
In ninth place in our ranking of the tallest skyscrapers is one of the most famous buildings - the Empire State Building in New York, USA. This skyscraper was built in 1931, its height is 443 meters, with 102 floors. Today the tower is the tallest building in the city. This building is on the list of National Historic Landmarks in the United States, and in 200 it took 1st place in the list of the best architectural designs according to the American Institute of Architects. The building houses offices, shopping centers, and observation decks. The hall is 30 meters long and 3 floors high, decorated with marble and decorated with 8 panels depicting the 7 wonders of the world and the eighth is the Empire State Building itself. Taking the elevator in a minute, you can get to the observation deck on the 86th or 102nd floor.
8
Nanjing Greenland Financial Center is a 450-meter-high skyscraper consisting of 89 floors built in 2009 in Nanjing, China. The building houses the city's business center - office space, shops, shopping centers and restaurants, and also has a public observatory. The 72nd floor has an observation deck that offers panoramic views of the city of Nanjing and the neighboring Yangtze River, two lakes and the Ningzheng Mountains. Based on the small size of the triangle of construction area, they decided to make the building itself the same shape. The project combined three conceptual positions: the famous landscape gardens, the Yangtze River in China and the motifs of Chinese mythology, with its inherent dragons and iconography on the columns.
7
The Petronas Towers are two 88-story skyscrapers with a height of 452 meters, each of which consists of 88 floors. The skyscrapers were built in 1998 in the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. The buildings stand on soft ground, for which purpose piles were driven into it to a depth of more than 100 meters. This is currently the largest concrete foundation in the world. The Petronas Towers houses offices, exhibition and conference rooms, and an art gallery. The towers are connected by a covered walkway in the form of a bridge, which ensures the fire safety of the building.
6
The John Hancock Center is a 100-story skyscraper in Chicago, built in 1969. The main feature of the skyscraper is its hollow structure, reminiscent of a large quadrangular column. The height of the building is 457 meters, and it consists of 100 floors, served by 50 elevators. The skyscraper houses both office and residential premises, shops, gyms and restaurants.
5
The Hong Kong International Commerce Center consists of 118 floors and rises to 484 meters. It was built in 2010 in the western part of the Kowloon district of Hong Kong. This is the tallest building in the city. The top of the tower, from floors 102 to 118 inclusive, is occupied by a five-star hotel managed by the Ritz-Carlton. The hotel is located at an altitude of 425 m above the ground, making it the highest hotel in the world. On the topmost, 118th floor of the hotel there is a swimming pool. This is the highest pool in the world.
4
The Shanghai World Financial Center is a skyscraper in Shanghai, the construction of which was completed in the summer of 2008. The height of the center is 492 meters, and it consists of 101 floors. The building has passed all earthquake resistance tests and can withstand an earthquake of up to magnitude seven. During the design, three options were used to save people in the event of a fire: stairs in the middle of the building, elevators on the sides of the building, and protected floors. A protected floor is located on every twelfth floor. It is designed to shelter people from a fire until rescuers arrive. Each floor has its own reinforced concrete frame, which divides the entire building into sections and increases its strength properties.
3
The top three tallest skyscrapers in the world are completed by Taipei 101, a skyscraper located in the capital of Taiwan, Taipei, and built in 2003. The skyscraper has 101 floors and a height of 509 meters. The multi-story shopping complex in the tower contains hundreds of shops, restaurants and clubs. There are shopping centers on the lower floors, and offices on the upper floors. This skyscraper has some of the world's fastest elevators, rising at a speed of 63 km/h. The building, made of glass, steel and aluminum, is supported by 380 concrete pillars, each of which goes 80 m into the ground. The danger of collapse during a hurricane or earthquake is reduced by a huge 660-ton pendulum ball, placed between the 87th and 91st floors. The architectural style of the building in the spirit of postmodernism combines modern traditions and ancient Chinese architecture.
2
The tallest skyscraper in the United States is located in Chicago. The height of the skyscraper is 527 meters, the number of floors is 110. The building was built in 1973 and since then has held the title of the tallest building in the world for 25 years. The structure consists of nine square pipes that form a large square at the base of the building. It stands on concrete and stone piles driven into the underlying solid rock. Nine welded steel pipes rise 50 floors. Then the building begins to narrow. Seven more pipes go up to the 66th floor, and five rise to the 90th floor, and only two pipes form the remaining 20 floors. There are two television antennas on the roof. Willis Tower is the largest office building in the world, second only to the Pentagon in area. This building has 40 km of plumbing pipes, 2,400 km of wires, and the number of elevators is 104.
