Gorgeous skyscraper. The most beautiful skyscrapers

The Most Outstanding Miracles engineering in modern architecture!

10. Gherkin, London

30 Mary Ax, known as the Gherkin, rises in London's main financial district. The 40-story building reaches a height of 180 meters. The building uses energy-saving electrification methods, allowing it to use half the energy that a structure of this scale would typically require. The headquarters of the reinsurance company Swiss Re is located within the walls of the skyscraper.

9. Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong

The most recognizable building in the skyscraper capital of the world, Hong Kong. Reaching a height of 305 meters, from 1989 to 1992 it was the tallest building in all of Asia. The exterior design elements of the skyscraper resemble bamboo - a symbol of longevity and prosperity. True, Feng Shui practitioners criticized the skyscraper for its sharp lines. A small observation deck is open on the 43rd floor of the building.

8. Willis Tower, Chicago

108-story skyscraper in Chicago. When it opened in 1973, it was the tallest building in the world, surpassing the World Trade Center in New York. The observation deck on the 103rd floor of the skyscraper is Chicago's most famous landmark. On a clear day, you can see not only all of Chicago from there, but also the opposite shore of Lake Michigan. Before its renaming in 2009, the skyscraper was called the Sears Tower.

7. Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai

The 101st floor of the Shanghai World Financial Center houses offices, hotels, observation decks and shops. In 2007, the skyscraper reached a height of 492 meters, becoming the tallest building in all of China, including Hong Kong. The most characteristic feature its design has a huge “hole” at the top. Initially, this element was planned to be round, but this caused a number of protests due to the fact that this design was too similar to rising sun on the Japanese flag. In the final version, the circle was replaced with a trapezoid, thanks to which, according to many, the skyscraper resembles a giant bottle opener.

6. Taipei 101, Taiwan

The skyscraper, reaching a height of 508 meters, was the tallest building in the world until 2007, when it was overtaken by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The special design of the skyscraper allows it to withstand typhoons and earthquakes, which are not uncommon in Taiwan. The number of floors in the building - 101 - is timed to coincide with the meeting of the new century, at the beginning of which the skyscraper (100+1) was erected.

5. Chrysler Building, New York

Art Deco skyscraper in eastern Manhattan. Its height is 319 meters; for 11 months, until the construction of the Empire State Building in 1931, it was the tallest building in the world. This classic example Art Deco architecture, which many modern architects consider to be the most beautiful building in all of New York.

4. Burj Khalifa, Dubai

The tallest building on the planet and the main attraction of Dubai rises on unprecedented height: 818 meters. The lower 37 floors are occupied by the Armani Hotel. From the 45th to the 108th floor there are luxury apartments, and the most upper part The building is reserved for offices. The observation deck, which offers a breathtaking view of ultra-modern Dubai, is located on the 124th floor of the skyscraper.

3. Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur

Until 2004, these skyscrapers in the capital of Malaysia were the tallest buildings in the world, until they were overtaken by the Taipei 101 skyscraper. Be that as it may, they remain the tallest twin buildings in the world to this day. Their most famous feature is the “sky bridge” connecting the buildings at the 42nd floor level. It is built in such a way that, if necessary, it can be “pulled” inside buildings to protect it from possible hurricanes. The bridge is playing important role in the security system: if an emergency occurs in one of the buildings, people will be able to quickly evacuate to the neighboring tower.

2. Burj Al Arab, Dubai

One of the tallest and most fashionable hotels in the world, the very appearance of which evokes associations with luxury and beautiful life. It reaches a height of 321 meters. Located on artificial island 280 meters from the shore. Not everyone can afford to enter its territory: one night in a hotel costs from 1.5 to 30 thousand dollars!

