What is the tallest building people have ever been able to build? Given the shape of the Earth and existing technology, we could build a building 4 km high, 6 km wide. It would have 800 floors with a capacity of up to one million people. But we have not gone so far ... Such tall buildings on Earth have not yet been built.
And the current highest skyscraper - Burj Khalifa - stands at around 829.8 meters (height to the top). It eclipses all buildings built before 2009.
Most modern high-rise buildings have steel frames that allow them to be built higher than traditional load-bearing concrete walls. Advanced construction technologies - such as gaps allowing air to pass through them, and massive dampers to reduce swing and vibration - have allowed such structures to narrow in width.
How are these buildings measured?
The International Non-Profit Organization Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitats defines a set of standards for measuring tall buildings. The organization analyzes and reports on all aspects of the planning, design and construction of skyscrapers. She uses 3 methods of ranking heights:
- Height to the architectural-acoustic upper part;
- Height to the highest occupied floor;
- Height to the very top (including flagpoles, antennas and technical equipment).
Currently, there are 64 buildings with a height of more than 350 m, of which 32 are in China.
15
Changsha IFS Tower T1 ▪ 452.1 m ▪ 88 floors
Location: Hunan, China;
Completed in: 2017;
Cost: Not known.
Located in the prestigious Furong district, Changsha IFS Tower T1 is good for achieving its main goal - attracting a large number of financial institutions based in Hunan.
Changsha complex development project includes two skyscrapers: Tower 1 and Tower 2. Tower 1 has 700 m for street retail, restaurants and entertainment venues. The reduced dimensions of the floor slabs on the upper part are mainly reserved for the hotel, where guests usually pay premium rooms for accommodations at this height.
14
Landmark 81 ▪ 461.2 m ▪ 81 floor
Location: Hoshimi, Vietnam;
Completed in: 2018;
Cost: $ 123 million
Landmark 81 was built as the focal point of $ 1.5 billion best-class. This is a whole urban complex with Vinhomes Central Park. The complex includes luxury apartments, shopping areas, several entertainment venues and recreational facilities.
The design of the Landmark 81 is similar to a bunch of bamboo, symbolizing the unity and strength of Vietnamese culture.
The thinnest section of the skyscraper is located in its upper part: it can be considered a spire, since it does not have usable floors, but not thin enough for a real spire.
13
Lakhta Center ▪ 462 m ▪ 86 floors
Location: Saint-Petersburg, Russia;
Completed in: 2019;
Cost: $ 1.77 billion
The construction of the Lahta Center, the tallest building in Europe, required truly creative engineering minds to overcome environmental and architectural problems.
The tower is equipped with an advanced heating, lighting and communications management system, as well as an “intelligent façade” that reduces energy consumption. Instead of traditional heaters, engineers used infrared emitters: excess heat generated by the electrical and mechanical devices of the tower is sent to the heating system.
The skyscraper foundation includes 264 piles driven 279 meters into the ground, and 15 levels of nets redistribute the weight of the tower from its core, so that the skyscraper remains stable under extreme wind loads.
12
International Trade Center ▪ 484 m ▪ 118 floors
Location: Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong;
Completed in: 2010;
Cost: $ 3.69 billion
The International Trade Center represents a new era of skyscraper model, which not only takes into account the achievements in design and engineering, but also includes the idea of “smart” communications.
He is in the top 10 energy-efficient commercial buildings, which, according to most-beauty, is very impressive for such a tall building. Only an air conditioning system reduces energy consumption by 8%.
Other energy-saving features include natural light for the atrium and double-deck elevators with electric power regeneration features. The waste management system annually collects more than 100,000 kilograms of recyclable materials.
11
Shanghai World Financial Center ▪ 492 m ▪ 101 floor
Location: Shanghai, China;
Completed in: 2008;
Cost: $ 1.2 billion
Shanghai World Financial Center is a symbol of culture and commerce. The most distinctive architectural feature of this building is its huge trapezoidal opening at the top, which is designed to reduce the impact of wind pressure. Due to the unusual appearance, the building is popularly called the "opener".