1
Here we come to the first place, which is rightfully occupied by the tallest building on the planet - Burj Khalifa. This building, reminiscent of a stalagmite in shape, consists of 163 floors and rises to 828 meters. This giant was built in 2010 in the largest city of the UAE - Dubai. The Dubai Tower was designed as a “city within a city” - with its own lawns, boulevards and parks. Inside the complex there are apartments, offices, shopping centers and a hotel. The building has 3 separate entrances: the hotel entrance, the apartment entrance and the office entrance. The Armani Hotel and the company's offices occupy floors 1 to 39. The hotel was designed by Giorgio Armani himself. 900 apartments occupy floors from 44 to 108. Office space occupies floors from 111 to 154. On the 43rd and 76th floors there are gyms, swimming pools, observation decks with Jacuzzis. The highest observation deck is on the 124th floor at an altitude of 505 meters. On the 122nd floor is the 80-seat Atmosphere Restaurant, the highest altitude restaurant in the world. The artificial tower above the main building, in addition to its decorative function, also has a communication function, since it is equipped with the necessary telecommunications equipment.
The availability of modern technologies and building materials provides architects all over the planet with the opportunity to constantly create bold designs for the tallest buildings in the world and turn them into reality. As a result, every year not only thousands of ordinary buildings, but also hundreds of skyscrapers appear in different countries. Some of them are typical, while others are so unique and recognizable that they bear the title of real architectural masterpieces. This article further presents a ranking of the 10 tallest buildings in the world in ascending order, taking into account the spiers and masts on their roofs.
"Nanjing Greenland"
This structure is also known as the “Zifeng Tower”, and it is located in the Chinese city of Nanjing. It consists of 89 floors and has a height of 450 meters. The commissioning of this skyscraper took place in 2010. Now the high-rise building, which is built in the shape of a triangle, has a mixed purpose. In particular, the lower floors house various shops and restaurants, while the upper floors are used as offices. The observation deck on level 72 offers beautiful views of the local area and the Yangtze River. The project was characterized by three conceptual positions - the aforementioned Chinese river, landscaped gardens and motifs of local mythology (dragons with iconography on columns).
Petronas Towers
In ninth position in the “World’s Tallest Building” ranking is the symbol of Kuala Lumpur (the capital of Malaysia) - the Twin Towers. The then Prime Minister of the state, Mahathir Mohamad, took an active part in their design. It was he who came up with the idea of building them in the Islamic style, and more specifically, in the shape of eight-pointed stars. Both skyscrapers were built in 1998, consist of 88 floors and have a height of 451.9 meters. Inside they have conference rooms, art galleries and offices. The cost of the project reached 800 million US dollars. An interesting feature is that the structures were built on soft soil, so to strengthen it, piles about 100 meters deep were driven into the ground. This foundation is the most powerful on the planet to this day. A covered walkway has been constructed between the towers, one of the important purposes of which is fire safety.
International Commerce Center in Hong Kong
The height of this structure is 484 m. It consists of 118 floors and was put into operation in Kowloon in 2010. It mainly houses offices, shops and shopping centers. The top seventeen floors are occupied by a five-star hotel with a huge swimming pool on the last floor. Initially, it was planned to build a 102-story structure with a height of 574 meters, but due to the ban on building buildings higher than the surrounding mountains, the project was revised.
Shanghai World Financial Center
This representative of the "World's Tallest Building" rating was built in 2008. The World Financial Center in Shanghai is 492 meters high and consists of 101 floors. The skyscraper can boast of several prizes and awards as the best high-rise building in 2008 and the owner of the highest observation deck on the planet. The structure has passed the seismic stability test and is capable of withstanding an earthquake of up to magnitude seven. Moreover, even at the design stage, the architects provided three options for saving people during a fire. On every twelfth floor there is a protected area where you can hide from a fire or wait for rescuers.
"Taipei 101"
In sixth position on the list is a skyscraper from Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. The building consists of 101 floors and its height is 508 meters. The high-rise building, built in 2004, harmoniously combines ancient Chinese architecture and modern postmodernist traditions. Between the 87th and 91st floors there is a giant pendulum ball weighing 660 tons, which significantly reduces the likelihood of collapse in the event of an earthquake or hurricane. The structure, which is predominantly made of steel, aluminum and glass, is supported by 380 pillars made of concrete and extending underground to a depth of 80 meters.
