The expansion of towns and cities has increased at a very vertical rate in recent years – particularly in the East.
This may be in part due to nations flexing their engineering powers or the solutions offered by high-rise buildings for increasing global populations.
Here, lift solutions company, Nifty Lift, provides an overview of the world’s top ten tallest buildings and their respective attractions.
10th The CITIC Tower – 528 Metres
Five of the top ten supertall buildings can be found in China – with the supertall ‘China Zun’ dominating the Beijing skyline. Its nickname derives from an ancient Chinese ceramic wine vessel which inspired the arched crown of the building’s design. Those who venture to the very top will find a stunning rooftop garden – only a mere 524m in the sky.
9th Tianjin CTF Finance Centre – 530 Metres
This behemoth finance centre is located in Tianjin in Northern China and is the tallest building in the world to have fewer than 100 floors. Its 97 floors include office space, serviced apartments, and a hotel. The Tower, sometimes referred to as ‘The Binhai Center’ is distinguished by its slender, sloping curvature and shimmering texture which is said to ‘confuse the wind’.
8th Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre – 530 Metres
South China’s sprawling port city of Guangzhou is home to this multi-purpose skyscraper replete with a shopping mall, offices, apartments, and a hotel. Uniquely, the tower houses the world’s fastest elevators, which can clock an impressive 21m/s. Similarly high tech access platforms will be needed to clean the windows on this 530-metre building.
7th One World Trade Centre – 541.3 Metres
The rebuilt World Trade Centre complex, which stands triumphant on the northwest corner of the original site in New York, is the tallest building in the western world. Known colloquially as ‘The Freedom Tower’, the skyscraper is a memorial to the victims of the 9/11 attacks but also a symbol of the city’s rebuild in the aftermath.
6th Lotte World Tower – 555 Metres
South Korea reached for the stars when opening this tower in 2016, the country’s first 100-storey building. The hotel’s top six floors are a dedicated observation deck with breaktaking and panoramic views across downtown Seoul, not to mention a glass viewing floor and tourist telescopes.
5th Ping An International Finance Centre – 599 Metres
The tower cuts an imposing figure over Shenzhen’s central business district in Southern China. The building is the second largest skyscraper in the world by floor area which is made up of office, hotel and retail spaces, including its own shopping mall. The tower’s 599m spire isn’t daunting enough for many daredevils, though, as the building is frequently the subject of many ‘roof topping’ attempts. A better option is to take one of the tower’s 33 double-decker elevators.
4th Abraj Al-Bait Clock Tower – 601 Metres
At 601 metres high, the tower sits proudly as the centrepiece of the government-owned complex of seven skyscraper hotels in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The tower is within touching distance of the Kaaba and the Great Mosque of Mecca, the Islamic faith’s most sacred holy site. The complex is geared towards modernising the experience for pilgrims attending the city.
3rd Shanghai Tower – 632 Metres
Clocking in at 632 metres, the Shanghai Tower is China’s tallest building and is famous for its grand, cylindrical façade. The building encompasses one of the world’s most advanced lift transportation systems installed by Mitsubishi Electric and the world’s furthest-travelling single elevator at 578.5 metres.
2nd Merdeka 118 – 678.9 Metres
Kuala Lumpur’s ‘Independence Tower’ is set next to the city’s Merdeka Stadium, which is known as the site of Malaysia’s independence. In tribute, the building’s distinctive shape is designed to resemble the country’s first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman’s hand gesture when proclaiming independence.
1st Burj Khalifa – 828 Metres
The crowning jewel in Dubai’s neo-futurist skyline, the Burj Khalifa stands at an impressive 829.8 metres and has been the world’s tallest building since opening in 2010. The building’s spiralling design is inspired by Islamic architecture and holds another clutch of awards such as the world’s highest restaurant, nightclub, and lift installation!
