Human nature cannot be changed, people have always tried to surpass their own achievements and set new records in absolutely any field of their activity.
So in architecture, in an attempt to conquer the limits of height, people erect the tallest buildings in the world. With the development of technology, the invention of modern composite materials and the creation of fundamentally new building designs, only in the last 25 years has it become possible to build the highest buildings on the planet, the sight of which is simply breathtaking!
In this rating, we will talk about the 15 tallest buildings in the world that you should definitely see.
15. International Financial Center - Hong Kong. Height 415 meters
The Hong Kong International Financial Center was completed in 2003. The building is completely commercial, there are no hotels and residential apartments, but only offices of various companies.
The 88-story skyscraper is the sixth tallest building in China and is one of the few buildings with double-deck elevators.
14. Jin Mao Tower - China, Shanghai. Height 421 meters
The official opening ceremony of the Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai took place in 1999, the construction cost was more than 550 million dollars. Most of the premises of the building are office buildings, there are also shopping centers, restaurants, nightclubs and an observation deck that offers a gorgeous view of Shanghai.
More than 30 floors of the building are rented by the largest Grand Hyatt hotel, and the prices here are quite affordable for tourists with an average income, a room can be rented for $ 200 per night.
13. Trump International Hotel and Tower - Chicago, USA. Height 423 meters
The Trump Tower was completed in 2009 at a cost of $847 million to the owner. The building has 92 floors, of which boutiques and various shops are occupied from the 3rd to the 12th floor, a chic spa is located on the 14th floor, and an elite Sixteen restaurant is located on the 16th floor. From the 17th to the 21st floors, the hotel occupies, above there are penthouses and private residential apartments.
12. Guangzhou International Financial Center – China, Guangzhou. Height - 437 meters
This tallest skyscraper was built in 2010 and has 103 floors, it is the western part of the Guangzhou Twin Towers complex. The construction of the eastern skyscraper should be completed in 2016.
The building cost $280 million to build, and most of the building is occupied by office space, up to the 70th floor. From the 70th to the 98th floor, the five-star Four Seasons Hotel is occupied, and cafes, restaurants and an observation deck are located on the upper floors. There is a helipad on the 103rd floor.
11. KK 100 - Shenzhen, China. Height 442 meters.
Skyscraper KK 100, also known as Kingki 100, was erected in 2011 and is located in the city of Shenzhen. This multifunctional building was built in the style of modernism and most of the premises in it are for office purposes.
The 23 floors of this one of the tallest buildings in the world is occupied by a six-star premium business hotel "St. Regis Hotel, there are also several chic restaurants, a beautiful garden and Asia's first built IMAX cinema.
10. Willis - Tower - Chicago, USA. Height 443 meters
The Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower, rises to a height of 443 meters and is the only building in this ranking built before 1998. Construction of the skyscraper began in 1970 and was fully completed in 1973. The cost of the project was over $150 million at the prices of the time.
After the completion of construction, the Willis Tower firmly took the status of the tallest building in the world for as much as 25 years. At the moment, in the list of tallest buildings, the skyscraper is on the 10th line of the list.
9. Zifeng Tower - Nanjing, China. Height 450 meters
The construction of the 89-story skyscraper began in 2005 and was completed in 2009. This building is multifunctional, it contains office space, restaurants, cafes and a hotel. There is an observation deck on the top floor. Also, 54 cargo lifts and passenger lifts were built in Zifeng Tower.
8. Petronas Towers - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Height 451.9 meters
From 1998 to 2004, the Petronas Twin Towers were considered the tallest buildings in the world. The construction of the towers was financed by the Petronas oil company, and the project cost was more than $800 million. Now the premises of buildings are rented by many large corporations - Reuters, Microsoft Corporation, Aveva and others. There are also elite shopping establishments, there are art Gallery, aquarium and science center.
The design of the building itself is unique; there are no more skyscrapers in the world built using the technology of the Petronas towers. Most high-rise buildings are made of steel and glass, but for Malaysia, the cost of high-quality steel was very high and engineers had to find another way to solve the problem.
As a result, high-tech and elastic concrete was developed, from which the towers were built. Specialists carefully monitored the quality of the material and once, during planned measurements, they discovered the slightest error in the quality of concrete. The builders had to completely dismantle one floor of the building and build it on a new one.