CTF Finance Center
This high-rise building is located in the Chinese city of Guangzhou. It is also known as the International Financial Center. The skyscraper was built in the modernist style and was officially opened in 2010. As of today, it belongs to the category of “the tallest buildings under construction in the world”, since work on its construction is still ongoing. According to the architects' plans, they should be completed in 2016. Then it will be a whole complex consisting of two towers. The height of the completed western building, consisting of 103 floors, is now 441 meters. The complex also includes a 28-storey building, which is connected to the existing tower through a 4-storey common basement. The impact of air flow on the building is practically reduced to zero due to its streamlined shape.
Freedom Tower
Located in the American city of New York, the Freedom Tower is a skyscraper with a height of 541.3 meters. It should be noted that this is the tallest building in the world that is used exclusively for offices. Moreover, it is the largest high-rise building in the entire Western Hemisphere. The Freedom Tower became the main structure of the new World Trade Center, built to replace the complex destroyed by a terrorist attack in 2001. The building itself is 417 meters high up to the roof, and the remaining 124 meters fall on the 758-ton spire installed on it. On the outside it is lined with glass with a bluish tint, so it looks very beautiful.
Royal Clock Tower
The representative of Saudi Arabia closes the top three in the top tallest buildings in the world. The structure is located in the world famous city of Mecca and rises 601 meters. It consists of 102 floors and was officially opened in 2012. The skyscraper is the largest on the planet in terms of construction volume and boasts the highest clock on Earth. The mosque with the main Islamic shrine (Kaaba) is located directly across the road. The Royal Clock Tower houses a hotel that proudly bears the title of the highest in the world. It can accommodate about 100 thousand people at the same time.
Shanghai Tower
In second place in the “World’s Tallest Building” ranking is a super-tall structure called Shanghai Tower, the construction of which is currently being completed in the Chinese city of the same name. According to the project, its height will be 632 meters, and the number of floors will be 128. The cost of its implementation, according to preliminary estimates, will be 4.2 billion US dollars. It is expected that its official commissioning will take place in 2015, despite the fact that construction work started in 1993. The frame itself has already been erected, and now only finishing work is underway. The skyscraper is multifunctional and consists of nine separate vertical zones. The finishing is made using durable glass, which provides not only protection from external weather conditions for people, but also natural ventilation.
"Burj Khalifa"
The ranking of the tallest buildings in the world is confidently headed by the Burj Khalifa, a skyscraper from the city of Dubai (UAE). Its peak is at an altitude of 828 meters. The building was erected in 2010 and consists of 136 floors. In its shape it resembles a stalagmite. Initially, the facility was planned as a city within a city, which would have its own lawns, parks and boulevards. There are three separate entrances to the skyscraper. From the 1st floor to the 39th floor, there are offices and the Armani Hotel. This is not surprising, since the design of the hotel was personally developed by Giorgio Armani. On the site from levels 44 to 108, the architects built 900 apartments, and from 111 to 154 they equipped office space. There is an observation deck on the 124th floor.
Without a doubt, located in the city of Dubai, the tallest building in the world amazes the human imagination. Be that as it may, many high-rise buildings and dozens of skyscrapers appear on our planet every year. Many of them, even at the construction stage, can well be considered as potential competitors to the representatives of the above rating. A clear indication of this is the fact that some of them are already considered real architectural masterpieces and are recognizable throughout the planet. The most iconic objects that can already be safely included in the list of “The World’s Tallest Buildings of the Future” are considered to be Zhongnan Center (China), Lotte World Tower (South Korea) and World Tower (Mumbai).
The first of the mentioned structures, according to the project, should have a height of 730 meters and consist of 138 floors. If all work is completed according to schedule, then its official opening will take place in 2020. After this, the building will become the tallest in China. The project is estimated at $4.2 billion.
The height of the Lotte World Tower skyscraper in Seoul is expected to reach 556 meters. Its construction should be completed in 2016. The architects plan to place offices, shops and a hotel inside.
As for the World Tower, the building should welcome its first visitors next year. The tallest building now in Mumbai - the Imperial Tower - this structure will be almost twice as large. In addition to shopping centers and offices, it is planned to build approximately three hundred luxury apartments, the cost of which will start at $1.5 million.
ivansychev February 13, 2017 at 11:42 am
The tallest skyscrapers in the world
- Urbanism
In the previous article we discussed. Unfortunately, now none of the high-rise buildings erected in the country is among the ten tallest buildings in the world. Therefore, until the completion of the construction of the Lakhta Center (hello to the commentators of the previous article), we will talk about skyscrapers in the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China, the USA, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Willis Tower
The oldest of the dozen currently existing tallest skyscrapers in the world was built in 1974 in Chicago. Its height is 442 meters without the spire, with the spire - 527 meters. In the Russian-language Wikipedia, the Willis Tower ranks 11th, but this is somewhat incorrect: the Lakhta Center, which has already been ranked 8th in the ranking, will be completed in 2018.Just think: in forty years, only nine skyscrapers in the world have surpassed the 108-story Willis Tower in Chicago, and in the United States this result was beaten only by the Freedom Tower, opened in 2014.
