Currently, the world’s tallest skyscraper is the Burj Khalifa at 2,717 feet or 830 meters. There are six buildings in the world that stand at over 550 meters tall and only one of them was built before the year 2004 (CN Tower in Toronto). That is about to change. From now, until the year 2020, there are (at least) six more buildings that will surpass 550 meters, as well as one that will become the new tallest building in the world. Here are the six juggernauts that we have to look forward to in the next five years, four of them being from China.
Jeddah Tower
The soon to be tallest skyscraper in the entire world, Jeddah Tower, previously known as Mile-High Tower and Kingdom Tower, is located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Its preliminary cost to build was $1.23 billion. It will be the world’s first kilometer-high structure when it is completed in the year 2020. It will comprise of 167 floors, 58 elevators, and over 2.5 million square feet of floor area. It was initially going to be 1.6 kilometers tall (about one mile), however, will now be 1,008 meters. It will easily surpass the Burj Khalifa by 591 feet or 180 meters. It will be a mixed-use skyscraper, having hotel space, office space, residential space, and retail space. Construction began April 1, 2013.
Suzhou Zhongnan Center
This megatall skyscraper is set to be completed in 2020 as well. It is being built in China, will be 2,391.7 feet or 729 meters tall, and has an estimated cost of $4.46 billion. It is set to be the third tallest building in the world at the time of completion, as well as the tallest building in all of China. It will comprise of 137 floors, 276 rooms, and 1500 parking spaces. It will be a mixed-use skyscraper, having hotel, office, and residential space.
KL118
Once completed, the KL118 will be the tallest building in Malaysia (succeeding the height of the 88 floor Petronas Twin Towers) and third tallest in the world. It will stand at 2,113 feet or 644 meters and have 118 floors. It will have 4,300,000 square feet of residential, hotel, and commercial space. It will have 5,000 parking spaces as well. The cost of the project is over $1.2 billion, which some have criticised, saying the money could be used for education or healthcare, however the Malaysian Prime Minister says the project will generate more economic opportunities.
Wuhan Greenland Center
Set to be completed in 2018, this skyscraper will stand at 2,087 feet or 636 meters and have 125 floors. It is located in Wuhan, Hubei, China and will have an estimated cost of $4.5 billion. It has many energy saving features and will become the tallest building in China, surpassing Shanghai Tower. It will have hotel, residential, and office space.
Goldin Finance 117
Another Chinese skyscraper, this one is also known as China 117 Tower. It is set to be completed in 2018 and stand at 1,959 feet or 597 meters. It will have 117 floors and 4,000,000 square feet of hotel, residential, and commercial office space. Construction began in 2008 and it was originally scheduled to be completed in 2014, but the date of completion was delayed, due to construction being suspended for about a year.
Baoneng Shenyang Global Financial Center
This supertall skyscraper is planned to be 1,854 feet or 565 meters tall and is located in, you guessed it, China. Construction began in 2014, with a completion eyed for 2018. It will be 114 floors and is also known as Pearl of the North.
As there continue to be more and more enormous buildings each and every year, you can’t help but wonder what the limits are. Will everyone be living in skyscrapers in 50 years? As the world’s population grows, housing desperately needs to keep pace, and tall buildings are the easiest way to house the most people in the smallest space. What do you think cities will look like in 2066? Sound off in the comments section down below.
