Well FYI, I'm majoring in Civil Engineering. Building things is likely the main idea of my study. Houses, dams, bridges, roads, canals. Buildings.
Anyway, you surely know that since the dawn of history man has been trying to build the 'tallest building', 'tallest tower' or 'tallest structure' in the world. There seems to be much prestige in being home to the worlds tallest. So much in fact that this is a major issue on the political agenda of many countries. Many towers claim the title, and many cities quarrel about who is the winner.
During the first 90 years of this century, the USA dominated the race for the title of the tallest building in the world, and constructed a range of famous buildings that, sometimes only for a few months, and sometimes for many years, were widely recognized as being the 'tallest building' in the world. In 1974 Chicago's Sears Tower was completed, and generally seen as the 'tallest building' in the world. Sears held on to that title for over 20 years. But since the ninetees the USA gets some stiff competition from Asia. In 1996 this resulted in the completion of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. From that moment on a sort of media clash was unleashed. All over the world people debated about the question wich one was the tallest; Sears or Petronas. Now the answer to this question seems so easy. Just measure both buildings from bottom to top, and the tallest one gets the title. Question answered, case closed, no more debate needed? Forget it! As usual, life is not that simple. One could consider how to measure these buildings. For example, do we take in account spires and antennas? To end this discussion, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat made a compromise. They defined 4 categories for measuring tall buildings;
- Height to the structural or architectural top.
- Height to the highest occupied floor.
- Height to the top of the roof.
- Height to the top of antenna.
Below are the list of 10 tallest building in the world
1) Burj Khalifa Tower, Dubai, UAE
Also Known As: Burj Dubai or Dubai Tower
Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Developer: Emaar Properties
Architect: Adrian Smith, Skidmore, Owings, & Merrill (SOM)
Year: Officially opened January 4, 2010
Height: 828 meters / 2,717 feet (including the spire)
Stories: 162
Originally named Burj Dubai (or Dubai Tower), the soaring skyscraper is now called Burj Khalifa, after Khalifa Bin Zayed, the president of the United Arab Emirates.
Dubai has been a showplace for innovative buildings, and the Burj Khalifa shatters world records for building height. The skyscraper is much taller than Taiwan's Taipei 101, which rises 508 metres (1,667 feet). During a time of economic slowdown, the Burj Khalifa has become an icon for wealth and progress in Dubai. No expense was spared for the building's opening ceremonies on January 4, 2010. Many visitors have been writing about Dubai. Some of the reports are glowing, and others are very critical.
The design of Burj Khalifa is derived from patterning systems (clarification needed) embodied in Islamic architecture. The design architect Adrian Smith has said the triple-lobed footprint of the building was inspired by the flower Hymenocallis. The tower is composed of three elements arranged around a central core. As the tower rises from the flat desert base, setbacks occur at each element in an upward spiralling pattern, decreasing the cross section of the tower as it reaches toward the sky. There are 27 terraces in Burj Khalifa. At the top, the central core emerges and is sculpted to form a finishing spire. A Y-shaped floor plan maximizes views of the Persian Gulf. Viewed from above or from the base, the form also evokes the onion domes of Islamic architecture. During the design process, engineers rotated the building 120 degrees from its original layout to reduce stress from prevailing winds. At its tallest point, the tower sways a total of 1.5 m (4.9 ft).
The spire of Burj Khalifa is composed of more than 4,000 tonnes of structural steel. The central pinnacle pipe weighing 350 tonnes was constructed from inside the building and jacked to its full height of 143 metres using a strand jack system. The spire houses plant and facilitates for communications equipment.
More than 1,000 pieces of art will adorn the interiors of Burj Khalifa, while the residential lobby of Burj Khalifa will have the artwork of 196 bronze and brass alloy cymbals representing the 196 countries of the world. The visitors in this lobby will be able to hear a distinct timbre as the cymbals, plated with 18-carat gold, are struck by dripping water, intended to mimic the sound of water falling on leaves.
The exterior cladding of Burj Khalifa consists of 142,000 m2 (1,528,000 sq ft) of reflective glazing, and aluminium and textured stainless steel spandrel panels with vertical tubular fins. The cladding system is designed to withstand Dubai's extreme summer temperatures. Additionally, at its projected height the exterior temperature at the top of the building will be 6 °C (11 °F) cooler than at its base.
Over 26,000 glass panels were used in the exterior cladding of Burj Khalifa. Over 300 cladding specialists from China were brought in for the cladding work on the tower. The hotel interior will be decorated by Giorgio Armani. An Armani Hotel, the first of four by Armani, will occupy 15 of the lower 39 floors. Floors through to 108 will have 900 private residential apartments (which, according to the developer, sold out within eight hours of being on the market). An outdoor zero-entry swimming pool will be located on the 76th floor of the tower. Corporate offices and suites will fill most of the remaining floors, except for a 123rd floor lobby and 124th floor (about 440 m (1,440 ft)) indoor and outdoor observation deck. Burj Khalifa is expected to hold up to 25,000 people at any one time. A total of 57 elevators and 8 escalators are installed, the fastest rising and descending at up to 10 m/s (33 ft/s). Engineers had considered installing the world's first triple-deck elevators, but the final design calls for double-deck elevators.
