Continuing our series of tallest skyscrapers by continent, we now move on to Asia. While the Middle East is located in Asia, there are so many skyscrapers in the Middle East that the region will get its own post in the future. The skyscrapers we are covering in this post are all located in the Far East, and the same rule will apply for Tallest Skyscrapers in North America; no more than three skyscrapers per country. Otherwise, this list would just consist of the tallest skyscrapers in China. Here’s all you need to know about the some of the tallest buildings in Asia.
Shanghai Tower
Shanghai Tower is the second tallest building in the world (behind the Burj Khalifa) at 632 meters or 2,073 feet and 120 stories. It was completed in 2015 at a cost of $2.4 billion. It is the tallest building in China and its observation deck was opened on July 1st of this year. Every day, about 16,000 people can be accommodated by Shanghai Tower. For a more comprehensive breakdown of this architectural wonder, see 9 Amazing Facts About Shanghai Tower.
Taipei 101
Also known as Taipei World Financial Center, Taipei 101 was the tallest building in the world from 2004 until 2009 when it was overtaken by the Burj Khalifa. Construction began in 1999 at a cost of $1.934 billion and the skyscraper was opened on December 31, 2004. It is the tallest building in Taiwan and it is the tallest green building in the world. It was awarded the LEED platinum certification, which is the highest award, going by the LEED rating system (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). It is the fifth tallest building in the world (not including ones which haven’t opened yet*), right behind One World Trade Center, at 509 meters or 1,670 feet.
Shanghai World Financial Center
Standing at 492 meters or 1,614 feet, the Shanghai World Financial Center is currently the sixth tallest building in the world and second tallest in China. It has 101 floors which include offices, hotels, conference rooms, observation decks, and shopping malls. The Park Hyatt Shanghai is located from the 79th to 93rd floors and is the second highest hotel in the world, behind the Ritz-Carlton in Hong Kong in the International Commerce Centre (the next skyscraper on our list). Construction began on this skyscraper in 1997 and it officially opened in 2008. It cost a total of $1.2 billion. It received the award for Best Tall Building Overall from the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
International Commerce Centre
As the seventh tallest building in the world and tallest building in Hong Kong, International Commerce Centre stands at 484 meters or 1,587 feet. It was completed in 2010 and has the world’s highest hotel, the Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, located from floor 102 until floor 118. When built, it was the fourth tallest building in the world. It has a shopping mall, offices, and the Sky100 observatory.
Petronas Towers
The Petronas Towers were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 until 2004 (see our blog post aboutThe History of the World’s Tallest Buildings 1931 until Present Day) and are currently the tallest twin towers in the world. They are the eighth and ninth tallest buildings in the world, standing at 452 meters or 1,483 feet. They are located in Malaysia and feature an upmarket retail center, a park below the building with jogging and walking paths, and a skybridge that connects the two buildings. The buildings were featured in a fair bit of pop-culture, including the movies Entrapment and Independence Day Resurgence, the TV show 24, and video games Just Cause 2 and Hitman 2: Silent Assassin.
Zifeng Tower
Zifeng Tower is the tenth tallest building in the world and third tallest in China. It stands at 450 meters or 1,476 feet. It is 89 stories and comprises of retail space, office space, a hotel, restaurants, and a public observatory. Construction began in 2005 and was completed in 2010 at a cost of about $750 million.
KK100
Standing at 442 meters or 1,449 feet, KK100 is the twelfth tallest building in the world and fourth tallest in China. Its 100 stories are used for office space and a six-star business hotel, with several restaurants on the top four floors. It’s the tallest building ever designed by a British architect. It was awarded fourth place by the Emporis Skyscraper Award in 2011. It took 4 years to complete, costing a total of about $785 million.
International Finance Centre
Branded as “ifc,” the International Finance Centre stands at 412 meters or 1,351 feet. It is located on the waterfront of Hong Kong’s Central District. It consists mainly of commercial office space. Construction began in 2000, finishing in 2003. It contains 88 stories, with 6 basement floors.
Tuntex Sky Tower
Located in Taiwan, Tuntex Sky Tower, or the T & C Tower or 85 Sky Tower stands at 347.5 meters or 1,140 feet. It was completed in 1997 and was the tallest building in Taiwan until Taipei 101 was built. There is no 44th floor, as the 43rd floor goes directly to the 45th floor. It is a mixed-use skyscraper, however, as of 2016 most businesses have moved out. There is residential space as well as a department store and a hotel which occupies the 38th to 70th floors. There is an observation deck on the 74th floor overlooking Kaohsiung City. It cost about $158 million to build.
Keangnam Hanoi Landmark Tower
Keangnam Hanoi Landmark Tower has been standing as the tallest building in Vietnam since 2011, costing $1.05 billion to build. It stands at 350 meters or 1,150 feet. Vietnam’s highest stair-climbing race takes place in this skyscraper, which consists of 1,914 steps. The building consists of hotel, office, retail, and residential space, with an observatory as well.
It doesn’t seem like the Far East is slowing down in terms of building incredibly tall skyscrapers. Already, people are gunning for beating the Burj Khalifa as the world’s tallest building (see our upcoming post, The Tallest Skyscrapers in the Middle East). It’s only a matter of time before a new tallest building is crowned in the region.
*Not mentioned in this list is Ping An Finance Centre, Lotte World Tower, and CTF Finance Centre, all three of which are set to open this year.
