Top 10 Skyscrapers From Around the World

Cities wouldn’t be cities if it wasn’t for the buzzing noise, busy streets, bumper to bumper traffic, pollution, beautiful malls, and the trademark of all cities – spectacular skyscrapers.

Cities are known for tall buildings with ostentatious architecture that eventually become signature landmarks and sometimes, tourist attractions. Here are the top 10 skyscrapers from around the world.

10. Zifeng Tower (China)

Starting off with tenth place is the Zifeng Tower of Nanjing, China. Currently known as the Greenland Square Zifeng Tower or Greenland Center-Zifeng Tower (and formerly known as Nanjing Greenland Financial Center), the Zifeng Tower was erected in 2012 – comprising 89 stories and standing at an eye-popping height of 450 metres!

Designed by the architecture firm known as Skidmore, Owings and Merill, this tower was built to include office space around the lower portion, with a hotel, restaurants and an open-for-all observatory at the top.

8. Petronas Towers (Malaysia)

Sitting at a tie at eighth place (yes, skipping ninth considering that these 2 towers are in a tie) are none other than the Petronas Towers of Kulala Lumpur, Malaysia. Called as the Petronas Twin Towers, Menara Petronas and Menara Berkembar Petronas, the two towers had been and are currently holding the title as the tallest twin buildings on earth.

Considered as a main landmark of Kuala Lumpur, the Petronas Towers stand at the towering height of 452 metres, with a total of 88 floors each. Built in 1998 by architect César Pelli, the towers symbolize the rich Islamic culture and mirror the country’s aspiration.

7. International Commerce Center (Hong Kong)

A 118-storey building with a towering height of 484 metres takes the seventh spot on the list. Fully commissioned in 2010 in West Kowloon Hong Kong, the International Commerce Center not only earns the seventh place in terms of height but also awarded as the tallest building in the country by the number of floors!

Designed by an American architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF), the ICC has many facilities including the Sky100 observatory and The Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

Did you know that the ICC was originally designed to be 574 metres tall? However, due to Hong Kong regulations that don’t allow structures to be taller than the nearby mountains, the height was reduced to 484 metres.

6. Shanghai World Financial Center (China)

The second building coming from China holds the sixth place on the list, with it towering above the skyline at a height of 492 metres! Located in the Pudong district of Shanghai, China. Among the many that are housed by the SWFC are various offices, conference rooms, observation decks, hotels and shopping malls.

SWFC is also acclaimed for its architecture and captured the title of the best completed skyscraper in 2008.

5. Taipei 101 (Taiwan)

Hailed as the tallest building in the world in 2004, the Taipei 101 (also known as the Taipei World Financial Center), rightfully claims the fifth spot. Standing at a height of 590 metres, the Tapei 101 also snatches the title of being the largest and tallest green building in the world – awarded with the LEED platinum award, the highest honor in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

The tower is considered as an icon of modern-day Taiwan.

4. One World Trade Center (New York)

Formerly and more commonly known as the Freedom Tower, One World Trade Center takes the fourth spot. It towers over New York with its awesome height of 541 metres (coincidentally 1,776 feet), standing at a total of 104 floors. It is considered as the key building of the latest World Trade Center complex and occupies the previous location of the first World Trade Center.

Commissioned in 2013, One World Trade Center is also dubbed as the tallest structure in the Western Hemisphere. The building was designed by the minds of David Childs, an architect in the firm Skidmore, Ownings and Merill.

3. Abraj Al Bait (Saudi Arabia)

Famously known as the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower, Abraj Al Bait Tower conquers third place. Not just a third placer, the tower is also celebrated for being the tallest clock tower in the world. Abraj Al Bait was commissioned in 2012 towering at a majestic height of 601 metres and 120 floors!

Located near the mosque Kaaba, to fully accommodate worshipers of the mosque, the Abraj Al Bait tower has a vast prayer room able to house more than 10,000 people. Among the many facilities include a parking garage, a 20-story mall, conference centres, 2 heliports and residences for permanent residents.

2. Shanghai Tower (China)

Yet another tall skyscraper from China takes the second spot. Designed by Gensler and completed in 2014, the Shanghai Tower is the tallest among the 3 skyscrapers in Pudong, Shanghai. The tower rises at a majestic height of 632 metres with 121 floors (1 floor more compared to Abraj Al Bait).

Several issues arose within the initial months of opening the building. It was revealed that noticeable cracks were observed in the ground next to the construction site.

1. Burj Khalifa (Dubai, UAE)

Standing at a mighty height of 828 metres and with a total of 163 floors, is the first placer of our list – the Burj Khalifa – also known as the Khalifa Tower. It is by far, the tallest man-made building all around the world! Publicly commissioned on January 4, 2010, Burj Khalifa was originally designed by Adrian Smith, engineered by Bill Baker of Skidmore, Owings and Merill, and built by Samsung C&T of South Korea.

Among the many stunning features of the tower are the Dubai Fountain, the Armani hotel, an observatory deck, and a park.
With all the majesty and grandiosity of skyscrapers, they deserve to become famous city landmarks all over the world.