1. Empire State Building, New York

Although the Empire State Building has not been the tallest building in the world for many decades, it still remains one of the most recognizable symbols of New York. For 40 years, he held the world palm in height. It was erected in 1931 during the Great Depression, and for many years most its offices were empty. Until 1950, the skyscraper did not bring benefits to its owners. The building houses one of the most visited observatories in the world, offering spectacular 360-degree views of New York City!
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The three-hundred-meter “Shard” is the tallest building in the European Union and perhaps the most advanced skyscraper in the world (at least until the opening of the new World Trade Center in New York). An example of what a high-rise building should look like after September 11, 2001: below - transport hub, inside there is a powerful core that will withstand a collision with an airplane, and a technological filling with smart energy saving, ventilation and rainwater recycling systems. The high-rise cost $750 million.

Located in the former port area of Rotterdam, the De Rotterdam complex is the largest building in the Netherlands and the favorite brainchild of Rem Koolhaas, who wanted to build an outwardly “cheap” office building that was ideal in its impersonality. A glass wall of eight blocks, 150 meters high, houses offices, a hotel, apartments, as well as meeting rooms and shopping mall at the base. Large-scale project lay on the shelf for more than ten years, but during the 2008 crisis, the prices of contractors’ services seriously decreased, and it was able to be launched. The building ended up costing $500 million, but six months after it opened, it remains largely empty. Some of the offices are occupied by the city government.

"House on Mosfilmovskaya"

The orange Mercury Tower in Moscow City is considered the most tall skyscraper Europe, but the most spectacular Russian high-rise building is, of course, “House on Mosfilmovskaya” by Sergei Skuratov. Along with Yuri Grigoryan, Skuratov came up with the idea of selling modern modernist architecture as a luxury and succeeded in this: a two-hundred-meter tower can hardly be called ordinary residential building. Due to the conflict between Don-Stroy Invest and the capital’s mayor’s office, they wanted to partially demolish the high-rise building on Mosfilmovskaya, but after Yuri Luzhkov left, the project remained in its original form. Despite the almost five-year delay in construction, last year the building was also included in the list of the main high-rise buildings on the planet according to Emporis.

Shenzhen Exchange

It seems that industrial Shenzhen, bordering Hong Kong, is the most main city on the planet: in many years it will be used to judge what megacities looked like in beginning of XXI century. In addition to the cyclopean Foxconn plant, where gadgets are assembled by several hundred thousand workers, in Shenzhen you can find a futuristic airport or an experimental stock exchange building. The 250-meter high-rise is another project of Rem Koolhaas. Thanks to the unexpected shape, the building received more spaces for communication and relaxation.

Last year's winner, Emporis, is an aluminum-clad fifty-storey residential tower in suburban Toronto. Chinese architects from MAD gave the high-rise buildings a curving bionic shape to ensure that each of the residents received unique conditions within the same building.

The high-rise building in Doha by Jean Nouvel is reminiscent of another of his projects - the iridescent Torre Agbar tower in Barcelona, the headquarters of the local city water supply service. The architect not only used energy-saving technologies, but also covered the building with a shading mesh in the spirit of traditional Islamic architecture, allowing for savings on ventilation. The fifty-story office building cost $125 million.

"Flame Towers"

Where to look for the most effective modern architecture on the territory former USSR? Not in Moscow - it's worth going to Baku. IN last decade The largest and most spectacular buildings by the world's superstar architects appeared primarily in China or the capitals of the eastern oil powers. Azerbaijan is no exception: Zaha Hadid is building here, and it is not difficult to find three skyscrapers in the shape of two-hundred-meter flames. Opened last year, the complex consists of offices, a hotel and apartments. And its entire façade is covered with LED screens simulating fire.

Al-Bahar Towers

The two 30-storey Al Bahar towers in Abu Dhabi defy the term "real estate": their parts move. To protect interior spaces to combat the heat of the day, engineers placed a blanket of shading golden honeycomb over the façade. However, the architects went further than Jean Nouvel's project in Qatar: under computer control, the outer layer opens and closes depending on the lighting - from a completely free state in the morning to a blank shell at noon.

