Listing the tallest buildings in the world is not as easy as you may think. There are several arguments regarding what can be included in the height of the structure and what not. Do antennas count? What if the top floor of the building is uninhabitable?
An international body, Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat has set the parameters as to what defines the height of the building and listed the following 10 buildings as the highest in the world. Check these out!!
#10. International Commerce Centre, Hong Kong
Height: 492 Meters
International Commerce Centre, also known as ICC, used to be the fourth tallest building in the world when it was completed back in 2010 but has slipped a few places since. Together with Two IFC, the second tallest building in Hong Kong located on the other side of the harbor gives a very modern and dramatic touch to the Victoria Harbor.
(Image Courtesy: Discover Hong Kong)
#9. Shanghai World Financial Center, China
Height: 492 Meters
Located in the skyscraper-laden Pudong district of Shanghai, Shanghai World Financial Center has been a part of the city’s skyline for almost a decade now. Its innovative design is not only an alluring sight for observers, but has also been praised by many architects and other critics.
(Image Courtesy: China Tour Guide)
#8. Tapei 101, Taiwan
Height: 508 Meters
Formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, Tapei 101 became the world’s tallest building in 2004. The several accolades it has won include being elected as one of the Seven New Wonders of the World by Newsweek magazine in 2006 and one of the CNN’s 25 greatest engineering accomplishments by mankind in 2013.
#7. CTF Finance Center, China
Height: 530 Meters
Guangzhou CTF Finance Center, a symbol of the modern China, is situated in the city of Guangzhou, right across Guangzhou International Finance Center and Canton Tower. This mixed-use tower features a shopping mall, residence space, office area, and the top 16 floors of it are reserved for a lavish hotel.
(Image Courtesy: Skyrise)
#6. One World Trade Center, United States
Height: 541.3 Meters
Built on the site of the original World Trade Centers in New York to commemorate the terrorist attacks of 9/11, One World Trade Center is famed as the tallest skyscraper in the entire western hemisphere. A fun fact that many people do not know about this behemoth is that its height in feet is 1776, which is also the year the Declaration of Independence was signed.
(Image Courtesy: Aecom)
#5. Lotte World Tower, South Korea
Height: 554.5 Meters
Featuring 123 floors, 6 of which are below the ground, Lotte World Tower is the pride of Seoul. Built to withstand earthquakes of up to 9.0 magnitudes, the building boasts a ultra-luxurious hotel, lavish residence spaces, business areas and several observation decks that command magnificent views of the cityscape.
(Image Courtesy: the New York Times)
#4. Ping An Finance Center, China
Height: 599 Meters
Making hundreds of meter tall skyscrapers in the skyline of Shenzhen look like dwarfs is almost 600-meter tall Ping An Finance Center which features a hotel, conference center, and a high-end shopping mall. While the construction is set to be completed within a year, it has already been crowned the 4th tallest building in the world.
(Image Courtesy: Property)
#3. Makkah Royal Clock Tower, Saudi Arabia
Height: 601 Meters
If you like Big Ben, then you will fall in love with Makkah Royal Clock Tower, which is just a bigger version of the famous clock tower. In the heart of the holy city of Mecca, it was built to offer luxurious accommodation to pilgrims going on Hajj. The 5-star hotel can accommodate up to 2 million worshipers who seek rest during their journey.
(Image Courtesy: Pro Tenders)
#2. Shanghai Tower, China
Height: 632 Meters
An architectural masterpiece, Shanghai Tower overlooks the city’s financial district from 632 meters. Built at a cost of USD 4.2 billion, the structure adds to the Shanghai’s glorious skyline which also has the 492-meter tall Shanghai World Financial Center and 468-meter Oriental Pearl Tower.
(Image Courtesy: Wikipedia)
#1. Burj Khalifa, UAE
Height: 828 Meters
The gem in the skyline of Dubai, the iconic Burj Khalifa shocked the world and rewrote the concepts of architecture and design when it was inaugurated in 2010. Rising to an astonishing 163 floors above the ground, the structure has several world records to its name, including the most number of floors, most number of occupied floors, highest outdoor observation deck, longest traveling elevators, tallest service elevators and more.
(Image Courtesy: Dubai)
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