ASIA: THE WORLD’S SKYSCRAPER CAPITAL

Global property portal looks at region's sky-high towers

MANILA, JANUARY 12, 2015: Home to the bulk of the tallest towers on the planet, Asia is without a doubt the world’s skyscraper capital. From Dubai to Shanghai, the region dominates the list of the world’s supertall buildings.

Of the top 10 tallest towers around the world, just two - the recently completed One World Trade Centre in New York City and the Willis Tower in Chicago - are located outside Asia and the Middle East.

Stacked one on top of the other, the 10 tallest towers in Asia would measure more than five km into the sky. These top 10 tallest towers are shown on a new infographic, released by global property portal Lamudi.

With its towering commercial centres and tendency towards high-density living, China leads the world in skyscraper construction. Of the record-breaking 97 buildings measuring 200 meters high or taller that were completed around the world in 2014, 58 of these were located in China. This represents roughly 60 percent of the global total, according to figures recently released by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.

The city of Dubai currently holds the title for the world’s tallest skyscraper. Reaching 829.8m high, the Burj Khalifa is the tallest artificial structure on earth. For those without a serious fear of heights, the super tower is also home to the world’s highest observation deck, located on the 148th floor.

The Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, is the region’s second tallest tower. Located close to the world’s largest mosque, Masjid al-Haram, the five-star hotel is designed to cater for Muslim pilgrims visiting the holy city. The structure has 76 state-of-the-art elevators offering easy access to the mosque for prayers.

In third place is Taipei 101 in Taiwan, which stands at 508m and was once the tallest building in the world. The skyscraper’s unique design is based on the number eight, which is considered lucky in Chinese culture. The design was chosen to withstand the earthquakes and typhoons that are common in the country.

Elsewhere in Asia, the Shanghai World Financial Center, the International Commerce Centre in Hong Kong and the Petronas Towers in Malaysia also make the top 10 list.

Currently under construction in China is the 632m Shanghai Tower which, once completed later this year, will be the world’s second tallest building. However, at 660m, the Ping An Finance Centre in Shenzhen will overtake the Shanghai Tower in 2016.

Set to reach 1km into the sky, the Kingdom Tower in Saudi Arabia will take the title of the world’s tallest building once it is completed in 2019.