tallest towers in the world

All the tallest towers in the world They are recent constructions. However, the human being has sought the heights since the dawn of time. A good example of this is the construction of the Egyptian pyramids, which were the closest thing to today's skyscrapers for centuries.

Also in the Middle Ages, especially since the appearance of the Gothic style, buildings of enormous height were built. For example, the Cathedral of Santa María, in Lincoln (England), which reached almost one hundred and sixty meters. Already in the XNUMXth century, advances in architecture allowed the Torre Eiffel reached 300 meters altitude. And what about the 1931th, when the Americans built, in XNUMX, the Empire State Building, which reaches 381. In addition, this marked the beginning of the great skyscrapers, which are nothing else than the current tallest towers in the world. Let's show them to you.

1.- Burj Khalifa

Designed by the architect Adrian Smith at the beginning of the XNUMXst century, this building is the tallest in the world, with its 828 meters. It is located in the city of Dubai, capital of the homonymous Arab emirate. Its construction began in 2004 and it was inaugurated six years later. As for its budget, it was 4000 million dollars, although you will be surprised to know that it finally cost 20.

Instead, with its height, you will not be surprised to learn that it includes the fastest elevators in the world. We will not go into its technical specifications, which are rather boring. But we will tell you that the Burj Khalifa has a hotel, several private residences, offices, restaurants and even two viewpoints. The tallest of them, the so-called The New Deck, is located on the 148th floor. And we should also mention that the operation of this building is so complex that, every thirty floors, it has a mechanical plant for its maintenance.

2.- Skytree, the tallest tower in the world for communications

In this case, we are not talking about a building, but about a telecommunications tower located in Tokyo. Indeed, it is a huge radio antenna, but it also has a restaurant and a viewpoint. In any case, with its 634 meters, it is the second tallest building in the world and the first of its kind.

It began to be built in 2007 and was inaugurated five years later. As a curiosity, we will tell you that its anti-seismic system is based on that of the traditional japanese pagodas. Like these, it has a central pillar whose lower part is not fixed. In this way, it moves like a pendulum and controls the vibration produced by an earthquake.

Also as a curious fact, we will mention that, in its construction, more than five hundred thousand workers worked and that on the day of its inauguration it was visited by more than two hundred thousand. On the other hand, if you go to Tokyo, be sure to keep an eye on her at night, when lights up with different and elegant colors.

3.- Shanghai Central Tower

The gigantic Chinese city of Shanghai boasts some of the tallest towers in the world. Specifically, many of them are concentrated in the financial district of Pudong. It is the case of Shanghai World Financial Center, a skyscraper 492 meters high and 101 floors. Also from the Jim Mao tower, with 420 meters and 88 floors, and of the oriental pearl tower, a telecommunications antenna of 468.

But it is the new Central tower that takes the cake. Settled on an area of ​​420 square meters, it is 000 meters high and has a total of 632 floors. Also, if you visit the city, it will catch your attention because it resembles a giant rolled up piece of paper. It cost 121 billion dollars and began to be built in 2400 to be completed seven years later.

Its glass façade stands out, which reduces wind loads. Thanks to her, fewer materials were needed to build it. And besides, his spiral shape It allows rainwater to be collected which, later and together with wind turbines, is used for heating and air conditioning the building.

4.- Abraj al-Bait Towers

We should talk to you about the fourth Dubai Pentominium, but it is still under construction. Therefore, we will place the Abraj al-Bait towers in this position, which make up, in terms of mass, the building world's largest. It covers an area of ​​1 square meters and is actually made up of several buildings.

Its tallest tower reaches up to 601 meters, with 120 floors, and is located in Mecca. In fact, it is the tallest building in Saudi Arabia. Specifically, it is located across the street from the Grand mosque. For this reason, it houses prayer rooms with a capacity for 4000 people and also a five-star hotel to accommodate pilgrims. It also has a shopping center that occupies five floors.

On its facade, it will draw your attention a gigantic clock of 43 meters that occupies the four faces of a tower. And you will also be surprised by the huge needle that crowns the construction and measures 93 meters. Under it, there is even a scientific center that is used to observe the Moon.

5.- Canton Television Tower

We return to China to tell you about this other construction for communications that, with its 600 meters high, is also among the tallest towers in the world. It was built for the 2010 Asian Games. It was created by the Dutch barbara kuit y Mark Hemel, who designed an avant-garde building inspired by the works of the Russian engineer Vladimir Shukhov.

Thus, it presents a hyperboloid structure created by two ellipses at different heights. But the most surprising thing about this tower is the so-called walk through the sky, an external staircase that reaches the top. It also has outdoor gardens and, in addition to television facilities, cafes, restaurants and even a four-dimensional cinema.

6.- Ping An Finance Center

We continue in China to talk to you about this building that is located in the city of Shenzhen, belonging to the same province of Canton. It has a height of 599 meters spread over 115 floors.

It was designed by the American architecture studio Khon Pedersen Fox and will be completed with another skyscraper 293 meters high and 51 floors. It was built as the headquarters of the powerful insurance company Ping An Insurance and has one of the highest observation decks in the world, since it is at 592 meters.

7.- Lotte World Tower

Within the Asian fever for gigantic constructions, we now come to South Korea to tell you about this 555-meter-high, 123-story building that is also among the tallest towers in the world. Located in Seoul, is the highest in its country and also has an observation plant at more than five hundred meters of altitude. Imagine the views.

Its construction began in 2010 and was completed seven years later. Outwardly, it is shaped like slender cone with convex sides forming a smooth curve. The facade is pale tinted glass that mimics Korean ceramics and features metallic filigree elements. Inside, there are shops, offices, homes and a luxury hotel. However, if you visit it, you will be able to access the observation deck, since it is for public use.

8.- National Tower of Canada, the tallest tower in the world in the West

It has been necessary to reach the eighth position to find the tallest tower in the world in the West. It is about this communications tower that is located in the city of Toronto. Until the inauguration of the Tokyo Sky Free it was the highest in the world of its kind and, even today, it remains the highest in America.

His height is 553 meters high and also has an observation area at 447 meters. The fact that it has been included among the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Its construction began in 1973 and only two years passed until it was completed. It is true that they worked 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

It cost about three hundred million dollars at the time. But it represented so many advantages for telecommunications that only fifteen years later it was amortized. In fact, today it is one of the main tourist attractions in Toronto and is visited by about two million people a year.

If you do, you'll be impressed by the glass-bottomed observation point located 342 meters above the ground. You can still go higher, since it has an external staircase that goes up to 447. But this is used in emergencies. It only opens to the public twice a year for charity events.

On the other hand, in addition to its communicative function, it has several restaurants and cafeterias. Among the first, the one that stands at 351 meters stands out because it is on a platform that rotates three hundred and sixty degrees. The views are so spectacular that, on clear days, you can even see the city of Rochester, in the state of New York.

In conclusion, we have shown you the eight tallest towers in the world. But we can't resist mentioning the following. are the new One World Trade Center of New York itself, with its 541 meters of height; the Ostankino Tower de Moscow, which is the highest in Europe at 540 metres, and the CTF Finance Center, again in Canton, which measures 530. Don't they seem like vertiginous constructions?