1. Tallest skyscraper to top of spire: 828 m (2,717 ft) (previously Taipei 101 – 509.2 m (1,671 ft))
2. Tallest structure ever built: 828 m (2,717 ft) (previously Warsaw radio mast – 646.38 m (2,121 ft))
3. Tallest extant structure: 828 m (2,717 ft) (previously KVLY-TV mast – 628.8 m (2,063 ft))
4. Tallest freestanding structure: 828 m (2,717 ft) (previously CN Tower – 553.3 m (1,815 ft))
5. Building with most floors: 160 (previously both 1 and 2 World Trade Center – 110)
6. World's highest elevator installation
7. World's fastest elevators at speed of 64 km/h (40 mph) or 18 m/s (59 ft/s) (previously Taipei 101 – 16.83 m/s)
8. Highest vertical concrete pumping (for a building): 606 m (1,988 ft) (previously Taipei 101 – 449.2 m (1,474 ft))
9. Highest vertical concrete pumping (for any construction): 606 m (1,988 ft) (previously Riva del Garda Hydroelectric Power Plant – 532 m (1,745 ft))
10. The first world's tallest structure in history to include residential space
11. Highest outdoor observation deck in the world
12. World's highest mosque (located on the 158th floor)
13. Elevator with the longest travel distance in the world
14. Tallest service elevator in the world
15. World's highest installation of an aluminium and glass façade, at a height of 512 m (1,680 ft)
2) Taipei 101 Tower, Taipei, Taiwan
Vital Statistics: With a massive 60-foot spire inspired by Twaiwan's native bamboo plant, Taipei 101 Tower is one of the tallest buildings in the world. At 508 meters (1,667 feet) high, the tower and its spire outrank the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Taipei Tower has 198,347 m2 (2,336,000 sq. ft.) of office space, 77,033 m2 (796,000 sq. ft.) of retail space, and 83,000 m2 (893,000 sq. ft.) of parking space for more than 1,800 vehicles.
Earthquake Safety: Designing a building this large presented unique challenges because Taiwan is subject to typhoons and earthquakes. To counter movement, a tuned mass damper system has been incorporated into the structure. The 800-metric ton (1,764,000 lbs.), spherical steel mass is located on level 88 and will be visible from the restaurant and observation decks. The system transfers the energy from the building to the swinging sphere, providing a stabilizing force.
Special Design Features: The design of Taipei 101 borrows heavily from Chinese culture. Both the building’s interior and exterior incorporate the Chinese pagoda form and the shape of bamboo flowers. The lucky number eight, which means blooming or success, is represented by the eight clearly delineated exterior sections of the building.
Observation Decks: Located on floors 89 and 91, the observation decks include the highest restaurant in Taiwan. Two high-speed elevators reach a maximum speed of 1,010 meters/minute (55 ft./second) when traveling to the 89th floor.
3) Shanghai World Financial Center, China
The Shanghai World Financial Center is a supertall skyscraper under construction in Shanghai, China. It is a mixed use skyscraper which will consist of office spaces, hotel rooms, conference rooms, observation decks and shops on the ground floors. The hotel component will open with 175 rooms and suites in mid-2008 as the Park Hyatt Shanghai. On September 14, 2007 the skyscraper was topped out[1] at 492 metres (1,614 ft) and became the tallest structure on the Chinese mainland, as well as the world's second tallest skyscraper (not counting buildings that have not topped out).
The most distinctive feature in the design of the building is an aperture at the peak. The aperture originally was meant to be a circular moon gate, but the intended design began facing protests from Chinese, including the mayor of Shanghai, who considered it too similar to the rising sun design of the Japanese flag. Pedersen then suggested that a bridge be placed at the bottom of the aperture to make it less circular.[2] On 18 October 2005, KPF submitted an alternative design to Mori Building and a trapezoidal hole replaced the circle at the top of the tower, which in addition to changing the controversial design, will also be cheaper and easier to implement according to the architects.[3] An observation deck on the 100th floor is also now part of the final design.
The skyscraper's roof height has been set at 492 m (1,614 feet), and when completed in early 2008 is expected to temporarily have the highest roof in the world. Before construction resumed on the roof, tower height was scheduled to be 510m so the building would hold the title of the worlds tallest building (structural top) over the Taipei 101, but a height limit was imposed, allowing the roof to reach a maximum height of 492m. Architect William Pedersen and developer Minoru Mori have resisted suggestions to add a spire that would surpass that of Taipei 101 and perhaps the Freedom Tower, calling the Shanghai WFC a "broad-shouldered building". Even so, its roof height will be the third highest in the world after the Burj Dubai complex and Chicago Spire. Upon completion the SWFC will boast a gross floor area of more than 377,300m² and feature 31 elevators and 33 escalators.
