Key Tall Buildings across the Globe
e-architect
Architecture News
World Buildings
Some of the world's highest skyscrapers + background on earlier skyscrapers
World's highest skyscraper under construction: Burj Dubai, Dubai
2005-
SOM Architects
Tallest skyscraper : became world’s tallest building in 2007
Tallest building in Middle East
808 metres (2650 feet) reported, eventual height shrouded in mystery
World's highest skyscraper prior to Burj Dubai:
Taipei 101, Taiwan
In 2004 Taipei 101 became the tallest building
1999-2003
C.Y. Lee & Partners
449m high; antenna 509m (thus beating Petronas Towers) / 101 storeys
Tallest building 'ground to pinnacle' previously: Sears Tower at 527m - 1729ft
World's highest skyscraper upon construction:
Shanghai World Financial Center
1997-2008: under construction
Kohn Pederson Fox - Architect : William Pedersen
photo © Andrew McRae
492m - 1614ft / 101 storeys
Highest skyscraper under construction
Developer: Minoru Mori
Due to be tallest building in the world briefly in 2008 (ie tallest ignoring spires), but the building has no spires proposed at time of writing
World's highest skyscraper - proposed (subjective, may change):
Chicago Spire - aka Fordham Spire: proposed skyscraper
2006-11 [currently delayed, 2008]
Santiago Calatrava Architects
due to be 610m
Guangzhou TV & Sightseeing Tower, China
2009
Information Based Architecture
due to be 610m
picture : Information Based Architecture
Guangzhou TV Tower
Jakarta Tower - Menara Jakarta, Kemayoran, Central Jakarta
2010/11
East China Architecture Design & Research Institute - ECADI
due to be 558m / 1,831 ft high (5m taller than CN Tower)
World's highest skyscraper - previous to Taipei 101:
Petronas Towers, Kuala Lampur, Malaysia
1998
452m - 1483 ft
World's highest skyscraper - previous to Petronas Towers:
Sears Tower Chicago, USA
1973
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill - SOM Architects
Tallest tower in north America; 3rd tallest building in world at time of writing
1450ft / 110 storeys
Sears Tower: world’s tallest building for 25 years, beaten 1998 by Petronas Towers
Sears Tower still tallest to tips of the antennae: 1729ft
Chicago skyscraper
World’s tallest structure
CN Tower Toronto, Canada
CN Tower
Famous tall buildings now destroyed:
World Trade Center, New York, USA
1966-73; destroyed 2001
Minoru Yamasaki, Emery Roth & Sons
One World Trade Center
417m high
Two World Trade Center
415m high
Tall buildings over 400m high:
Kowloon skyscraper
International Commerce Centre, West Kowloon, Hong Kong
due to complete 2010
Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates with Wong & Ouyang (HK) Ltd
484m - 1,588ft / 118 storeys
Originally planned to be 574m - 1,883ft high
The International Commerce Centre skyscraper should overtake 2 IFC by 2007
Shanghai tower
Oriental Pearl Tower, Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai
1991-94/95
-
468m high
Shenzhen skyscraper
Kingkey Finance Tower, Luohu, Shenzhen, China
2007-10
Farrells (formerly Terry Farrell & Partners)
439m high / 97 storeys
Architecture competition - winner
Shanghai skyscraper
Jin Mao Tower, Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai
1998
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill - SOM Architects
420m high / 88 storey skyscraper
Tallest building in China since 2005
Seventh tallest building in world at time of writing
Shanghai skyscraper buildings
Hong Kong skyscraper
Two International Finance Centre - 2 IFC Hong Kong
2003
Rocco Design Limited, Cesar Pelli & Associates Architects
415m high
ifc2 skyscraper the tallest tower in hong kong, taking over from the 374m high Central Plaza. However, the International Commerce Centre skyscraper is under construction and should overtake 2 IFC by 2007
Tall buildings over 300m high:
Hong Kong tower
Bank of China, Central, Hong Kong
1985-90
I M Pei & Partners; Sherman Kung & Associates Architects Ltd
367m high
Apparently bad feng shui according to Hong Kong architects that I spoke to. Tallest building in Hong Kong and Asia from 1989-92, until the completion of Central Plaza, 374m high
Dubai skyscraper
Al Sharq Tower, Sheik Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
2007-
SOM Architects - Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
360m high / 100 storeys
Residential tower - 268 apartments: For Al Sharq Investments
The Center skyscraper
The Center, Central / Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
1998
DLN Architects & Engineers
346m high
John Hancock Center
John Hancock Center, Chicago, USA
1970
Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
344m high ; 459 m high including antennae
Infinity Tower, Dubai
2006-
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, Architects
330m high / 80 storeys
Trump International Hotel & Tower, The Palm Jumeirah, Dubai
2006-
Architects: Atkins
255m high approx / 60 storeys
Shanghai Shimao International Plaza, Shanghai, China
2001-05
-
246m high; 333m high - with spires / 60 storeys
World Skyscraper Images
Recent Buildings / Current Projects:
| Scotts
Tower, Singapore Rem Koolhaas Architects / OMA  picture from the architect Singapore Tower |
Russia
Tower, Moscow Foster + Partners  image : Foster + Partners Russia Tower |
| MoMA
Tower New York, USA Jean Nouvel  image © Ateliers Jean Nouvel MoMA Tower |
Phare Tower Paris, France Morphosis  rendering Unibail-Morphosis Phare Tower |
| Crystal
Island Moscow Foster + Partners  image : Foster + Partners Russian skyscraper |
Société
Générale tower, France Atelier Christian de Portzamparc  photo from the architect Paris skyscraper |
| City Palace Tower, Moscow RMJM Architects  picture from the architect Russian building |
Tour Carpe Diem Paris, France Robert A.M. Stern Architects  studio amd for Robert A.M. Stern Architects Tour Carpe Diem |
| Gazprom's
new HQ, St. Petersburg RMJM Architects  image: courtesy of RMJM © www.glocg.com Russian tower |
Rotterdam Tower, The Netherlands Monolab  image from the architect Rotterdam City Tower |
| Moulmein tower, Singapore WOHA Architects  photo from the architect Singapore tower building |
Ekaterinburg Tower, Siberia RMJM  picture from the architect Siberian Tower |
American skyscraper
Early Skyscrapers - key buildings:
Flatiron Building, 23rd Street, Broadway/5th Avenue, New York
1902
Daniel Burnham, Architect
87m high
T he Flatiron building is the original New York skyscraper
New York skyscraper
Chrysler Building, 405 Lexington Avenue
1930
William Van Alen, Architect
Chrysler Building
318m high
A n Art Deco skyscraper that is a world-famous symbol for New York. Tallest building globally on completion, taking over from the Eiffel Tower:
Paris Buildings. It obviously was also the tallest building in New York until the Empire State Building was completed the following year. Refurbished 1995.