The newest building in this list, opened just a couple of months ago. Thanks to its graceful form, the 250-meter skyscraper on the banks of the Danube took second place in the Emporis competition, losing only to Renzo Piano’s “The Shard.” There are offices inside the high-rise medical companies, and on the first 15 floors there is a four-star hotel. IN next year a second skyscraper 150 meters high will appear next to DC Tower 1 - great Frenchman Dominique Perrault conceived the entire complex as two parts of a divided monolith.

CCTV Headquarters

The third and largest exercise of the Rem Koolhaas bureau in the skyscraper genre: ironically, in 2003, the architect promised to kill high rise buildings, and over the course of a decade he himself became the author of several original projects. The headquarters of China Central Television is a 234-meter-tall, jagged ring, most of which hangs over the surrounding area. Construction took eight years and cost $800 million. The architects clearly followed the idea of skeuomorphism: the working premises of the television center are located in the “legs” of the building, while the management is located in the upper premises of the complex, 75 meters forward above the base.

Sheraton Huzhou Hotel

The Sheraton Hotel in Huzhou, China, is almost half the size of the television center in Beijing and just as much more expensive: the thirty-story recreation and entertainment complex made of aluminum and concrete cost $1.5 billion. Like the twisted towers in Toronto, the building has a bionic shape. However, this is not so much the whim of the architects (with modern development technology, you can build a building of any shape) as well as an ingenious engineering solution that makes the structure lighter and better able to withstand earthquakes.

World of travel

1549

01.05.17 10:35

Construction of the very first skyscraper began 133 years ago – on May 1, 1884 in Chicago. We would hardly call a 10-story building a skyscraper, but for late XIX this was an event of the century! Today everyone is spoiled by the engineering and architectural wonders towering in the United United Arab Emirates, and the Empire State Building in New York or the unusual “Shard” skyscraper that recently appeared in London fit well into the city landscapes. We will not remember the famous Dubai tower Burj Khalifa or the powerful buildings built by Donald Trump's company, but look at other, unusual, skyscrapers in the world.

From a giant toy to a high-rise swimming pool: unusual skyscrapers of the planet

Giant robot in Bangkok

What is Bangkok like for a tourist visiting Thailand for the first time? Magnificent ancient temples, bustling nightclubs and floating markets with various delicacies. Have you heard about the unusual skyscrapers of this Asian city? For example, a structure in the form of a giant robot, located in the South Sathorn district, grew up in the Thai capital in 1986. Its architect Sumet Jumsai wanted to move away from the boring Art Nouveau style and was inspired by his son’s toy. On the other hand, the building was supposed to house the Bank of Asia, so the “robot” symbolized computerization financial sector countries. It is interesting that almost every detail of the giant performs some function. For example, the protruding “bolts” are umbrellas, and the robot’s “caterpillars” are awnings.

"Unfinished" tower "MahaNakhon" of the capital of Thailand

Architect Ole Schieren, who also received a large order from one of the Bangkok firms, had to be “creative” with might and main! The designer was asked to come up with a building that would dominate the city landscape and could outdo the same “robot” and other wonderful buildings. Shiren found an original solution, and thus one of the most unusual skyscrapers on the planet was born - the 310-meter MahaNakhon tower.

The spiral terraces give the impression that the building is either unfinished or is about to collapse on passers-by with a “hail” of building blocks. The tallest skyscraper in Bangkok houses a boutique hotel with 150 rooms, a multi-level shopping center, 200 apartments, a panoramic restaurant on the roof, and the building’s evening lighting is fantastic.

St Mary Ax: London's Gherkin

Let's take a break from Asian wonders for a while (although for some reason this part of the world is very fond of unusual skyscrapers) and move to the capital of Great Britain. Despite the merits of the “Shard,” another structure will make it into our top list – the 40-story tower of St. Mary Ex 30. Its shape and the mesh “skin” covering the building are impossible to forget (it was for this shell of green glass that the skyscraper was nicknamed “The Gherkin” or “ Gherkin").