The design of the skyscraper was carried out by the architectural bureau Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, which later erected both the Freedom Tower and the tallest building at the moment - the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The building was originally called the Sears Tower, and received the name Willis in 2009. The foundation of Willis Tower rests on concrete piles driven into solid rock. The frame consists of nine square "tubes" forming one large square at the base. Each such “pipe” consists of 20 vertical beams and many horizontal ones. All nine “pipes” are welded up to the 50th floor, then seven pipes go up to 66, by the 90th floor five remain, and the remaining two “pipes” rise another 20 floors. Exactly what it looks like is clear from a photograph from 1971.
A worker stands on the spire of a tower.
The Willis Tower in this photo is on the right, with two spiers.
Zifeng Tower
In Nanjing, China, the Porcelain Pagoda, a 78-meter-tall Buddhist temple, stood until the mid-19th century. Travelers described it as one of the wonders of the world. It was replaced by the Zifeng skyscraper.Construction of the 450-meter high-rise Zifeng building was completed in 2009. It is the business center of the city. It houses offices, shops, shopping centers, restaurants and an observatory. Total - 89 floors.
Work on the construction of the tower lasted only four years. During the process, the project was changed: the tower could have a height of 300 meters. In China, where population density is extremely high, efficient use of land is essential. The triangular construction site was used to the maximum: the skyscraper has a triangular base.
The architects' idea was to interweave motifs of Chinese dragons, the Yangtze River and green gardens. The river is the vertical and horizontal seams that separate the glass surfaces. These surfaces themselves, according to architectural thought, are a reference to dancing dragons. Vegetation and pools were placed inside the building.
View of the city from a spire on a skyscraper.
Petronas Towers
In the capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, skyscrapers called Petronas Towers were erected in 1998. The height of the two 88-story skyscrapers is 451 meters, including the spire.The skyscraper was built in the “Islamic” style; each building is an eight-pointed star with semicircular protrusions for stability. The construction site was changed after geological surveys. Initially, one skyscraper was supposed to stand on limestone, the other on rock, so one of the buildings could sag. The site was moved 60 meters. The foundation of the towers is the deepest concrete foundation at the moment: the piles are driven 100 meters into soft soil.
Construction was complicated by an important condition: only materials produced within the country could be used. Strong elastic concrete, reinforced with quartz and comparable in strength to steel, was developed especially for the building. The mass of the skyscraper was twice that of similar steel buildings.
The bridge between the twin towers is secured with ball bearings. Rigid fastening is impossible, as the towers sway.
The elevators in the building are two-story models designed by Otis. One cabin stops only on odd-numbered floors, the second - on even-numbered floors. This saved space inside skyscrapers.
International Commerce Center
The 118 floors of the Hong Kong International Commerce Center house offices, a hotel and shopping centers. The height of the building is 484 meters. Initially, they planned to build a skyscraper 574 meters high, but the project was changed due to a ban on the construction of buildings higher than Mount Victoria.Construction was completed in 2010, but there was no official opening: the building was already in full use by tenants. The 102nd to 118th floors are the highest above ground level hotel operated by the Ritz-Carlton. On the last, 118th floor, there is the world's highest swimming pool.
The building can withstand earthquakes up to magnitude seven and has fire-protected floors. After the attack on the Twin Towers in New York, the design of the building was modified so that it could withstand a direct hit from an airplane.
Thanks to its silhouette, the skyscraper received the name “opener”. The trapezoidal opening at the top was supposed to be spherical, but the Chinese government forced the design to be changed so that the building did not resemble the rising sun on the Japanese flag. Such changes made it possible to reduce the cost and simplify the design. This is how the upper part of the building was planned:
Here's what happened as a result:
Taipei 101
The capital of Taiwan, Taipei, boasts a skyscraper more than half a kilometer high. Together with the spire, the height of Taipei 101 is 509.2 meters, and the number of floors is 101.For some time, Taipei 101 was also distinguished by the fastest elevators in the world: they rise at a speed of more than 60 kilometers per hour, or 16.83 meters per second. People rise from the fifth to the eighty-ninth floor in 39 seconds. Now the new record belongs to the Shanghai Tower.