7. International Commerce Center, Hong Kong. Height 484 meters
This 118-storey skyscraper rises to 484 meters. After 8 years of construction, the building was completed in 2010 and is currently the tallest building in Hong Kong and the fourth tallest building in China.
The top floors of the skyscraper are occupied by the five-star Ritz-Carlton Hotel, located at an altitude of 425 meters, which makes it the tallest hotel on the planet. The building also features the world's tallest swimming pool, located on the 118th floor.
6. Shanghai World Financial Center. Height 492 meters
Built for $1.2 billion, the Shanghai World Financial Center is a multifunctional skyscraper that houses office space, a museum, a hotel, and a multi-storey car park. The construction of the center was completed in 2008, and at that time the building was considered the second tallest building in the world.
The skyscraper has been tested for seismic resistance and is able to withstand tremors up to 7 points on the Richter scale. Also in the building is the highest observation deck in the world, located at a height of 472 meters above the ground.
5. Taipei 101 - Taipei, Taiwan Height 509.2 meters
Official operation of the Taipei 101 skyscraper began on December 31, 2003, and this building is the most stable and unaffected by natural disasters structure ever created by man. The tower is able to withstand wind gusts up to 60 m/s (216 km/h) and the strongest earthquakes that occur in this region every 2,500 years.
The skyscraper has 101 ground floors and five floors underground. On the first four floors there are various retail outlets, a prestigious fitness center is located on the 5th and 6th floors, various office premises are occupied from 7 to 84, restaurants and cafes are rented from 85-86.
The building holds several records: the fastest elevator in the world, capable of delivering visitors from the fifth floor to 89, to the observation deck in just 39 seconds (elevator speed 16.83 m / s), the world's largest countdown board, which turns on New Year and the tallest sundial in the world.
4. World Trade Center - New York, USA. Height 541 meters
The construction of the World Trade Center, or as it is also called the Freedom Towers, was fully completed in 2013. The building stands on the site of the World Trade Center.
This 104-story skyscraper is the tallest building in the United States and the fourth tallest building in the world. The cost of construction amounted to a fabulous 3.9 billion dollars.
3. Hotel "Royal Clock Tower" - Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Height 601 meters
The grandiose structure of the "Royal Clock Tower" is part of the complex of buildings Abraj Al-Bayt, built in Mecca, in Saudi Arabia. The construction of the complex lasted for 8 years and was fully completed in 2012. During construction, there were two major fires, in which, by a lucky chance, no one was injured.
The "Royal Clock Tower" can be seen from a distance of 20 km, and its clock is considered the highest in the world.
2. Shanghai Tower - Shanghai, China. Height 632 meters
This skyscraper is the tallest in Asia and is the second tallest building in the world. The construction of the Shanghai Tower began in 2008 and was fully completed in 2015. The cost of the skyscraper was more than 4.2 billion dollars.
1. Burj Khalifa - Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Height 828 meters
The tallest building in the world is the monumental skyscraper Burj Khalifa, rising to a height of 828 meters. Construction of the building began in 2004 and was fully completed in 2010. Burj Khalifa has 163 floors, most of which are occupied by office space, hotels and restaurants, several floors are reserved for residential apartments, the cost of which is simply incredible - from $ 40,000 per sq. meter!
The cost of the project cost the developer, Emaar, $1.5 billion, which paid off literally in the first year after the official commissioning of the building. The observation deck is especially popular in the Burj Khalifa, and in order to get to it, tickets are bought in advance, a few days before the visit.
Kingdom Tower
In the hot sands of the Arabian desert, the construction of the largest and most grandiose building in the history of mankind began. We have not included this building in our rating, as it will take a long time before its completion. This is the future Kingdom Tower, which will rise to a height of 1007 meters, and will be 200 meters higher than the Burj Khalifa.
From the highest floor of the building, it will be possible to view the area at a distance of 140 km. The construction of the tower will be very difficult, because of the huge height of the skyscraper, building materials will be delivered to the highest floors of the building by helicopters. The initial cost of the facility will be $20 billion
Tashkent TV tower
Height: 375 meters
Location: Uzbekistan, Tashkent
Year built: 1985
It is the highest TV tower in Central Asia. It was built over 6 years and was put into operation on January 15, 1985.
