The top 10 tallest buildings in the world
From Dubai, to China and New York City, you'll find jaw-dropping buildings all around the world. And as we speak; even taller, more magnificent skyscrapers are being planned and built. Here are the top ten tallest buildings in the world (at this moment in time), where you can fine them, and what makes them so spectacular.
1. Burj Khalifa Since the completion of this building in 2010, the Burj Khalifa which is located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is the world's tallest skyscraper. The building reaches an unbelievable 828 metres tall and has over 160 floors! It was designed by architects Skidmore, Owings and Merril and is now one of the most famous buildings in Dubai. The Kingdom Tower (currently being built) in Jeddah, is due to surpass the current record holder as it will reach a kilometre in height.
2. Shanghai Tower Standing at 623m, Shanghai Tower, in China is approximately 200m shorter than the Burj Khalifa. As if the height alone wasn’t enough; the Shaghai Tower is home to the world's fastest elevators, which climb the tower at a head-spinning 18 metres per second.
3. Makkah Clock Royal Tower In third place is the Makkah Clock Royal Tower, the largest clock tower in the world. The tower itself contains the world's largest clock face. The clock face can be seen from around 25 kilometres away. This 601m high building was completed in 2012 and can be found in Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
4. One Word Trade Centre Coming up just 60m shorter than the Makkah Clock Royal Tower is the One World Trade Centre. Located in New York City, this building stretches to 1,776 feet, symbolising the year of American Independence, 1776 - this building is currently the highest in the Western Hemisphere.
5. Taipei 101 With 5 floors underground and 101 above, the Tapei 101 rises to a grand total of 1,669 feet, and is located in Taiwan. It is actually the most environmentally friendly skyscraper in the world and is often the main location that the city of Taiwan choose hold their firework displays during national celebrations.
6. Shanghai World Financial Centre The Shanghai World Financial centre measures just 16m less that the Taipei 101. The building has a truly unique shape and is sometimes referred to as the "bottle opener". Inside you can find office spaces, hotels, observation decks and shopping malls - its full height it 1,614 feet.
7. International Commerce Centre The international Commerce centre is 1,588 feet tall with total of 118 floors. Since it was completed in 2010 it stands as the tallest building in Hong Kong.
8. Petronas Towers Also knows as the "Petronas Twin Towers", these two are the eighth tallest buildings in the world. Back in 1998 they used to hold the number 1 spot, but it wasn’t long after that they were surpassed. However, they still hold the record for the tallest twin buildings in the world, coming in at 1,483 feet and 88 floors each.
9. Zifeng Tower Located in Nanjing, China, the Zifeng Tower was completed in 2008 and stands at an impressive 1,489 feet tall, with 89 stories.
10. The Willis Tower Previously known as the Sears Tower until naming rights were changed by Willis in 2009. The tower reaches 1,451 feet high. When complete in 1973, it held the title as the world’s tallest building for 25 years. It may be lower down the list of tallest buildings but the Willis Tower is one of Chicago’s main attractions, with more than one million people visiting it every year.
These are just a few example of wonders in the construction world. To find out more about ground working, reinforcement and framework please visit http://www.sig-ca.co.uk/