The Shanghai Tower, designed by the American firm Gensler and located in the Chinese metropolis of the same name, rises 2,073 feet into the air. Directly next to Shanghai Financial Center, it’s the tallest building in China. Among the many stats that make the tower impressive, one of its most special features is its nine different indoor zones, each with its own atrium, garden, and cafes. The Shanghai Tower’s twisting shape is both aesthetic and practical as it reduces wind resistance.
#2 Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur’s Merdeka 118, also known as PNB 118, is the second tallest building in the world and the newest addition among these many impressive skyhighs. At 2,228 feet, it was completed just this year. The original name of the building is short for Permodalan Nasional Berhad, a Malaysian investment management company that developed the project and will occupy most of the building when it opens in 2024. However, tts current name means “independence” in Malay and was chosen in honor of nearby Stadium Merdeka, the site of the country’s declaration of independence in 1957.
#1 Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The Burj Khalifa currently holds the title of the tallest building in the world. The 2,717-foot-high skyscraper is located in Dubai and houses apartments, offices, and hotel rooms, as well as the world’s highest restaurant and the world’s highest viewing platform. Construction of the building, designed by Adrian Smith of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, began in 2004 and it was officially completed in 2010. Since then, it has not only been the tallest building in the world, but also the one with the most floors. Incidentally, the Burj Khalifa is named after Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the former president of the United Arab Emirates.