Kyiv TV tower
Height: 385 meters
Location: Ukraine, Kyiv
Year built: 1973
The Kyiv Tower is considered the tallest structure in the world of buildings with a lattice structure. The tower entirely consists of steel pipes of various diameters and weighs 2,700 tons.
In the central part there is a vertical pipe with a diameter of 4 meters. It serves as an elevator shaft and smoothly passes into the antenna part.
The Kyiv TV Tower is the tallest structure in Ukraine. The tower is 60 meters higher eiffel tower, but weighs 3 times less.
Beijing Central TV Tower
Height: 405 meters
Location: China, Beijing
Year built: 1995
At the top of the tower is a revolving restaurant.
Menara Kuala Lumpur
Height: 421 meters
Location: Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Year built: 1995
The construction of this structure with a height of 421 meters lasted about 5 years.
For the original lighting, the Menara Tower received the unofficial name "Garden of Light".
Borje Milad
Height: 435 meters
Location: Iran, Tehran
Year of construction: 2006
There are 6 panoramic elevators in the tower, and at a height of 276 meters there is a panoramic revolving restaurant. The gondola of the tower has 12 floors with a total area of 12,000 square meters, which is the most large area TV tower premises in the world.
This is the tallest building in Iran:
Oriental pearl
Height: 468 meters
Location: China, Shanghai
Year built: 1995
The Oriental Pearl is the second tallest TV tower in Asia. The sphere at the top of the tower has a diameter of 45 meters and is 263 meters above the ground.
At an altitude of 267 meters there is a revolving restaurant, at an altitude of 271 meters there is a bar and 20 karaoke rooms. At an altitude of 350 meters - a penthouse with a viewing platform.
Ostankino tower
Height: 540 meters
Location: Russia, Moscow
Year built: 1967
The project of the tower was invented by the chief designer Nikitin overnight, the image of the tower was an inverted lily.
The mass of the tower together with the foundation is 51,400 tons. Ostankino TV tower on Victory Day 2010. (Photo by Dmitry Smirnov):
On August 27, 2000, a strong fire broke out in the Ostankino tower at an altitude of 460 m. 3 floors were completely burned out. Long repair and construction work and landscaping were completed by February 14, 2008. Infrared photo of the Ostankino TV tower
CN Tower
Height: 553 meters
Location: Canada, Toronto
Year built: 1976
The CN Tower is almost twice as tall as the Eiffel Tower and 13 meters taller than the Ostankino Tower.
It is able to withstand winds of 420 km/h and is struck by more than 80 lightning strikes a year.
From 1976 to 2007 it was the tallest structure in the world.
The Ostankino TV Tower is one of the most important architectural landmarks in Moscow and a symbol of Russian television. Thanks to this grandiose construction, television broadcasts are provided almost throughout the country. In terms of technical equipment, broadcasting power and some other characteristics, the TV tower has no equal. In addition, it is considered the tallest building in Europe.
general characteristics
The area in Ostankino is more than 15 thousand square meters. meters. There is a whole complex of TV studios, circular platforms and balconies. The volume of the tower is about 70 thousand cubic meters. The building consists of 45 floors. The height of the Ostankino television tower is 540 meters. It ranks eighth in the world in terms of the height of free-standing buildings at the moment is Dubai's Burj Khalifa skyscraper). The first name of the tower is "All-Union transmitting radio and television station named after the 50th anniversary of October."
Construction history
Permanent television broadcasting in the Soviet Union began in 1939. Initially, the signal was transmitted using equipment that was located in (Shablovka). However, the increase in the volume and quality of broadcasting after World War II necessitated the construction of another TV tower. At first it was built near Shukhovskaya, but soon it still required the construction of a more modern TV tower.
The Mosproekt organization was involved in the development of the project for a television and radio station in Ostankino. The construction of the Ostankino television tower began in 1960. True, in a very short time it was stopped due to the uncertainty that the foundation of the structure was sufficiently reliably constructed. In the future, the design of the television tower was entrusted to the Central Research Institute for the Design of Sports Buildings and Entertainment Facilities.
