Portal:Skyscrapers
Portal maintenance status: (October 2018)
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Introduction
A skyscraper is a continuously habitable high-rise building that has over 40 floors and is taller than approximately 150 m (492 ft). Historically, the term first referred to buildings with 10 to 20 floors in the 1880s. The definition shifted with advancing construction technology during the 20th Century. Skyscrapers may host commercial offices or residential space, or both. For buildings above a height of 300 m (984 ft), the term "supertall" can be used, while skyscrapers reaching beyond 600 m (1,969 ft) are classified as "megatall".
One common feature of skyscrapers is having a steel framework that supports curtain walls. These curtain walls either bear on the framework below or are suspended from the framework above, rather than resting on load-bearing walls of conventional construction. Some early skyscrapers have a steel frame that enables the construction of load-bearing walls taller than of those made of reinforced concrete.
Selected general articles
85 Sky Tower, formerly known as the T & C Tower or Tuntex Sky Tower (Chinese: 高雄85大樓; pinyin: Gāoxióng 85 Dàlóu; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Ko-hiông 85 Tōa-lâu), is an 85-story skyscraper located in Lingya District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The structure is 347.5 m (1,140 ft) high. An antenna increases the pinnacle height to 378 m (1,240 ft). Constructed from 1994 to 1997, it is the tallest skyscraper in Kaohsiung, and was the tallest in Taiwan until the completion of Taipei 101.
There is no 44th floor in the building (see Tetraphobia); the 43rd floor connects directly to the 45th floor. The pyramid shaped crown is the equivalent of 3 stories high and hence marketed as 83-85 to arrive at a round number. There is no elevator access to floors above 80. Read more...
The Bank of China Tower (abbreviated BOC Tower) is one of the most recognisable skyscrapers in Central, Hong Kong. Located at 1 Garden Road, the tower houses the headquarters of the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited.
Designed by I. M. Pei and L.C Pei of I.M Pei and Partners, the building is 315.0 m (1,033.5 ft) high with two masts reaching 367.4 m (1,205.4 ft) high.
It was the tallest building in Hong Kong and Asia from 1989 to 1992, and it was the first supertall skyscraper outside the United States, the first to break the 305 m (1,000 ft) mark. It is now the fourth tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong, after International Commerce Centre, Two International Finance Centre and Central Plaza. Read more...
Manhattan West is a 5,400,000-square-foot (500,000 m2) mixed-use development by Brookfield Properties, being built as part of the Hudson Yards Redevelopment. The project consists of two large office towers and two smaller residential towers, as well as a 1.5-acre (0.6-hectare) public park. The towers are being built on a platform over Penn Station storage tracks along Ninth Avenue. The buildings are close to the Hudson Yards mega-development to the west across Tenth Avenue. Upon its completion, the taller west tower will extend 995 feet (303 m) up to its roof and will be one of the tallest buildings in New York City. Read more...
The Lakhta Center (Russian: Ла́хта це́нтр, tr. Lakhta tsentr) is an 87-story skyscraper built in the outskirts of Lakhta in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Standing 462 metres (1,516 ft) tall, the Lakhta Center is the tallest building in Russia, the tallest building in Europe, and the 13th-tallest building in the world. The Lakhta Center is also the second-tallest structure in Russia and Europe, behind Ostankino Tower in Moscow.
Construction of Lakhta Center started on 30 October 2012; it was topped out on 29 January 2018. The Lakhta Center surpassed Vostok Tower of the Federation Towers in Moscow as the tallest building in Russia and Europe on 5 October 2017. The center is designed for large-scale mixed-use development: composing of public facilities and offices. The building was designed by Tony Kettle, author of the design, while at RMJM. The project was then continued by GORPROJECT (2011-2017) based on the RMJM Concept (2011) under the main contractor, Rönesans Holding. The Lakhta Center is intended to become the new headquarters of Russian energy company Gazprom. Read more...- Jeddah Tower (Arabic: برج جدة), previously known as Kingdom Tower (برج المملكة) and Mile-High Tower (برج الميل), is a skyscraper under construction on the north side of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It is planned to be the world's first 1 km (3,281 ft) high building, and the centrepiece and first phase of a development and tourist attraction known as Jeddah Economic City.
Initial plans called for a mile high structure, but the geology of the area proved unsuitable for a tower of that height. The current design, created by American architect Adrian Smith, who also designed Burj Khalifa, incorporates many unique structural and aesthetic features. The creator and leader of the project is Saudi Arabian prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, a grandson of Ibn Saud, and nephew of the Kings of Saudi Arabia before him. Al-Waleed is the chairman of Kingdom Holding Company (KHC), which is a partner in the Jeddah Economic Company (JEC), which was formed in 2009 for the development of Jeddah Tower and City. Read more...