The tower was built in the first half of the 2000s according to the design of Norman Foster; its construction cost more than 400 million dollars. On the top floors of the Gherkin there are several restaurants with amazing views of London; the lower floors can be visited by anyone.

Lippo Center in Hong Kong and koalas hugging trunks

If St. Mary Ax looks elegant: solid glass, smooth curves (not a single corner, which allows the winds to bend around the walls), then the Lippo-centre office complex seems somewhat clumsy.

And yet this is also the most unusual skyscraper, because when the American architect Paul Rudolph designed the two towers, he imagined several koalas clinging to two trees. Take a closer look: there are paws! One tower is slightly lower than the other - 44 floors and 48 floors. The Lippo building has stood in Hong Kong since 1988.

Kingdom Tower in Riyadh: a huge keyhole

What does this unusual skyscraper remind you of? That's right, a bottle opener, that's what witty tourists call it - "Opener", although according to the architects' idea it is a "keyhole".

The Kingdom Tower (or Burj Al Mamlaka), built in Riyadh, managed to bypass the city's laws prohibiting buildings taller than 30 floors. This same law does not limit the height of the tower, so the architects came up with an extraordinary “top” of the structure. What is there in the building? A bank, a huge shopping center, a mosque for women, a luxury hotel. At the same time, the Kingdom Tower dominates the urban area and remains the tallest building not only in Riyadh, but throughout Saudi Arabia.

Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong: not according to Feng Shui!

When the construction of the Bank of China Tower was completed (1990), it set a record for height (it was the tallest tall building outside the US). A bizarre shape with many sharp corners became the subject of controversy: Feng Shui experts believed that these angles interfered with the flow of positive energy and had a detrimental effect on neighboring houses.

But the discussions subsided, and if you look at the photo of the Hong Kong panorama from the water, the Bank Tower building compares favorably with its high-rise “brothers” of the same type. This is especially noticeable at night, when the building becomes part of a spectacular light show.

Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur: “serious” and “fun”

The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur are the tallest twin buildings on the planet (451.9 meters) and very unusual skyscrapers adorning the capital of Malaysia.

Despite the external identity of “twins”, one of the buildings is “serious” (the offices of a large oil company), the other is much more “fun” with its impressive shopping center, attractions and observation deck, from which the city “lies at your feet.”

Ryugyong in Pyongyang: an overwhelming landscape

Our list of unusual skyscrapers in the world includes not only beautiful buildings, but also rather ridiculous ones, such as the Ryugyong skyscraper, rising in the thick of a residential area in Pyongyang. It is not for nothing that the reputable publication Esquire gave Ryugyong the offensive “title” of “the ugliest building in the history of mankind.” And he wasn’t afraid: after all, as you know, to criticize North Korea fraught! The skyscraper is occupied by a hotel of the same name, which began construction in 1987. The history of the construction of Ryugyong is long and sad: there was not enough funds, construction was stopped, then resumed and was completed only in 2014. The 105-story triangle with strange architectural elements (from some angles it looks like a missile with a warhead) is made of concrete and overwhelms Pyongyang's landscape.

Umeda Sky: futuristic Osaka

Japan is ahead of the curve when it comes to “urban futurism,” which is why the ultra-modern Umeda Sky building in Osaka is included in our ranking of the most unusual skyscrapers. These are also twin towers of a unique design, which are connected by several dangerous-looking bridges.

Almost at the very top of the 40-story Umeda complex is a luxurious observatory from which you can view almost every corner of Osaka. There is also an escalator with glass “webbed” vaults - from these windows it is also good to admire the city panorama (if you do not suffer from dizziness).

