Some of the world's highest skyscrapers + background on earlier skyscrapers

World's highest skyscraper under construction: Burj Dubai, Dubai
2005-
SOM Architects
for Emaar Properties
became world’s tallest building in 2007, tallest building in Middle East, eventual height shrouded in mystery
Tallest skyscraper

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
101 storeys
449m high; antenna 509m

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 - KPF Architects
101 storeys
492m - 1614ft
Highest skyscraper under construction
Architect: William Pedersen
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 - proposed

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
110 storeys
1450ft
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:

Hong Kong 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 skyscraper
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
Architecture competition - winner
97 storeys

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

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 skyscraper
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

Hong Kong skyscraper
The Center, Central / Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
1998
DLN Architects & Engineers
346m high

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:
Eiffel Tower platform
Serero Architectes


Phare Tower Paris
Morphosis

rendering Unibail-Morphosis

MoMA Extension New York
Jean Nouvel

image: copyright Ateliers Jean Nouvel

The Phare
Morphosis, Architects

Paris Tower Building

Société Générale tower
Atelier Christian de Portzamparc

Paris skyscraper

Tour Carpe Diem Paris
Robert A.M. Stern Architects

studio amd for Robert A.M. Stern Architects
Tour Carpe Diem

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
1910-13
Cass Gilbert, Architect
241m high
O ne 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.

New York skyscraper
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.

New York skyscraper
Lever Building (Lever House), 390 Park Avenue, New York
1950-52
Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) Architects
A 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.

New York skyscraper
Seagram Building, 375 Park Avenue, New York
1954-58
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Architect; Philip Johnson
Seagram Building

New York skyscraper
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

New York skyscraper
Rockefeller Center, 5th - 7th Avenue; 47th - 51st Street, Midtown, New York
1932-40
Raymond Hood, Architect

Norman Foster - Seagram Building
Foster & Partners to design 62 storey New York skyscraper


Recent Skyscrapers - key European buildings:

Frankfurt skyscraper
Commerzbank Tower
1997
Foster & Partners, Architects
259m high

Frankfurt skyscraper
MesseTurm
1990
Murphy/Jahn Architects
257m high
Tallest building Europe until 1997

Other examples of skyscrapers welcome: info@e-architect.co.uk

New York skyscrapers
Hong Kong skyscrapers
Frankfurt skyscrapers

Glasgow towers - tall housing blocks in Glasgow
Tallest building in Scotland - various proposals but currently Glasgow Tower

Hong Kong buildings

Kronenhaus
1993
201m high
Frankfurt skyscraper

Silver Tower
1978
166m high
Frankfurt skyscraper

Skyper
2004
154m high
Frankfurt skyscraper

Japan Center
1996
Ganz + Rolfes Architects
115m high
Frankfurt skyscraper

Hong Kong skyscraper : Cheung Kong Center
Hong Kong skyscraper : HSBC Building



World Architecture : e-architect - a guide to key buildings across the globe

Tour Eiffel

French tower

Montparnasse Tower : tallest building in France

Dubai towers
Hong Kong buildings : Skyscrapers
New York buildings : Skyscrapers

World skyscrapers : 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