People have always been fascinated by the desire to reach the sky. While we don’t have wings to fly, we certainly have the brains and the skills to build towers whose tips always aspire to reach beyond the clouds. Architects are continually vying to design a structure that will break records as the world’s tallest building and some of the structures are just simply stunning! Here are beautiful most beautiful skyscrapers and tallest buildings in the world.
1. BURJ KHALIFA, DUBAI, UAE
The Burj Khalifa, known as the Burj Dubai prior to its inauguration in 2010, is a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Although the tower was formally opened on January 4, 2010, the entirety of the interior was not complete at that time. Built to house a variety of commercial, residential, and hospitality ventures, the tower—whose intended height remained a closely guarded secret throughout its construction—reached completion at 162 floors and a height of 2,717 feet (828 metres). It was designed by the Chicago-based architectural firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The building, modular in plan, is laid out on a three-lobed footprint that is an abstract rendering of the local Hymenocallis flower. The Y-shaped plan plays a central role in the reduction of wind forces on the tower. A hexagonal central core is buttressed by a series of wings, each with its own concrete core and perimeter columns. As the tower increases in height, the wings step back in a spiral configuration, changing the building’s shape at each tier and so reducing the effect of the wind on the building. The central core emerges at the tower’s top and is finished with a spire, which reaches more than 700 feet (200 metres).
2. Taipei 101, TaiwanÂ
Each year Taiwan is affected by countless earthquakes and typhoons which would lead any reasonable person to assume that it’s not the best location for a skyscraper. However, C. Y. Lee & Partners, the designers of Taipei 101, had other ideas and created an architectural masterpiece that is both flexible and structurally resistant. A 660 tonne damper hangs suspended from the 92nd to 87th floor which counteracts the effects of strong winds while the solid concrete foundations add to the building’s resistance. The building is made up of eight sections that incline outwards in a pagoda style with each section having eight floors, a very lucky number in local culture. There are also large circular protrusions on each side that symbolize old Chinese coins. The building is home to offices, a shopping mall, a vast array of restaurants, an observation deck, and the world’s fastest elevators. With a variety of events held on site each year such as the New Year’s Eve fireworks display, there’s no doubt that regardless of the loss of its ‘world’s tallest’ title, this culturally iconic building will remain one of the most visited skyscrapers for many years to come.
3. Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur
The Petronas Towers, or the Petronas Twin Towers, are twin skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The plan for each tower is identical: an eight-lobed circular structure that contains 88 stories of occupiable space and a pyramid-shaped pinnacle surmounted by a slender steel spire. Both rise to a height of 1,483 feet (451.9 metres), which includes 242 feet (73.6 metres) for pinnacle and spire. Each building is supported by 16 large columns around its perimeter, which, along with the rest of the frame, are made of high-strength, steel-reinforced concrete rather than of structural steel; the exterior sheathing consists of stainless steel and glass. A skybridge two stories tall links the two towers between the 41st and 42nd stories.
4. CN TOWER, TORONTO
The CN Tower is a 553.3 m-high concrete communications and observation tower located in the downtown core of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Built on the former Railway Lands, it was completed in 1976. Its name “CN” originally referred to Canadian National, the railway company that built the tower. The world’s highest full-circle, hands-free walk is just one of the many reasons to visit here. An elevator zips you up the CN Tower – the tall, skinny needle that dominates Toronto’s skyline – in less than 60 seconds. From the top, you can see Toronto and its surrounding neighborhoods and, on a clear day, all the way out to the wilds of Ontario. The tower still serves its original purpose a telecommunications tower – all the major broadcast stations and radio stations in Toronto use it for transmission purposes. Built by the Canadian National Railways in 1976, it shares the designation of one of the seven wonders of the modern world along with: the Itaipu Dam on the Brazil/Paraguay border, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, the Panama Canal, the Chunnel under the English Channel, the North Sea Protection Works off the European coast, and the Empire State Building.
5. Marina Bay Sands Singapore
Marina Bay Sands is an integrated resort fronting Marina Bay in Singapore, owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation. At its opening in 2010, it was billed as the world’s most expensive standalone casino property at S$8 billion, including the land cost. At its opening in 2010, it was billed as the world’s most expensive standalone casino property at S$8 billion (US$6.88 billion), including the land cost. The resort includes a 2,561-room hotel, a 120,000-square-metre (1,300,000 sq ft) convention-exhibition centre, the 74,000-square-metre (800,000 sq ft) The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands mall, a museum, a large theatre, “celebrity chef” restaurants, two floating crystal pavilions, art-science exhibits, and the world’s largest atrium casino with 500 tables and 1,600 slot machines. The complex includes three towers topped by a connecting 340-metre-long (1,120 ft) SkyPark with a capacity of 3,902 people and a 150 m (490 ft)infinity swimming pool, set on top of the world’s largest public cantilevered platform, which overhangs the north tower by 66.5 m (218 ft).