Marina Bay Sands: a graceful boat floating among the clouds

We gave the top line of the top unusual skyscrapers in the world to the incredible building of Singapore, which immediately became business card city-states. This is the Marina Bay Sands skyscraper, consisting of three towers united by the likeness of a boat that seems to float in the sky. The complex can accommodate 45,000 people (simultaneously): these are visitors to a casino, resort, hotel of the same name, museum, theater, shopping center, nice cafes and restaurants.

Another feature of this unusual skyscraper: on the roof (the same “boat”) there is an infinity high-rise swimming pool. Swimming in it is combined with admiring the greatest urban panorama of the beautiful city.

To solve the problem of a shortage of housing for the ever-growing population of cities, people from time immemorial built more and more new houses - and the higher the building, the more possibilities it provided employment and living space.

Burj Mubarak Al Kabir, Subiyah, Kuwait
The designed height of this skyscraper will reach 1001 meters and will become the main decoration of the Silk City in Kuwait. The building will accommodate stadiums, hotels, retail stores and more. The Burj Mubarak is scheduled to be completed in 2016.

Heavenly City, Changsha, Hunan Province, China
It is expected that the construction of the Sky City skyscraper will be completed in June of this year. The skyscraper has every chance to become the most high tower in the world, overtaking its competitor - the Dubai Burj Khalifa tower in the United Arab Emirates.

China Zun, Beijing, China
Construction of China Zun or China Zun will be completed in 2016. The height of the 108-story tower will be 528 meters. It will be the tallest building in Beijing and the second tallest high-rise in China, second only 50 meters to the Goldin Finance 117 skyscraper in Tianjin.

Royal Tower, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
The Royal Tower will become central element urban area in Jeddah near the Red Sea. This skyscraper will rise 1 kilometer high and have 200 floors. The builders are making every effort to complete the construction of the tall skyscraper in the world by 2018.

Pinan International Financial Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
Construction of one of the most tall buildings in China will be completed by 2016. The 115-story skyscraper will reach 660 meters in height.

Goldin Finance 117, Tianjin, China
Upon completion of construction in 2015, the height of the tower will be 597 meters, and the number of floors will be 117 floors. The high-rise will consist of offices, a shopping center and a hotel.

1 World Trade Center, New York, USA
The World Trade Center is set to open its doors to visitors in 2014. At 544 meters tall, it will be the tallest building in America and will house office space, luxury restaurants and an observation deck.

GIFT Diamond Tower, Gandhinagar, India
Gujarat International Finance and Technology City (or GIFT Diamond Tower) will be built in business district Gujarat in India. Main goal this project is to provide the population with physical infrastructure high quality(electricity, water, gas, telecommunications and much more). The complex will include offices, schools, residential premises, hotels, conference centers and retail space.

Buenos Aires Forum, Buenos Aires, Argentina
This spiral-shaped tower, 1000 meters high, will stand in the center of Buenos Aires in 2016. The cost of the entire high-rise project is estimated at $3.33 billion. If construction of the tower is not frozen, it will become the tallest skyscraper in the world.

Shanghai Tower, Shanghai, China
The fame of this tower was brought by two Russian daredevils who climbed to the very top of the 632-meter building. We will be able to see the Shanghai Tower in a year. It promises to be the tallest building in China and the second tallest building in the world.

World One, Mumbai, India
World One is a 117 meter long luxury residential tower under construction that will house 117 luxury apartments. The skyscraper is set to become the tallest residential building in the world. Completion of construction is scheduled for 2014.

Peruri 88, Jakarta, Indonesia
Jakarta has long been an overcrowded city, lacking both green space and living space. Peruri 88 Tower will be a multi-level, 400-meter city with green roofs, residential spaces, hotels, offices, shops and entertainment centers. Construction of the high-rise will be completed in 2017.

Lotte World Tower, Seoul, South Korea
The 123-story supertall skyscraper currently under construction at the Lotte World entertainment complex in Seoul is expected to open in 2015. The 555 meter high building will include offices, shops, hotels and observation deck.

