The World’s Tallest Buildings: 2011 A Year in Review
Since the world’s first steel frame skyscraper, the 10 storey Home Insurance Building built in Chicago, 1885, skyscrapers have become both a iconic symbol for the cities in which they reside, and an indication of the technology and economic stability of the period in which they are built. From the famous super tall buildings such as the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings completed during the Great Depression of the 1930s to the Asian modern era of prosperity reflected in Hong Kong, Bangkok and Tokyo’s skylines, the world’s tallest buildings can inspire city growth and civic pride.
2011: The Biggest Year for Skyscrapers Yet Defined as a multi storey building more than 100m in height, 2011 represents the biggest year for skyscrapers worldwide since recording began, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Given the 2008 Financial Crisis and a large number of projects placed on hold in traditional skyscraper cities, this statistic is explained by the ongoing
strength of the Asian economies, and the development of relatively new markets. In Thailand the trend has been towards multifunction.
Mixed-Use Becomes Mainstream
Of the buildings completed in 2011, most significantly the number of mixed-use buildings has continued to rise, while dedicated office buildings continues to fall. As recently as 2000, 85% of skyscrapers worldwide were office buildings; yet in 2011 the completed office buildings accounted for just 50% of the total skyscraper count, a major shift in planning and usage for the world’s tallest buildings. This new trend is appearing simultaneously in both developed and developing markets, a reflection of change in consumer tastes; the old paradigm of compartmentalised living in one part of the city, travelling to work in another and tourist attractions being in yet a further location are increasingly giving way to the concept of integration, where retail, residential, commercial and public facilities are combined in a 1+1+1 = 4 configuration.
Record Holding Buildings
While the Empire State Building held the title of tallest building for over 40 years, in recent times the race to create the world’s tallest building has hotted up, with current title holder being the Burj Khalifa, Dubai completed in 2010, replacing Taipei 101 as the World’s Tallest Skyscraper. The Burj Khalifa is a mixed use hotel/residential/office development, reaching 828m in height.
As the tallest in the world becomes increasingly difficult to economically justify, interest has focused more recently on some of the more interesting skyscrapers completed. In Europe, the City of Capitals in Moscow currently holds the tallest title for Europe, reaching 302m in height. As a mixed-use development featuring retail, office, and residential, City of Capitals features unique design and a clever program enabling the mixed-use components to interact in a positive manner.
Closer to Thailand, Hong Kong is the city with more skyscrapers than any other, including 36 of the world’s tallest residential buildings. As a function of lack of land area and expanding population, Hong Kong residents live in the world’s most vertical city. Featuring a visually stunning skyline, Hong Kong has continued to expand in response to the city needs for increased office space, retail and residential. Officially opening in 2011, the visually stunning International Commerce Centre (ICC) reaches 484m in height, the world’s 4th tallest and is also a mixed-use scheme, featuring The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, office space and retail.