On the 87th and 88th floors there is a 660-ton steel pendulum ball. This architectural solution was made not only to decorate the interior. The pendulum allows the building to compensate for gusts of wind. The durable but not rigid steel frame can withstand the strongest earthquakes. These solutions, together with a foundation of piles one and a half meters in diameter driven 80 meters into the ground, made the building one of the safest in the world. On March 31, 2002, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake destroyed two cranes on the building, killing five people. There was no damage to the tower itself. But there is a theory that it was the skyscraper that activated the seismic activity.
Freedom Tower
World Trade Center 1 in Manhattan, New York, has surpassed its pursuer, Taipei 101, in terms of spire by 32 meters, although if we count the distance from the ground to the roof, the American Freedom Tower, on the contrary, is inferior to the Taiwanese tower by 37 meters. The height of the World Trade Center is 1 - 541.3 meters on the spire and 417 on the roof.The building stands on the site occupied by the twin towers of the World Trade Center, destroyed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. When designing WTC1, past experience was taken into account, and the lower 57 meters were constructed using concrete instead of the standard steel structure.
The building officially opened on November 3, 2014. It is occupied by offices, retail spaces, restaurants and the City Television Alliance.
Royal Clock Tower
In Mecca in Saudi Arabia, in 2012, a complex of high-rise buildings, the Tower of the House, was built opposite the entrance to the al-Haram mosque, where the main shrine of Islam, the Kaaba, is located. The tallest building in the complex is the Royal Clock Tower Hotel, 601 meters high. It is designed to accommodate up to one hundred thousand pilgrims out of the five million people who visit Mecca annually. The Royal Clock Tower is the third tallest building in the world.On the tower at a height of 400 meters there are four dials with a diameter of 43 meters. They are visible from any part of the city. This is the highest altitude clock in the world at the moment.
The length of the spire at the top of the hotel is 45 meters. The spire contains 160 loudspeakers for the call to prayer. The 107-ton crescent at the very top of the building has several rooms, one of which is a prayer room.
The tower contains 21 thousand flashing lights and 2.2 million LEDs.
Shanghai Tower
The second tallest skyscraper is located in China. This is the Shanghai Tower, a 632-meter-tall building adjacent to another skyscraper on the list - the Shanghai World Financial Center. Offices, shopping and entertainment centers, and a hotel were located on 130 floors.The elevators in the building were developed by Mitsubishi Electric. Their speed is 18 meters per second, or 69 kilometers per hour. These are currently the fastest elevators in the world. There are three such elevators in the building, and four more two-story elevators reach a speed of 10 meters per second.
You shouldn't expect a beautiful view from the windows of a skyscraper. The building has double walls and has a second shell designed to maintain temperature.
The tower has a twisted design, which adds stability to combat wind.
From this angle, a spiral gutter is visible to collect rainwater used for heating and air conditioning.
Burj Khalifa
Opened in 2010 in Dubai, UAE, the Burj Khalifa tower has surpassed all existing skyscrapers and is still the leader in height.The tower was designed by the architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, which created the Willis Tower and 1 World Trade Center, which we previously discussed. The construction of the Dubai Tower was carried out by Samsung, which also participated in the construction of the Petronas Towers. There are 57 elevators in the building, they must be used with transfers - only one service elevator can go up to the top floor.
The tower houses the Armani Hotel, designed by Giorgio Armani himself, apartments, offices, shopping centers, fitness centers and observation decks with Jacuzzis. Indian billionaire B.R. Shetty completely purchased two floors, including the hundredth, at a cost of more than 12 million US dollars each.
As with the Petronas Towers, the world's tallest skyscraper developed its own special type of concrete. It can withstand temperatures up to 48 degrees Celsius. During construction, concrete was laid at night, adding ice to the solution. The builders did not have the opportunity to secure the foundation in the rocky soil, and they used two hundred piles 45 meters long and 1.5 meters in diameter.
If the Shanghai Tower has a gutter to collect rainwater, then in the case of the Burj Khalifa Tower such an approach is not needed: there is little rainfall in the desert. Instead, the building has a condensate collection system that can collect up to 40 million liters of water per year for watering plants.
During the filming of Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Tom Cruise decided to climb the tower to write Katie Holmes' name there and get a great shot.
Planned buildings
At the moment, there are only two building projects that can rank first in the ranking of the tallest skyscrapers in the world.At 828 meters high, the Burj Khalifa seems less impressive compared to the Dubai Creek Harbor Tower project. Its roof height will be 928 meters - that is, it will already beat the current record by 100 meters. And the height of the spire will exceed a kilometer - it will reach 1014 meters. But this is not certain - the parameters of the building are kept secret. Like the Eiffel Tower, the Dubai Creek Harbor Tower will be open for World Expo 2020 if all goes according to plan. The foundation was laid on October 10, 2016.
