There’s nothing quite like visiting the tallest skyscraper buildings around the world. A visual feast awaits your eyes as you hover in the sky on these concrete wonders. The tallest skyscraper buildings are giant tourist attractions and stay busy throughout the year. These architectural wonders make great photo opportunities and are often found in bustling metropolitan centers. This guide explores the tallest free-standing structures, with awe-inspiring facts that will get you ready for your next adventure.
Most Breathtaking Skyscraper Buildings
Table of Contents
World One, Mumbai, India
World One, developed by Lodha Group, is the tallest skyscraper building in Mumbai and India. In 2019, construction was completed on the World One, which occupies a 7.1-hectare site that was once home to Shrinivas Mill. The incredible skyscraper is 280.2 meters (919 ft) tall with 76 floors. It houses 300 luxury homes, including three and four-bedroom residences, villas with private pools, and a small number of luxury floors.
The site also has two other smaller towers, the World View and World Crest. Initially, this tower was slated to reach 442 meters in height. Despite this, World One was redesigned to its current height because of a lack of permission from the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
Interesting Fact: India has more than 200 skyscrapers. Most of the skyscraper buildings are located in Mumbai.
Eureka Tower Building, Australia
The Eureka Tower, located in Melbourne, is the third tallest skyscraper building in Melbourne, at 297.3 meters. When completed in October 2006, it cost $415 million to construct. The tower was designed by Karl Fender of Fender Katsalidis Architect firm and was considered the tallest residential building in the world. It has 556 apartments spread across 91 floors. On the 88th floor is the Eureka Skydeck 88, which opened in May 2007 and features ‘The Edge,’ a three-meter glass cube that suspends people 300 meters above the ground. A stair climb is also held at Eureka Tower every year, and the current record is seven minutes for climbing 1642 stairs.
Interesting Fact: The Eureka Tower is named after the Eureka Stockade rebellion of 1854. It’s designed with a gold crown, red stripe, and blue glass panels symbolic of the gold rush, bloodshed, and Stockade flag.
Read More: 10 Of The World’s Best Museums To Explore
The Shard, Southwark, England
The Shard is the current king of the London Skyscraper buildings. Standing at 309.6 m (1,016 ft) tall, it’s now the tallest building in Europe. The Shard, designed in the Neo-futuristic style by architect Renzo Piano, has 73 floors and 44 elevators and was completed in July 2012. There are 25 floors of offices in this massive skyscraper, three floors of restaurants, a hotel with 17 stories, 13 floors of apartments, a triple-height viewing gallery, and an open-air viewing floor at level 72.
Interesting Fact: The Shard has a whopping 306 flights of stairs and has 11,000 glass panels.
Bahria Icon Tower, Karachi, Pakistan
The Bahria Icon is the tallest skyscraper building in Pakistan at 320 meters tall with 68 floors. This magnificent skyscraper is located in the capital city of Karachi and is the fifth tallest in South Asia. Among the owners of this tower is Malik Riaz, who is known for being a construction industry tycoon. In addition, the Bahria has ten floors of serviced corporate offices, shopping malls, and 40 floors of residential apartments.
This tower features Pakistan’s highest terraced restaurant, one of the country’s most enormous parking garages with 1,700 parking spaces, a double-decker high-speed elevator, and a shopping mall.
Insider Tip: The Mall of Karachi is a shopping complex with eight floors located in Bahria Town Icon and Bahria Hotel Tower.
Scotia Plaza, Toronto, Canada
The Scotia Tower ranks as North America’s 22nd tallest building and is located at Bay Street and King Street in Toronto’s financial district near the St. Regis hotel. The Scotia Tower is one of three skyscraper buildings that make up Scotia Plaza, a two million-square-foot business complex. This breathtaking skyscraper building is 275 m (902 ft) tall, with 68 floors and 40 retail stores. The Scotia Tower was designed by WZMH Architects in 1988 and Energy Star certified.