Although the type of construction is not unique (it can be found in other countries, such as the Kingdom Center in Saudi Arabia and the Duke Energy Center in the USA), building it on such a large scale was really a difficult task.
The trapezoidal opening of the Center is made of reinforced concrete and structural steel.
The purpose of the design of the Financial Center is the efficient use of material: this significantly reduces the weight of structural steel in the walls of the perimeter and the thickness of the outer core shear walls.
10
Taipei 101 ▪ 508 m ▪ 101 floor
Location: Taipei, Taiwan;
Completed in: 2004;
Worth: $ 1.9 billion;
Taipei 101 held the title of the most magnificent skyscraper in the world from 2004 to 2010 - until the completion of the Burj Khalifa. In 2011, the tower received LEED platinum certification for operation and maintenance. Its size and complexity are very impressive.
Some of the features of the Center include: glass curtain walls in order to block from sunlight, “smart” controls and an energy-saving system.
It is equipped with a 728-ton superstructured mass damper (steel pendulum) - a device in high-rise buildings to reduce the amplitude of mechanical vibrations caused by strong winds. It is located in a huge space near the top. Taipei can withstand winds of up to 215 kilometers per hour and an earthquake of 9 on the Richter scale.
Taipei 101 has a number of viewing platforms at the upper levels, and this is the only skyscraper that organized a concert on the roof: numerous groups held small concerts at the 91st level of the observatory.
9
China Zun ▪ 528 m ▪ 108 floors
Location: Beijing, China;
Completed in: 2019;
Cost: $ 3.78 billion
The name "Zun" comes from an ancient Chinese wine vessel that inspired its design. China Zun rises from its 78-meter base, gradually decreases to a 54-meter middle, and then gradually increases to a 69-meter crown at the top.
Compared to other tapering or straight towers, the concave design offers large areas on the first levels and ample space for washing windows. Although increasing the area of tiers upwards suggests some structural problems, a massive base helps to maintain balance.
Since authorities have limited new projects in the central business district to a height of no more than 180 meters to reduce congestion, China Zun is likely to remain the tallest building in Beijing for a long time to come.
8
Guangzhou Financial Center CTF ▪ 530 m ▪ 111 floors
Location: Guangdong, China;
Completed in: 2016;
Worth: $ 1.5 billion
Guangzhou CTF Financial Center is famous for its many amenities: its building is constructed so that there are 4 important transitions - from the apartment area to the hotel, from the hotel to the offices, from office space to the top, and from it to the sky.
The building has 95 elevators, two of which are among the fastest in the world. They can move at a speed of 21 m per second. To achieve such high speeds, they use permanent magnet synchronous motors and rollers to smooth out the ride.
In order to reduce environmental damage, the tower is equipped with a variety of energy-efficient systems. The use of high power chillers is heat recovery. And multi-level connections with traffic intersections contribute to the stability of the tower.
7
CTF Financial Center ▪ 530 m ▪ 98 floors
Location: Tianjin, China;
Completed in: 2019;
Price: not known.
The design of the tower is executed in undulating curves over the entire height adding a bold expression to it. CTF Financial Center includes luxury apartments with 24-hour room service, office space and a hotel.
Multi-story wind vents are expertly combined with the aerodynamic shape of the Center to reduce wind load.
6
United World Trade Center ▪ 541.3 m ▪ 104 floors
Location: New York City, USA;
Completed in: 2014;
Cost: $ 3.9 billion
The skyscraper has the same name as the North Tower of the original WTC, which was destroyed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack. The memorial was built from 40,000 metric tons of structural steel and 49,000 cubic meters of concrete, which is enough to lay more than 320 kilometers of sidewalks in New York.
The structure has a cubic base, and its edges form 8 isosceles triangles. In its middle part, the structure forms an octagon. In addition, it is one of the safest office buildings in the world.
High strength concrete used in construction can resist pressure 7 times longer than regular concrete. In total, there are 71 elevators that can take you from the ground to level 102 in a minute.
Most people do not know that one of the trees planted around the memorial was actually recovered from the wreckage of the WTC. Since it survived the terrorist attack, it is called the "surviving tree."
By the way, on our site most-beauty.ru there is an interesting article about the largest shopping centers in Moscow.