3 World Trade Center (also known as 175 Greenwich Street) is a skyscraper constructed as part of the rebuilding of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, New York City. The tower is located on the east side of Greenwich Street, on the eastern side of the World Trade Center site.
The current 3 World Trade Center is the second building at the site to bear this name. The original building was the Marriott World Trade Center, a hotel located in the southwest corner of the World Trade Center complex. The hotel was a 22-story steel-framed structure with 825 rooms. It had a roof height of 242 feet (74 m). Construction began in 1979 and it opened in July 1981 as the Vista International Hotel. The entire World Trade Center complex was destroyed during the September 11 attacks in 2001. Read more...
Iconsiam, stylized as ICONSIAM, is a mixed-use development on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand. It includes a large shopping mall, which opened to the public on 10 November 2018, as well as hotels and residences. The 54 billion baht (US$1.5 billion) project is being developed as a joint venture by Siam Piwat group, a Thai high-end shopping mall developer, MQDC Magnolia Quality Development, and Charoen Pokphand Group. The complex will include two of the tallest buildings in Bangkok upon completion: the 52-storey Mandarin Oriental Residences and the 70-floor Magnolias Waterfront Residences. Read more...
Wuhan Center (simplified Chinese: 武汉中心; traditional Chinese: 武漢中心; pinyin: Wǔhàn Zhōngxīn) is a super tall skyscraper under construction near Wuhan Business District Station in Jianghan District, Wuhan, Hubei, China. The skyscraper has been under construction since 2009, and is due to be completed by 2017. The tower was topped out on April 16, 2015. It is now the tallest building in Central China, and the first building in Wuhan to exceed 400 meters (1312 feet). Read more...
The Square Capital Tower is a skyscraper on-hold with 70 floors in Kuwait City, Kuwait. Square Capital Tower, which is planned to be 376 m (1,234 ft) tall was designed by NORR Limited with interiors designed by Canadian Firm John David Edison Interior Design Inc. Read more...
One World Trade Center (also known as One WTC, 1 World Trade Center, 1 WTC, or Freedom Tower) is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan, New York City. One WTC is the tallest building in the United States, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, and the sixth-tallest in the world. The supertall structure has the same name as the North Tower of the original World Trade Center, which was destroyed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The new skyscraper stands on the northwest corner of the 16-acre (6.5 ha) World Trade Center site, on the site of the original 6 World Trade Center. The building is bounded by West Street to the west, Vesey Street to the north, Fulton Street to the south, and Washington Street to the east.
The building's architect is David Childs, whose firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) also designed the Burj Khalifa and the Willis Tower. The construction of below-ground utility relocations, footings, and foundations for the new building began on April 27, 2006. One World Trade Center became the tallest structure in New York City on April 30, 2012, when it surpassed the height of the Empire State Building. The tower's steel structure was topped out on August 30, 2012. On May 10, 2013, the final component of the skyscraper's spire was installed, making the building, including its spire, reach a total height of 1,776 feet (541 m). Its height in feet is a deliberate reference to the year when the United States Declaration of Independence was signed. The building opened on November 3, 2014; the One World Observatory opened on May 29, 2015. Read more...
The JPMorgan Chase Tower, formerly Texas Commerce Tower, is a 305.4-meter (1,002-foot), 2,243,013-square-foot (208,382.7 m2), 75-story skyscraper at 600 Travis Street in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States. It is currently the tallest building in the city, the tallest building in Texas, the tallest five-sided building in the world, the 19th-tallest building in the United States, and the 107th-tallest building in the world. Read more...
The tallest skyscraper in the Southern Hemisphere and the world's sixth-tallest residential building
Q1 (an abbreviation of Queensland Number One) is a 322.5-metre (1,058 ft) skyscraper in Surfers Paradise, Queensland, Australia. The residential tower on the Gold Coast lost its title as the world's tallest residential building to the 337-metre (1,106 ft) The Marina Torch in Dubai on 29 April 2011. It is now the sixth-tallest residential tower in the world and is the tallest building in Australia and the Southern Hemisphere, and the second-tallest free-standing structure in the Southern Hemisphere, behind the Sky Tower in Auckland, New Zealand. The Q1 officially opened in November 2005.
The landmark building was recognised as one of Queensland's icons during the state's 150th-birthday celebrations. Read more...
Wenzhou World Trade Center (Chinese: 温州世贸中心大厦) is a 68-floor supertall skyscraper in Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China. Construction of the building began on 9 June 2003 and was completed in 2010 at 333 m (1,093 ft), giving it the title of the 25th-tallest building in the world. It is located in the downtown area of Wenzhou where it stands as the tallest building in the city, the tallest in Zhejiang province and the 18th-tallest in China.
