Featured image by the_dead_pixel via Flickr CC2.0 After 9/11, the Empire State Building was once again the tallest building in New York City until the completion of the Freedom Tower and 432 Park Avenue Located in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, this is the tallest building in the city. For a brief period of time between 1996 and 1997 this was the tallest building in China. Fun fact – with a width to height ratio of 1:9 it was also the thinnest building in the world when it was completed. Again in China, the CITIC Plaza is the tallest concrete structure on Earth. It has 57 swimming pools and every single duplex in this skyscraper comes with an elevator. The second tallest building in Hong Kong, in 2003 the Financial Times used this skyscraper to display a 50 story advertisement, the largest in the world. The tallest building in Kuwait was included in the list of best inventions of 2011 by TIME Magazine. The world’s second tallest residential building is also the third tallest building in Dubai (after the Burj Khalifa and Marina 101). Its name translates to “Golden Prosperity Building” and its Skywalk, or observation deck, can hold more than 1,000 people. Although Donald Trump announced in 2001 that it would be the tallest building in the world, after 9/11 he scaled back the building plans. The second tallest building in New York City, it is also the the third tallest building in the United States. Although construction is still finishing up, before long this will be the tallest residential building in the world and the second tallest in the UAE. Part of the Guangzhou Twin Towers, its twin is still under construction. The tallest building ever designed by a British architect, the KK100 joined Shun Hing Square as one of the world’s slimmest buildings. Formerly known as the Sears Towers, upon completion in 1973 it surpassed the World Trade Centers as the tallest building in the world. Today it is the second tallest building in the United States. The Zifeng Tower is the tallest in Nanjing and the tallest in China. From 1998 to 2004 they were the tallest buildings in the world and are still the tallest twin towers. The tallest building in Hong Kong is directly across Victoria Harbor from the second tallest building in Hong Kong, 2 International Finance Center (#20) The third tallest Chinese building on our list is also part of the world’s first adjacent grouping of three supertall skyscrapers. This was the first skyscraper to pass the 1/2 kilometer mark. Still under construction, this skyscraper will be the second tower of the Guangzhou Twin Towers. The height of the new World Trade Center skyscraper in feet corresponds to the birth of the United States (1776). This government owned supertall skyscraper features the largest clock face in the world. It was built in order to modernize the city of Mecca in its catering to Muslim pilgrims. Designed by American firm Gensler and owned by a series of Chinese companies, this is the tallest building in China. Covering the better portion of 1 km in height, the Burj Khalifa is the tallest building on Earth.