The project of the tower in Ostankino was invented by the designer Nikitin in just one night. He chose an inverted lily as the prototype of the design - a flower with a thick stem and strong petals. According to the original idea, the tower was supposed to have 4 supports, but later, on the recommendation of the German engineer Fritz Leonhard (the creator of the first concrete television tower on the planet), their number was increased to ten. The chief architect of the Ostankino television tower, Leonid Ilyich Batalov, also supported the idea of increasing the number of supports.
The final design of the building was approved in 1963. Its authors were the architects Burdin and Batalov, as well as the designer Nikitin. The specialists decided to significantly improve the previous project, in particular, the amount of equipment placed in the tower and its height were increased. The construction of the Ostankino television tower was carried out from 1963 to 1967. In general, more than 40 different organizations took part in the construction of the television station. At that time, the Ostankino TV tower became the tallest building not only in Europe, but throughout the world.
Start of operation of the TV tower
The first broadcast of television programs from the Ostankino tower was made in 1967. Despite the fact that this year the construction of the Ostankino Tower was completed and the building was officially put into operation, its completion was carried out for another year. As a result, the first broadcast of a color image took place already in 1968. A 3-storey restaurant with the symbolic name "Seventh Heaven" was also created in the tower. Most of the engineers who took part in the creation of this grand television center were awarded the Lenin Prize.
The value of the telecentre
The Ostankino television tower became a unique building of that time, which has no analogues. In addition to being the tallest building in the world for a long time, its specifications were really impressive. After the completion of the construction of the tower, approximately 10 million people lived in the zone of operation of the transmitters, but now the television center covers an area with a population of more than 15 million people.
The station equipment made it possible to simultaneously record from several different objects and broadcast. A special mission fell to the tower in Ostankino during the 1980 Olympics. They even placed special equipment for the CNN news channel.
Meanwhile, the TV tower had other functions, no less important. Its building housed a meteorological observatory, which was in charge of the main meteorological center Soviet Union. The Ostankino station also provided television and radio communications between the main state structures of the country.
tourist attraction
Very soon, the television center turned into one of the most popular tourist attractions in the capital. In 1982, a building was built near the tower, which provided excursion activities. A modern meeting room for 800 people was also equipped here. The Seventh Heaven restaurant has also been improved. It is worth noting that it is located at an altitude of 334 meters (which is approximately the 112th floor of a residential building) and occupies three floors. An amazing view of Moscow opens from its windows. The peculiarity of the institution is that it makes slow movements around its axis at a speed of one to three revolutions in 40-50 minutes. True, at the present time the "Seventh Heaven" is closed for reconstruction, the timing of its completion is still unknown.
Unique panoramic platform
Meanwhile, most tourists are attracted by the observation deck of the Ostankino TV tower. In particular, there are four of them in the television center: open at a height of 337 meters and closed - 340 meters, as well as two lower ones at the level of 147 and 269 meters. They work only in the warm season - from May to October. The tour group is usually limited to 70 visitors. The tower has 7 levels. The panoramic platform is located on the very last. To better see all the interesting objects in the vicinity of the television center, tourists can also use binoculars. In good weather, you can see not only the capital, but also the Moscow suburbs. It is worth noting that the floor on the observation deck is absolutely transparent (made of durable glass), which definitely stimulates the flow of an impressive dose of adrenaline into the blood of visitors. An excursion to the Ostankino TV tower is a truly impressive and spectacular event. It is noteworthy that over 10,000,000 guests managed to visit the tower during its 30 years of operation.
Visiting Rules
Since July 2013, excursions to the Ostankino television center have not been temporarily held due to reconstruction work. But at the moment, two observation decks (337 and 340 meters) are reopened for tourists! For your information: only tourists from 7 to 70 years old are allowed on the tour. Pregnant women in the later stages are also undesirable to visit the tower. The management of the tower also prohibits the visually impaired from climbing the observation decks or if the person is moving on a wheelchair or crutches.