4) Petronas Towers 1 & 2, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Vital Statistics :Due to a lack of steel and the huge cost of importing steel, the towers were constructed on a cheaper radical design of super high strength reinforced concrete together with a steel and glass facade.
Buildings were built on the world's deepest foundations. The 120-meter foundations were built by Bachy Soletanche, and required massive amounts of concrete. Supported by 23-by-23-metre concrete cores and an outer ring of widely-spaced super columns, the towers use a sophisticated structural system that accommodates its slender profile and provides from 1300 to 2000 square metres of column-free office space per floor.
The towers feature a skybridge (constructed by Kukdong Engineering & Construction) between the two towers on 41st and 42nd floors. The bridge is 170 m high and 58 m long. The advanced elevator system of the towers have a total of 78 elevators and all main elevators are double-decker with the lower deck of the elevator taking you to odd numbered floors and upper deck taking you to the even numbered floors. Below the twin towers is Suria KLCC, a popular shopping mall, and Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, the home of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. Outside the building is a park with jogging and walking paths, a fountain with incorporated light show, wading pools, and a children's playground.
Earthquake Safety :Special Design Features : Building is designed to resemble motifs found in Islamic art, a reflection of Malaysia's Muslim religion.
5) Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), Chicago
Vital Statistics : The Sears Tower which is considered as one of the finest locations for business in Chicago,is a multi-tenant office building with more than 100 different companies doing business there, including major law firms, insurance companies and financial services firms. It has a rentable floor area of 418,064 sq. m (353,961 sq. m) and a total of 104 elevators which includes 16 double-decker elevators.
Special Design Features :The design for the Sears Tower incorporates nine steel-unit square tubes in a 3 tube by 3 tube arrangement, with each tube having the footprint of 75 feet by 75 feet. The design allows future growth of extra height to the tower if wanted or needed.
6) Jin Mao Building, Shanghai
Earthquake Safety : The building employs an advanced structural engineering system which fortifies it against typhoon winds of up to 200 km/h (with the top swaying by a maximum of 75cm) and earthquakes of up to 7 on the Richter scale. The steel shafts have shear joints that act as shock absorbers to cushion the lateral forces imposed by winds and quakes, and the swimming pool on the 57th floor is said to act as a passive damper.
Special Design Features :Its postmodern form, whose complexity rises as it ascends, draws on traditional Chinese architecture such as the tiered pagoda, gently stepping back to create a rhythmic pattern as it rises. Like the Petronas Towers in Malaysia, the building's proportions revolve around the number 8, associated with prosperity in Chinese culture. The 88 floors (93 if the spire floors are counted) are divided into 16 segments, each of which is 1/8th shorter than the 16-story base. The tower is built around an octagon-shaped concrete shear wall core surrounded by 8 exterior composite supercolumns and 8 exterior steel columns. Three sets of 8 two-story high outrigger trusses connect the columns to the core at six of the floors to provide additional support.
Observation Decks: The 88th floor houses the Skywalk, a 1,520m² indoor observation deck with a capacity of 1,000+ people.
7) Two International Finance Centre (IFC), Hong Kong
This is a prominent landmark on Hong Kong Island and it consists of two skyscrapers. One International Finance Centre is 210 m tall, has 38 storeys and four trading floors, 18 high speed passenger lifts in 4 zones, and comprises 784,000 square feet (72,850 m²). The building currently accommodates approximately 5,000 people.
Two International Finance Centre is 415m tall, has 88 storeys and designed to accomodate financial firms equipped with advanced telecommunications and nearly column free floor plans. The building expects to accomodate up to 15,000 people.
8) CITIC Plaza, China International Trust, Guanzhou
9) Shun Hing Square, Shenzhen, China
10) Empire State Building, New York
Vital Statistics: The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in New York, NY. It stood as the world's tallest building for more than forty years, from its completion in 1931 until the construction of the World Trade Center North Tower in 1972, and is now once again the tallest building in New York after the destruction of the World Trade Center in the September 11, 2001 attacks.
The Empire State Building rises to 381 m (1,250 feet) at the 102nd floor, and its full structural height (including broadcast antenna) reaches 443 m (1,453 ft and 8 9/16th in). The building has 85 stories of commercial and office space (200,465 m²/ 2,158,000 sq. ft.) The building weighs approximately 330,000 Mg (370,000 tons).
It has a total floor area of approximately 254,000 m² (2,768,591 sq. ft.). The base of the Empire State Building is about 0.8 ha (2 acres), and the lobby is five stories tall. The building houses 1,000 businesses, and has its own zip code. Today, the Empire State Building has 73 elevators in all, including service elevators.
Observation Decks: The 86th floor observation deck offers impressive 360-degree views of the city. There is a second observation deck on the 102nd floor that is open to the public which are one of the most popular observatories in the world.