5
Lotte World Tower ▪ 554.5 m ▪ 123 floors
Location: Seoul, South Korea;
Completed in: 2016;
Cost: $ 3.3 billion
The upper 10 floors of Lotte are intended for general public use: a rooftop cafe, an observation deck and other entertainment facilities.
The design of the building is inspired by Korean porcelain, ceramics and calligraphy. The seam on Lotte World Tower runs from top to bottom, the exterior facade is made of light silver glass.
Nearly 3,000 tons of steel parts, high-precision GPS leveling systems, a 64t tower crane, and highly skilled workers were involved in the construction of the roof. The tower is strong enough to withstand gusts of wind up to 80 m per second and earthquakes up to 9 points.
4
Pinan International Financial Center ▪ 599 m ▪ 115 floors
Location: Guangdong, China;
Completed in: 2017;
Price: $ 1.5 billion
The financial center of Pinan represents a new generation of the tallest buildings: very durable, very tall and hyperfunctional. It connects with neighboring residential and commercial facilities, as well as the high-speed rail corridor of the Pearl River Delta.
This is the second tallest building in Asia with a record-high 562-meter viewing platform. The tower has 33 two-story elevators, each of which can rise at a speed of up to 10 meters per second.
The streamlined shape of the building enhances both wind (reduces basic wind loads by 35 percent) and structural characteristics. The overall structure of the building is constructed from 1,700 tons of stainless steel.
The material used in the project will prevent the deterioration of the appearance of the structure for several decades, despite the salty coastal atmosphere.
Please note that the most beautiful houses in the world on our site most-beauty.ru are presented in this article.
3
Abraj al-Beit ▪ 601 m ▪ 120 floors
Location: Mecca, Saudi Arabia;
Completed in: 2011;
Cost: $ 15 billion
The government-owned Abraj al-Beith complex has the world's largest dial. This is the 5th tallest detached building and the most expensive in the world, with a total construction cost of $ 15 billion.
The top of the tower has a clock on 4 sides (400 meters above the ground), visible from a distance of 25 kilometers. Each dial is 43 meters in diameter, and 2,000,000 light elements light up all 4 sides.
The spire in the upper part of the watch measures 128 meters in height, and on its top there is a 23-meter golden crescent moon. The highest level for prayers is built at 480 meters, and the highest observation deck is 475 meters above the ground.
2
Shanghai Tower ▪ 632 m ▪ 128 floors
Location: Shanghai, China;
Completed: 2014;
Price: $ 2.34 billion;
The tower is one of the most stunning architectural wonders of the world. It takes the form of 9 cylindrical buildings located on top of each other, the facade of which is made of transparent glass. This is not only one of the tallest buildings in the world, but also one of the most beautiful!
The design of the glass facade completes the 120-degree rotation as it rises: it is designed to reduce wind loads on the structure using less material. A 3/4 tower made of steel. Over $ 55 million was saved during construction.
The tower has 3 elevators, one of which can move at a speed of 73.8 km / h, which makes it the fastest elevator in the world installed in a functioning building.
🏆1
Burj Khalifa ▪ 828 m ▪ 163 floors
Location: Dubai
Completed in: 2009;
Cost: $ 1.5 billion
In addition to the fact that the Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world, it has many other records:
- the largest number of floors;
- highest service elevator;
- highest occupied floor;
- the most majestic outdoor observation deck in the world.
To complete the construction, more than 55,000 tons of steel reinforcement, 110,000 tons of concrete and 22,000,000 hours of construction work were required. At the peak of its construction, about 12,000 people (including workers and engineers) worked on the building every day.
On average, after 100 kilometers of pipes installed in the building, 964,000 liters of water are supplied. And the air conditioning system on extremely hot days provides 46 megawatts for cooling, equivalent to 12 million kilograms of melting ice in one day.
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Finally
In the photo: an eccentric skyscraper in the German city of Bochum.
We showed you the 15 tallest buildings in the world for 2019. Most-beauty will always try to keep abreast of the latest developments regarding the height of new buildings in order to periodically update this rating. And if you know any buildings that we missed, write about it in the comments.