TV center design
The observation deck of the Ostankino television tower undoubtedly deserves special attention, but I would like to separately mention the design of the tower. This is, in fact, a huge elongated cone, the walls of which are made of metal-reinforced monolithic concrete. The roof of the television center is supported by 149 ropes that are attached to the wall of the tower. In the center of this cone are shafts for cables, stairs, elevators and pipelines. By the way, the building has seven elevators, four of which are high-speed. Except for the foundation, the weight of the TV tower structures is approximately 32,000 tons. The mass of the structure together with the foundation is 55 thousand tons. The usable area of the tower is 15,000 square meters. m. At the maximum design, the Ostankino TV tower (Moscow), or rather its top (spire), can theoretically deviate by 12 meters.
Technical premises are isolated from visitors, they have a hotel entrance. The hall where all the main transmitters are located is located on the fifth floor. Technical rooms are located on the floor above. Television center personnel are protected from powerful electromagnetic radiation by means of screens made of special materials.
Modern elevators
The television center has four high-speed elevators that can reach speeds of up to 7 m per second. The last one was launched in 2006. In particular, the observation deck, which is located at an altitude of 337 meters, can be reached in 58 seconds.
Fire at the Ostankino TV tower
in 2000, the TV tower survived a massive fire that claimed the lives of three people. After the disaster, Moscow and the Moscow region were left without television broadcasting for several days. Initially, the fire broke out at an altitude of 460 meters. As a result of the disaster, three floors were completely burned. Due to the high temperature of the flame, several dozen cables that provided prestressing concrete structures burst, but, contrary to fears, the structure still survived. This was another indisputable proof that the architect of the Ostankino TV tower and all other specialists who worked on the building project were real geniuses. Later, all these cables were successfully restored.
According to firefighters, it was very difficult to put out the fire. In the process of extinguishing the fire, the commander of the fire brigade, Vladimir Arsyukov, died. He decided to go up to the source of the fire himself and gave the command to the elevator operator Svetlana Loseva to go to a height of 460 meters with him. In the end, they both died. Another dead was the locksmith Alexander Shipilin.
According to experts, the cause of the fire was an overload of networks. However, the equipment was adjusted in the shortest possible time, broadcasting was also resumed in the same volume. After the fire, large-scale construction and repair work had to be carried out to improve the territory and premises where the excursions were held. By February 2008, everything was restored and improved. After the disaster, the excursion to the Ostankino television tower began to be carried out in compliance with special requirements: the number of participants in it should not exceed 40 people.
Sports events
Concert hall
In the building of the excursion building of the Ostankino television center there is a concert hall "Royal". As part of the excursion program, this room is used as a cinema hall for showing films about the TV tower and Russian television. The "Royal" also now hosts many concerts, conferences, performances and other events.
Incredible monument of the era
The Ostankino TV tower and all its equipment is constantly being improved. Due to the installation of several additional antennas, now its height is more than 560 meters (note that, according to the original idea, its height was 520 meters). Nowadays, the television center is used for its main purpose - for receiving and transmitting a variety of radio signals and as a place for accommodating television studios for a large number of programs.
In addition, the Ostankino TV Tower (the photo of this building is admirable) is the most important tourist attraction in the capital. A tour of the TV center is something truly unforgettable. An overview of Moscow and its environs from the observation deck will be remembered for a lifetime.
The television center in Ostankino is rightfully considered a symbol of Russian television and one of the most amazing buildings on the planet.
I suggest you get acquainted with modern television towers, which are the highest television towers on our planet.
Tashkent TV tower
Height: 375 meters
Location: Uzbekistan, Tashkent
Year built: 1985
It is the highest TV tower in Central Asia. It was built over 6 years and was put into operation on January 15, 1985.
Kyiv TV tower
Height: 385 meters
Location: Ukraine, Kyiv
Year built: 1973
The Kyiv Tower is considered the tallest structure in the world of buildings with a lattice structure. The tower entirely consists of steel pipes of various diameters and weighs 2,700 tons.
In the central part there is a vertical pipe with a diameter of 4 meters. It serves as an elevator shaft and smoothly passes into the antenna part.
The Kyiv TV Tower is the tallest structure in Ukraine. The tower is 60 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower, but weighs 3 times less.
Beijing Central TV Tower
Height: 405 meters
Location: China, Beijing
Year built: 1995
At the top of the tower is a revolving restaurant.