Woolworth Building, 233 Broadway, New York
1913
Cass Gilbert, Architect
241m high
One of the first New York skyscrapers. Designed in a formal, symmetrical Gothic Revival style and originally nicknamed the Cathedral of Commerce. The Woolworth building was the tallest in the world from 1913 - 1930.
Refurbished 1977-81.
Empire State New York
Empire State Building, 350 Fifth Avenue, New York
1931
Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, Architects
Empire State Building
381m high skyscraper, Art Deco architecture - especially the tower interior, famous New York landmark.
Lever Building New York
Lever Building (Lever House), 390 Park Avenue, New York
1952
Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) Architects
Beautiful piece of New York architecture facing Mies van der Rohe's Seagram Building and trying to give it a run for its money. Having had a good look at both I think Mies wins but nevertheless this SOM Architects building was a classic in its day, podium and tower.
Rockefeller Center New York
Rockefeller Center, 5th - 7th Avenue; 47th - 51st Street, Midtown, New York
1940
Raymond Hood, Architect
Seagram Building New York
Seagram Building, 375 Park Avenue, New York
1958
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Architect; Philip Johnson
New York tower
Freedom Tower - Site of World Trade Center, Ground Zero, Lower Manhattan
2004-
Daniel Libeskind Architects + David Childs of SOM Architects
Controversial towers to replace the New York World Trade Centre skyscrapers lost in 2001. The main Freedom Tower skyscraper by Libeskind was to be a significant number of feet high - 1,776 ft, to mark a key American date in history - United States Year of Independence; the building was largely handed over to architect David Childs. Designed to be the tallest tower in the world for the site leaseholder - real estate developer Larry Silverstein. The angular design is typical for Daniel Libeskind but here echoes the Statue of Liberty
Norman Foster - Seagram Building
Foster & Partners to design 62 storey New York skyscraper
99 Church Street Tower, Lower Manhattan
Robert A. M. Stern Architects
Manhattan tower
23 East 22nd Street, off Madison Square Park, Flatiron district
OMA
23 East 22nd Street
400 Park Avenue South
Christian de Portzamparc
Manhattan skyscraper
Hearst Building Eighth Avenue; 56th - 57th Street
Foster + Partners
Hearst Building New York
LVMH Building East 57th Street ; Fifth & Madison Avenue
Christian de Portzamparc, Architect
LVMH Tower
New York Times Building, Times Square, central Manhattan
Renzo Piano Building Workshop with FXFOWLE; interiors by Gensler
The New York Times Company headquarters
52 storeys
One Bryant Park - Bank of America Tower
Cook + Fox Architects
One Bryant Park
World Trade Center - site New York
Minoru Yamasaki, Emery Roth & Sons
World Trade Center building
World Trade Center Tower 4: 150 Greenwich St
Maki And Associates
World Trade Center towers
Recent Skyscrapers - key European Buildings:
Frankfurt skyscraper
Commerzbank Tower
Foster + Partners, Architects
259m high
Frankfurt buildings
MesseTurm
Murphy/Jahn Architects
257m high
Tallest building Europe until 1997
Other examples of skyscrapers welcome: info@e-architect.co.uk
New York skyscrapers I London skyscrapers I Hong Kong skyscrapers
Paris skyscrapers I Frankfurt skyscrapers I Chicago skyscrapers
Rotterdam tower
Glasgow towers - tall housing blocks in Glasgow
Tallest building in Scotland - various proposals but currently Glasgow Tower
French Skyscrapers I German Skyscrapers I Hong Kong Buildings
Kronenhaus
201m high
Kronenhaus Frankfurt
Silver Tower
166m high
Silver Tower Frankfurt
Skyper
154m high
Skyper skyscraper
Japan Center
Ganz + Rolfes Architects
115m high
Japan Center Frankfurt
Hong Kong skyscraper : Cheung Kong Center
HSBC skyscraper
World Architecture : e-architect - a guide to key buildings across the globe
Eiffel Tower
French tower
Montparnasse Tower : tallest building in France
Hong Kong buildings : Skyscrapers
New York buildings : Skyscrapers
Tall Buildings : UK Tower building proposals
Buildings / photos for the World's highest skyscrapers page welcome:
info@e-architect.co.uk
We accept no liability for information which is incorrect by error or through developments over time. We do however try and keep information as accurate as possible and welcome revisions and additions.
World Skyscrapers : page - adrian welch / isabelle lomholt
Key Building Links:
Architecture Studios
American Houses
Contemporary Interiors
New Houses
Museum Architecture
Office Buildings
Architects
Shenzhen Skyscrapers
Dubai towers
Shenzhen 4 in 1 Towers