famous skyscrapers
Architectural design has advanced to a phenomenal stage where every modern city would like to boast of having one of the tallest buildings. While the criteria that define the tallest buildings or skyscrapers differ widely, the ten most popular architectural wonders of our time are listed below.
Empire State Building
A world-famous New York City landmark and protector of the sky, it towers over Manhattan Island, roughly a quarter-mile in the sky. The observatory is located on the 86th floor, 1,050 feet above the ground and offers the most impressive panoramic view of Manhattan and beyond from within a glass-enclosed pavilion. In addition to the observatory there are several tourist attractions, including restaurants, shops and banks. It also has a New York SKYRIDE, an independently owned and operated simulated helicopter ride, and a virtual reality movie theater. William Lamb, an architect from Shreve, Lamb and Harmon was chosen to design the Empire State Building in 1930.
Petronas Towers
The Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lampur claim to be the tallest twin towers of the 20th century, standing at 1,483 feet tall. They were designed by architect Cesar Pelli and completed in 1998. The 88-story towers are largely constructed of reinforced concrete, with a steel and glass façade designed to resemble motifs found in Islamic art, a reflection of Malaysia’s Muslim religion. The towers have a sky bridge between the towers on the 41st and 42nd floors that is 170m high and 58m long.
sears tower
Architect Bruce Graham designed Chicago’s Sears Tower in 1974. At 1,450 feet and 110 stories, it is the tallest building in the United States of America. The construction system consists of a steel structure with a bronze-tinted glass curtain wall. The Sears Tower Skydeck observation deck and tourist attraction is on the 103rd floor, 1,353 feet above the ground.
Bank of China Tower
Located in Honk Kong, apart from being one of the most famous skyscrapers in the world, it is one of the most outstanding achievements of modern architecture. Construction began in 1985 and was completed in five years by architects IM Pei & Partners and Sherman Kung & Associates. Standing at 1,205 feet, the building is a grouping of four triangular glass and aluminum towers of varying heights, all emerging from a single granite podium. Changes rising from a square base to a single spire result in a magnificent façade of angles and profiles that reflect light and appear almost crystalline in composition. On the 42nd floor there is a sky-deck that offers a panoramic view of the northwest of Hong Kong.
chrysler building
Standing at 1,046 feet tall, it was considered an engineering marvel and the tallest building in 1931. However, it remains the tallest brick building in the world. The tower is a beautiful stainless steel crown that supports the famous spire at its highest point. A quintessential skyscraper design, the Chrysler Building is a perfect example of Art Deco and has a lobby clad in different marbles, onyx and amber.
Taipei 101
With a height of 1671 feet, this high-rise building has surpassed all to become the tallest skyscraper today. Taipei 101 holds the world record in three of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat’s height categories: tallest to structural top, tallest to roof, and tallest occupied floor. The 89th floor has an indoor observation area, while the 91st floor has an outdoor observation deck, known as the highest in the world. The pagoda-shaped design of this building is inspired by traditional Chinese architecture. The sectioned tower is also a symbol of the bamboo plant that characterizes strength, resistance and elegance. The tower’s design specifications are based on the number 8, considered lucky in Chinese culture.
jin mao building
This building in Shanghai symbolizes the progress and advancement of the Chinese. It boasts of being the first tallest skyscraper in the country and the third tallest in the world. A great mix of east-west architecture that aptly denotes Shanghai’s emergence as a modern global city. It follows the model of versatility by offering retail stores at its base, offices above and the world’s tallest Grand Hyatt’s hotel occupying the top 38 floors. The magnificently designed building combines the elements of traditional Chinese architecture and heavy Gothic influence.
Burj Al Arab
The Burj Al Arab rises to a level of 1053 feet and is known as one of the tallest structures in the world with a membrane-fronted, 24-meter-wide helipad. This is the world’s tallest operational hotel building and the design is influenced by the profile of an Arabian sailing ship. Al Muntaha restaurant is located 200 meters above the Arabian Gulf and offers a panoramic view of Dubai, while the atrium is situated at a height of 180 meters.
CN Tower
At a height of 1,815 feet, the CN Tower in Toronto is the tallest building and free-standing structure in the world. It is considered the signature icon of the city and receives almost two million visitors a year. The view from the glass-floored outdoor observation deck located 342 meters above the ground is breathtaking and exhilarating. It also has the Space Deck at 447 meters, the world’s highest observation deck with a 160 km view, and the 360 degree revolving restaurant.
hancock place
A reflective obelisk sky scraping in Boston is an architectural marvel. It is considered ‘glacially magnificent’ in that the surface changes as the day changes, each side reflecting the color of the sky it faces. Furthermore, this dramatic effect is highlighted by the parallelogram shape of the prism, which provides unique and different reflections on adjoining surfaces.
The architectural buildings mentioned above are famous creations and are literally considered architectural works of art today.