Interesting Fact: Scotia Plaza is the third tallest of all skyscraper buildings in Canada and has access to many amenities, including 40 shops, transit, entertainment, and a gigantic 550 seat international food court.
HSBC Building, Hong Kong
The HSBC Building is the famous headquarters of The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation and remains one of the most astonishing skyscraper buildings in the city. Over one million square feet are occupied by the 183-meter-high HSBC building, with 44 floors and four basement levels. In 1986, when it was completed, it was the most expensive building in the world, with a price tag of $668 million. Moreover, the view of Hong Kong harbor is unobstructed, making it a good Feng Shui location.
Interesting Fact: The HSBC Building was built using about 30,000 tons of steel and 4,500 tons of aluminum. Locals believe it resembles a giant oil rig at sea.
Carlton Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa
The Carlton Centre in Johannesburg has been the tallest of all skyscraper buildings in Africa for almost 48 years. The construction of the building was completed in the year 1973. The height of the monumental building is 223 meters (730 ft), and it has 50 floors. It is referred to as the most towering shopping mall and skyscraper building in South Africa. The architect of the building is Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.
Interesting Facts: The Carlton Centre used to be home to the five-star, thirty-story Carlton Hotel, the most luxurious accommodation in Gauteng, and a favorite locale among the rich and famous.
Bank of America Tower, New York City, USA
In 2009, the Bank of America Tower near Bryant Park between 42nd and 43rd streets in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City put efficiency at the forefront of its $1 billion design. This 55-story tower was designed by Cook+Fox Architects and had LEED Platinum certification due to its use of recycled steel and composite materials. Bank of America Tower, at 1,200 feet (370 meters), is currently the eighth tallest of all skyscraper buildings in New York City.
Interesting Fact: The Central Park Towers (New York) is 1,550 feet tall and has 131 floors, making it the tallest residential building in the world. The Bank of America Tower is the tenth tallest of all skyscraper buildings in the U.S.
The Burj Khalifa, Dubai
The world-famous Burj Khalifa, the tallest of all skyscraper buildings in Dubai, reaches 2,722 feet with 163 floors. This Dubai skyscraper building was completed in 2010, and it holds Guinness World Records titles for the tallest human-made structure and the highest restaurant in the world. It is the epitome of splendor.
Besides having the world’s tallest elevator, the Burj Khalifa has a 60 km/h elevator that can climb 504 meters at once. It comprises residential apartments, the luxurious Armani Hotel, fine dining, bars, and offices. It also connects directly to the Dubai Mall, which houses the world’s largest suspended acrylic aquarium. At the top of the building, you can access the SKY experience, the highest outdoor observatory in the world. Visitors are escorted to a dedicated elevator, whisked away to the 148th floor, and given incredible views of Dubai.
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, a Chicago-based design firm, designed this beautiful skyscraper in Dubai. As a result of their winning a design contest, their firm was able to construct the Dubai skyscraper you see today.
Interesting Fact: In 2011, Hollywood actor Tom Cruise climbed Burj Khalifa in the blockbuster film Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol, making it one of the most heart-pounding scenes in Hollywood movies.
Yokohama Landmark Tower, Japan
The Yokohama Landmark Tower, a 70-floor building located at the edge of Yokohama port, was completed in 1993 in Yokohama city’s Minato Mirai 21 district. It’s currently the second tallest skyscraper building and the fourth tallest structure in Japan, standing 296 m high. Its three main attractions are the Sky Garden Observatory on the 69th floor, the five-star Yokohama Royal Park Hotel, and the adjoining Yokohama Landmark Plaza, filled with shops, cafes, and restaurants.
Interesting Fact: The Landmark Tower boasts the country’s fastest elevator, traveling at 45 km/h and taking you to the 69th floor in just under 40 seconds.
A visit to giant skyscraper buildings can be a great part of any vacation. Great photo opportunities await you as well as lifelong memories. Today’s skyscraper buildings seem to defy the laws of physics, with each measuring taller than the next! So when you book your next vacation, be sure to include a visit to one of the architectural wonders in this guide.
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