Menara Kuala Lumpur
Height: 421 meters
Location: Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur
Year built: 1995
The construction of this structure with a height of 421 meters lasted about 5 years.
For the original lighting, the Menara Tower received the unofficial name "Garden of Light".
Borje Milad
Height: 435 meters
Location: Iran, Tehran
Year of construction: 2006
There are 6 panoramic elevators in the tower, and at a height of 276 meters there is a panoramic revolving restaurant. The gondola of the tower has 12 floors with a total area of 12,000 square meters, which is the largest area of the TV tower in the world.
This is the tallest building in Iran:
Oriental pearl
Height: 468 meters
Location: China, Shanghai
Year built: 1995
The Oriental Pearl is the second tallest TV tower in Asia. The sphere at the top of the tower has a diameter of 45 meters and is 263 meters above the ground.
At an altitude of 267 meters there is a revolving restaurant, at an altitude of 271 meters there is a bar and 20 karaoke rooms. At an altitude of 350 meters - a penthouse with a viewing platform.
Ostankino tower
Height: 540 meters
Location: Russia, Moscow
Year built: 1967
The project of the tower was invented by the chief designer Nikitin overnight, the image of the tower was an inverted lily.
The mass of the tower together with the foundation is 51,400 tons. Ostankino TV tower on Victory Day 2010. (Photo by Dmitry Smirnov):
On August 27, 2000, a strong fire broke out in the Ostankino tower at an altitude of 460 m. 3 floors were completely burned out. Long repair and construction work and landscaping were completed by February 14, 2008. Infrared photo of the Ostankino TV tower
CN Tower
Height: 553 meters
Location: Canada, Toronto
Year built: 1976
The CN Tower is almost twice as tall as the Eiffel Tower and 13 meters taller than the Ostankino Tower.
It is able to withstand winds of 420 km/h and is struck by more than 80 lightning strikes a year.
From 1976 to 2007 it was the tallest structure in the world.
Guangzhou TV Tower
Height: 610 meters
Location: China, Guangzhou
Year of construction: 2009
The mesh shell of the tower is made of steel pipes of large diameter. The tower is crowned with a steel spire 160 meters high.
The design of the mesh shell of the Guangzhou TV tower corresponds to the 1899 patent of the Russian engineer Shukhov.
sky tree tokyo
Height: 634 meters
Location: Japan, Tokyo
The construction of the TV tower was completed quite recently, and on May 22, 2012 it was opened. The tower houses more than 300 boutiques, restaurants, an aquarium, a planetarium and a theater.
it tallest building in Japan and the tallest TV tower in the world.
Source: Santiago Calatrava
While in Baku they are thinking what to do with the empty ones and, in Dubai they continue to break records for high-rise construction. A few days ago, in this city, they began to build the "Tower" according to the project of Santiago Calatrava. It will be ready in 2020, and its height, according to unconfirmed figures, will be 928 meters. That is, it will be 100 meters higher than the Burj Khalifa, the tallest (so far) skyscraper in the world, which, by the way, is also located in Dubai.
The foundation stone of the Tower was laid on 11 October. The ceremony was attended by many dignitaries, including the ruler of Dubai. In the UAE, the future "Tower" is taken very seriously, everyone expects that it will become a source of national pride, increase the prestige of the city and contribute to economic growth.
The shape of the "Tower" is a bit like a minaret - this expresses the synthesis of traditional Islamic culture and modern design. Calatrava himself spoke about this: “The construction of the building is inspired by the Islamic tradition.” He compares it to a Muslim architectural complex Alhambra and with the Córdoba Cathedral Mosque: "These architectural marvels combine beauty and elegance with mathematics and geometry." 
Source: Santiago Calatrava
“The design and architectural features of the tower will require unique engineering solutions. Before starting construction, we carried out extensive research, and our experience will be a valuable contribution to the knowledge base of mankind,” said Santiago Calatrava. 
Source: Santiago Calatrava
The tower will have observation decks, cafes, restaurants, venues for various events, a hotel and tourist facilities. But the most important thing is the balconies that will be put forward from the facade of the building.
“The construction of the tower is an important technological achievement. But throughout my career, I have used technology as a means of expressing beauty and art. So this project is also an artistic achievement... It's a symbol of faith in progress." 
