Tall Buildings with Unusual Features

It seems that there are no limits to the imagination for architects designing super structures these days. They are not just reaching for the sky, but the predominant trend seems to be very much focused on creating a wow factor. Here are a few prime examples.

COMPILED BY IAIN BLACKWELL

THE SHARD, LONDON

Designed by Italian architect, Renzo Piano, The Shard was the tallest building in Europe when it was inaugurated 10 years ago on July 5th 2012. In that short timespan, it has been overtaken by six other structures, all of which are in Russia, except for the Varso Tower, which is just being completed in Warsaw. The glass-clad pyramidal structure comprising 11,000 panes of glass features 72 habitable floors, stretching to just under 310m, and is topped by a viewing gallery and open-air observation deck proffering panoramic views of the London skyline. ›

TALL BUILDINGS

WITH UNUSUAL FEATURES

MARINA BAY SANDS SINGAPORE

Relax in the world’s largest rooftop pool while gazing out over Singapore’s aweinspiring city skyline. Fronting Marina Bay in Singapore, it is also known as the Ship Hotel as the design mimics a cruise ship perched atop three skyscrapers. The resort is owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation and, at its opening in 2010, it was deemed the world’s most standalone casino property. It comprises three 55-storey towers of extravagant hotel rooms and luxury suites, supporting the infinity pool and observation deck at an altitude of 200m. ›

INTEMPO BENIDORM

At 202m, and completed in mid-2021, it is the tallest residential building in Europe. Consisting of two parallel towers separated by a gap of 20m, which are connected by a conical structure between floors 38 and 44, it’s one of the few skyscrapers in the world which has the shape of an arch. The facade of the building is made of glass, a first for a residential building in Benidorm, providing magnificent panoramas. With 256 apartments and close to the beach, it offers residents a gym, spa, sauna, restaurant and bar, and various swimming pools. ›

SHANGHAI WORLD FINANCIAL CENTER

Designed by American architectural firm, Kohn Pedersen Fox, the 492m 100-storey Shanghai World Financial Centre features a trapezoid aperture at the peak, which helps reduce the stress of wind pressure. This has given it its coloquial name as ‘the bottle opener’, and metal replicas of the building that function as bottle openers are sold in the tower’s gift shop. The skyscraper houses the offices of many international financial companies as well as the Park Hyatt Shanghai, comprising 174 rooms and suites occupying the 79th to the 93rd floors. ›

CHINA’S WATERFALL BUILDING

Named the Liebian International

Building, the 121m skyscraper in Guiyang, southwest China, has been built to incorporate a spectacular waterfall. This unique feature with the water falling 108m is one of the largest artificial waterfalls in the world and the tallest to be included in a building. As well as creating a veritable deluge of beneficial negative ions, which on inhalation confer the feeling of being refreshed and revived, the dramatic falls also generate rainbows, which can be seen by the city’s inhabitants from miles around. ›

THE GRAND LISBOA, MACAU

The Grand Lisboa, at 261m is the tallest building in Macau and the most distinctive part of its skyline. The hotel, opened in 2007, contains 430 rooms and suites distributed over 47 floors, while its casino offers 800 gaming tables and 1,000 slot machines. The structure is home to the Robuchon au Dôme restaurant, established by the late Joël Robuchon and boasting three Michelin Stars. It is ranked among the best in the world by Elite Traveller and has a wine list featuring over 14,600 wines. e