Countries throughout the world are building taller and taller. The countries throughout North America are no exception. The United States, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Belize, and Panama all build to the skies (some of them more than others). Due to the United States having pretty much all the tallest buildings in North America, this list will have a rule. Only 3 skyscrapers per country. Otherwise, this would just be a list of the tallest skyscrapers in the United States, and that’s for a different blog post.
First Canadian Place
Located in the financial district in Toronto, Ontario, First Canadian Place is 298 meters (978 feet) tall. It is the tallest building in Canada, the fifteenth tallest in North America and 105th tallest in the world. It was completed in 1975, originally named First Bank Building. It has 72 storeys and is the third tallest freestanding structure in all of Canada behind CN Tower and the Inco Superstack chimney. It has many tenants including the Bank of Montreal, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt, many radio stations transmitters, two TV stations, and a 120 store shopping mall.
Trump International Hotel and Tower
Named for current presidential nominee Donald Trump (and minority stakeholder in the project), Trump International Hotel and Tower is located in the financial district in Toronto, Ontario. Completed in December 2011, this tower is the second tallest structure in Toronto behind the first skyscraper on this list, First Canadian Place. Trump International Hotel and Tower stands at 908 feet tall with 57 storeys. It had a rivalry with Sapphire Tower, as both towers tried to outdo each other. Sapphire Tower would have been taller in the end (by 17 meters), however, its company filed for bankruptcy in 2007.
Scotia Plaza
The third tallest skyscraper in Canada is Scotia Plaza. Scotia Plaza, like the tallest and second tallest Canadian skyscrapers, is also located in Toronto (in the financial district). It is the 22nd tallest building in North America at 902 feet tall and includes 68 storeys. Completed in 1988, this skyscraper contains Canada’s only gold bullion bank vault within its basement levels. The majority of the building is taken up by 190,000 square meters of office space and 40 retail stores. The excavation for the tower extended 110 feet, which is the deepest in Canada’s history for a building.
Trump Ocean Club
Another building named after the billionaire, mogul, presidential nominee Donald Trump, the Trump Ocean Club stands 961 feet with 70 storeys. It is a mixed-used waterfront condominium tower which cost $400 million to build, It is located in Panama City, Panama and was completed in 2011. It has 369 hotel condominium units, 1500 parking spaces, 700 condominium units, a casino, retail shops, a yacht club and pier, a gym, a pool deck, a wellness spa, and a business center.
Vitri Tower
Also located in Panama City, Vitri Tower is the second tallest building in Panama City and third tallest in Latin America. Construction began in 2007 and it was completed in 2012. Vitri Tower stands at 922 feet (75 storeys) and it is the tallest building in the Costa del Este area.
Bicsa Financial Center
Originally named Ice Tower, then Star Bay Tower, Bicsa Financial Center stands at 876 feet tall in Panama City. It is the fourth tallest skyscraper in Latin America. It has 68 storeys and is known for its distinctive color (gold). Bicsa Financial Center was completed in 2013, however was originally going to consist of 104 storeys and be 1,250 feet tall (when it was being called Ice Tower). It was then renamed Star Bay Tower after a developing company. A fire broke out in the garage of the building in October 2012, being extinguished by about 200 firefighters. Afterwards, Banco Internacional de Costa Rica (BICSA) rented some of the offices, hence its current name. Bicsa Financial Center has a hotel, restaurant, fitness center, offices, and residential floors.
Torre KOI
Torre KOI, a 69-storey, 917 foot tower is located in Mexico. It is currently Mexico’s tallest building. It is the third tallest building in Latin America. It topped out in May 2016, and is scheduled for a 2017 completion.
Torre Reforma
Before Torre KOI topped out in May, Torre Reforma was the tallest building in Mexico (for less than one year). It is about 800 feet tall, with 57 storeys and is set to be completed this year. It is just across the street from the next building on this list, Torre BBVA Bancomer. It will contain 35,000 square meters of office space and 35,000 square meters of retail space. Due to being right next to the Torre Mayor (Mexico’s 4th tallest building at about 740 feet), they have been dubbed together as the non-twin towers. It will contain a shopping mall, entertainment areas, and DOOM International’s Reforma Gym.
Torre BBVA Bancomer
Located in Colonia Juarez, Mexico City, the Torre BBVA Bancomer is the headquarters of BBVA Bancomer, Mexico’s largest bank. It is the third tallest building in Mexico, but will be the fourth tallest come 2018, behind the Torre Mitikah, Torre Reforma, and Punto Chapultepec. It stands at 771 feet with 50 storeys and 846,000 square feet of floor area.
One World Trade Center
One World Trade Center is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center in New York City. It was completed in 2013, opened in 2014, and stands at 1,792 feet tall, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, sixth tallest building in the world, and tallest structure in New York City. It cost $3.9 billion to build. There are 104 floors, plus 5 below ground and 73 elevators. There is an observatory for tourists on the 100th floor. It is expected to have about 3.5 million visitors per year. One World Observatory opened in 2015 and is a sight to behold.
Willis Tower
Commonly referred to as Sears Tower, Willis Tower was the tallest building in the world from 1973 to 1998. Willis Tower is located in Chicago, Illinois in the United States and stands at 1,451 feet with 108 storeys. It was renamed Willis Tower as the Willis Group leases a portion of the tower’s space. It has appeared in many films and TV shows such as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, I, Robot, Man of Steel, and Monk. The top of Willis Tower is the highest point in all of Illinois. The bathrooms on the 103rd floor are the highest in the Western Hemisphere.
432 Park Avenue
Standing at 1,396 feet, 432 Park Avenue is the third tallest building in the United States and the tallest residential building in the world. It is the tallest building in the world that is only known by its street address. There are a total of 85 floors plus 3 below ground with 6 elevators. It cost $1.25 billion to build and was completed in 2015 to the dismay of many New Yorkers who feel that it is an eyesore, and represents the increasing cost of living in the city. As an example of this, the first sale of apartment 35B was for $18.116 million. It covers 4,000 square feet with 3 bedrooms and 4.5 baths.