The Wenzhou World Trade Center is to be used as office space and a luxury hotel. Read more...- Al Quds Endowment Tower was a multipurpose skyscraper on hold in Doha, Qatar. The foundations were laid down in 2009 but construction was halted in spring 2010. It was cancelled on 1 October 2017 Read more...
The Posco Tower-Songdo or Northeast Asia Trade Tower (Korean: 포스코타워-송도) is a skyscraper in Songdo International City, the world's most expensive private real estate project in the Incheon Free Economic Zone, South Korea. The 305-metre (1,001 ft) building is currently South Korea's fourth tallest, and has 68 floors. It surpassed the previous record-holder, Samsung Tower Palace 3 – Tower G in Seoul, when it topped-out in 2009. Although finished in 2011, the completion of its interior had been delayed due to financial complications during a recession.
The building was intended to be a landmark of the Songdo International Business District which was constructed on unused land along the waterfront near Incheon. It features 19 floors of class A office space, South Korea's tallest observatory on the 65th-floor, a luxury hotel, serviced residences, and retail stores. The column-free floors include an office lobby at ground level with French limestone floors and Vermont slate stone walls. Read more...
Salesforce Tower, formerly known as the Transbay Tower, is a 1,070-foot (326 m) office skyscraper in the South of Market district of downtown San Francisco. It is located at 415 Mission Street between First and Fremont Streets, next to the Transbay Transit Center site. Salesforce Tower is the centerpiece of the San Francisco Transbay redevelopment plan. The plan contains a mix of office, transportation, retail, and residential uses. Upon its completion in 2018 it became the tallest skyscraper in the San Francisco skyline, with a top roof height of 970 feet (296 m) and overall height of 1,070 feet (326 m), surpassing the 853 feet (260 m) Transamerica Pyramid. It is also the second-tallest building west of the Mississippi River after the 1,100 feet (335 m) Wilshire Grand in Los Angeles. Read more...
Goldin Finance 117, also known as China 117 Tower, (Chinese: 中国117大厦) is a skyscraper under construction in Tianjin, China. The tower is expected to be 597 m (1,959 ft) with 117 stories. Construction began in 2008, and the building was scheduled to be completed in 2014, becoming the second tallest building in China, surpassing the Shanghai World Financial Center. Construction was suspended in January 2010. Construction resumed in 2011, with completion estimated in 2018. The building was topped out on September 8, 2015, yet it is under construction now. Read more...- The JW Marriott Marquis Dubai Hotel is the world's second tallest hotel, a 72-storey, 355 m (1,165 ft) twin-tower skyscraper complex in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The AED1.8 billion complex features a 1,608-room hotel run by Marriott International. Read more...
Ocean Heights is a supertall residential skyscraper in Dubai Marina, Dubai, UAE. The tower stands 310 m (1,017 ft) tall with 83 floors. The tower is designed by Andrew Bromberg of Aedas. The building was topped out on 22 December 2009, and completed in 2010. Currently Ocean Heights is the fifth-tallest residential building in the world, and fourth-tallest residential building in Dubai, behind The Marina Torch, and HHHR Tower.
The tower, with its unique curves and twisting motion as one ascends, is actually the third version of the tower proposed by DAMAC Properties Co. The first version had the tower at a much shorter 38 floors, the second had 50. The 83-floor tower houses more than 519 condominiums and is located along Al Sufouh Road in Dubai Marina. Read more...- Cayan Tower, known as Infinity Tower before it was inaugurated, is a 306-metre-tall (1,004 ft), 75-story skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates by Cayan Real Estate Investment and Development. The tower is designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill SOM architectural group, the same group who did the concept design for the Burj Khalifa, also in Dubai, and Trump Tower in Chicago. Upon its opening on 10 June 2013, the tower became world's tallest high-rise building with a twist of 90 degrees. This record has since been surpassed by the Shanghai Tower, which opened in February 2015. In 2018 Rotana Hotels signed a hotel management agreement for Cayan Tower under its ‘The Residences by Rotana’ brand. Read more...
U.S. Bank Tower, formerly Library Tower and First Interstate Bank World Center, is a 1,018-foot (310.3 m) skyscraper at 633 West Fifth Street in downtown Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the third-tallest building in California, the second-tallest building in Los Angeles, the fifteenth-tallest in the United States, the third-tallest west of the Mississippi River after the Salesforce Tower and the Wilshire Grand Center, and the 92nd-tallest building in the world, after being surpassed by the Wilshire Grand Center. Because local building codes required all high-rise buildings to have a helipad, it was known as the tallest building in the world with a roof-top heliport from its completion in 1989 to 2010 when the China World Trade Center Tower III opened. It is also the third-tallest building in a major active seismic region; its structure was designed to resist an earthquake of 8.3 on the Richter scale. It consists of 73 stories above ground and two parking levels below ground. Construction began in 1987 with completion in 1989. The building was designed by Henry N. Cobb of the architectural firm Pei Cobb Freed & Partners and cost $350 million to build. It is one of the most recognizable buildings in Los Angeles, and often appears in establishing shots for the city in films and television programs. Read more...