Signature Tower, Jakarta, Indonesia
Construction of this tower is scheduled to begin this year and be completed in 2020. It will be a 111-story building with a height of 638 meters, which will house an observatory, a luxury hotel, office space and a shopping center.

Okhta Center, St. Petersburg, Russia
Okhta Center will be the first super-tall skyscraper in the city of St. Petersburg, and its construction is planned to be completed by 2018. It will include scientific, sports and entertainment complexes, an observation deck, a ball-shaped planetarium and a hotel complex.

Wuhan Greenland Center, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
The specific, aerodynamic design of the tower will help reduce wind resistance and vortex air flows that usually form around high-rise buildings. Energy from the wind will be used to heat or cool the air entering the building. This 606-meter skyscraper is expected to be built in 2016.

From the very first days of construction development, people have been trying to design and build something tall. Moreover, the higher the structure, the better. What exactly is the reason for the desire to build skyscrapers (for some, even two-story buildings seemed like skyscrapers!) is a mystery.

Perhaps people are subconsciously trying to jump in over their head. Or maybe the whole secret is in the desire to assert oneself? Be that as it may, height records are broken regularly, and the architects are clearly not going to stop there. It is very likely that new stone giants will appear in one of the cities discussed below.

1. Dubai, UAE

It’s impossible to choose just one building in Dubai – there are too many beautiful skyscrapers here. So much so that when looking at a photo of the city at night, you might think that all these lights in the heights are a mirage. But no, they actually exist and look even cooler on the inside than on the outside.

2. Shanghai, China

The city is developing and expanding its borders. Directly and figuratively this word.

3. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The density of skyscrapers may not be so great here, but Kuala Lumpur has the world-famous Petronas Twin Towers.

4. Frankfurt, Germany

Unlike many others European cities, Frankfurt manages to combine old school and modern notes in its architecture. And I must say, against the backdrop of low ancient buildings, skyscrapers look even more impressive.

5. Taipei, Taiwan

Taipei 101 is one of the world's top 10 skyscrapers.

6. Boston, USA

Looking at photos of Boston with its incredible number of tall buildings, you might think that the sky here is lower than in the rest of the world.

7. Panama

The windows of any skyscraper offer an amazing view. And if the high-rise is also located on the coast...

8. Paris, France

There may not be many skyscrapers in Paris, but the whole world knows about them.

9. London, England

London architecture deserves attention even without high-rise buildings. The latter gave her a special charm.

10. Jakarta, Indonesia

Indonesian culture and modern high-rise buildings are worth seeing.

11. San Francisco, USA

This is one of the most picturesque cityscapes in America.

12. Bangkok, Thailand

The city is growing very quickly, as are the skyscrapers in it. Therefore, for now, the location of the high-rise buildings seems somewhat chaotic, but order is only a matter of time.

13. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

A little unusual, but one of the tallest attractions in Rio is the statue of Christ.

14. Beijing, China

The 2008 Olympics had a significant impact on the reconstruction of the city. After the event, the number of skyscrapers in Beijing began to increase rapidly.

15. Sydney, Australia

There are many attractions here (high-profile ones, of course) besides the Sydney Opera House.

16. Houston, USA

There are no restrictions on the construction of high-rise buildings in this city. And that says it all.

17. Shenzhen, China

In the 70s, this place was just a small fishing village, but today more than 6 million people already live here, and the construction of new high-rise buildings does not stop.

18. Seattle, USA

There are many tall buildings here, but the most popular is the flying saucer Space Needle.

19. Tokyo, Japan

In the largest financial center eastern world lives huge amount people. For convenience local population More and more skyscrapers are constantly being built in the city.

20. Toronto, Canada

The local CN Tower is known all over the world. Really? ;)

21. Chicago, USA

Chicago was one of the first cities to build high-rise buildings in the late 1800s.

Locals tightly control air traffic, which is why it is forbidden to build buildings higher than 280 meters in the city. But even with such a “limitation,” architects manage to create masterpieces.