The Jin Mao Tower (simplified Chinese: 金茂大厦; traditional Chinese: 金茂大廈; pinyin: Jīnmào Dàshà; Shanghainese: Jinmoh Dusa; literally: "Golden Prosperity Building"), also known as the Jinmao Building or Jinmao Tower, is an 88-story (93 if counting the floors in the spire) landmark skyscraper in Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai, China. It is 420.5 metres (1,380 feet) tall and is one of the tallest buildings in the world. It contains a shopping mall, offices and the Grand Hyatt Shanghai hotel, which at the time of completion was the highest hotel in the world. Along with the Oriental Pearl Tower, the Shanghai World Financial Center and the Shanghai Tower it is part of the Lujiazui skyline seen from the Bund. It was the tallest building in China from its completion in 1999 until 2007, when it was surpassed by the Shanghai World Financial Center which is located close by. The Shanghai Tower, a 121-story building located next to these two buildings, surpassed the height of both these buildings in 2015, creating the world's first trio of adjacent supertall skyscrapers. Read more...
Almas Tower (Arabic: برج الماس Diamond Tower) is a 68-storey, 360 m (1,180 ft), supertall skyscraper in the Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Construction of the office building began in early 2005 and was completed in 2009 with the installation of some remaining cladding panels at the top of the tower. The building was topped out in 2008, and became the tallest building in Dubai until 2009 when it was surpassed by Burj Khalifa. Read more...- India Tower (previously known as the Park Hyatt Tower; also known as the Dynamix Balwas Tower or DB Tower) is a canceled 126-story, 718-metre (2,356 ft) supertall skyscraper that began construction in the city of Mumbai, India, in 2010. The tower was originally planned for completion in 2016, but construction work was put on hold in 2011 due to a dispute between the tower's developers and Mumbai's civic authorities. Read more...
Bank of America Plaza is a skyscraper located in between Midtown Atlanta and Downtown Atlanta. At 311.8 m (1,023 ft), the tower is the 107th-tallest building in the world . It is the 15th tallest building in the U.S., the tallest building in Georgia and the tallest building in any U.S. state capital, overtaking the 250 m (820 ft), 50 story One Atlantic Center in height, which previously held the record as Georgia's tallest building. It has 55 stories of office space and was completed in 1992, when it was called NationsBank Plaza. Originally intended to be the headquarters for Citizens & Southern National Bank (which merged with Sovran Bank during construction), it became NationsBank's property following its formation in the 1991 hostile takeover of C&S/Sovran by NCNB. Read more...
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Selected images
Ping An Finance Centre, in Guangdong, China, is the 4th tallest building.
The Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, were the tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004, and are still the tallest twin buildings.
Shanghai Tower in Shanghai, China, is the 2nd tallest building.
The Flatiron Building was completed in 1902 in New York City.
Taipei 101, the world's tallest skyscraper from 2004 to 2009, was the first to exceed the 500-meter mark.
Modern skyscrapers in downtown Los Angeles
One World Trade Center in New York City, is the 6th tallest building and the tallest in the Western Hemisphere.
Changes of structure with height; the tubular systems are fundamental for super tall buildings.
Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan, was the world's tallest building from 2004 to 2010; it is now 10th.
The Willis Tower in Chicago was the world's tallest building from 1974 to 1998.
Lotte World Tower in Seoul, South Korea, is the 5th tallest building.
The Shanghai World Financial Center is the 11th tallest building.
The Home Insurance Building in Chicago, completed in 1885, was the first steel-frame skyscraper; it was demolished in 1931.
Willis Tower, formerly Sears Tower, in Chicago, United States, was the tallest building from 1974 to 1998.
The Wainwright Building, a 10-story red brick office building in St. Louis, Missouri, built in 1891
The Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur were the tallest from 1998 to 2004.
The iconic World Trade Center twin towers were destroyed in 2001.
30 St Mary Axe in London is an example of a modern environmentally friendly skyscraper.
CTF Finance Centre in Guangzhou, China, is the tied 7th tallest building.
The Willis Tower in Chicago showing the bundled tube frame design
Completed in 1931, the Empire State Building in New York City was the tallest building in the world for nearly 40 years.
Oriel Chambers in Liverpool is the world's first glass curtain walled building. The stone mullions are decorative.
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