Skyscraper - Future Developments

Future Developments

At the time Taipei 101 broke the half-km mark in height, it was already technically possible to build structures towering over a km above the ground. Proposals for such structures have been put forward, including the Kingdom Tower to be built in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and Burj Mubarak Al Kabir in Kuwait. Kilometer-plus structures present architectural challenges that may eventually place them in a new architectural category.

The following skyscrapers, all contenders for being among the tallest in their city or region, are under construction and due to be completed in the next few years:

• Construction of the 133-floor, 640 m tall Digital Media City Landmark Building in Digital Media City, Seoul, South Korea, started in 2009, which will be the second-tallest building in the world when it is completed in 2015, housing the world's tallest observatory and hotels. Being constructed at the fastest speed among major skyscraper projects by South Korea's Samsung C&T (who also built Burj Khalifa), the supertall is the first skyscraper to contain an entire city inside a building, including the world's largest aquarium, a luxury department store, shopping malls, clinic center, high-tech offices, first-class apartments, six to eight-star hotels, a concert restaurant, a broadcasting studio and an art center.
• Construction of the Shanghai Tower started on 29 November 2008. The tower will be 632 m (2,073 ft) high and have 127 floors. The building will feature a glass curtain wall and nine indoor gardens when it is completed in 2014.
• Construction of the 151-floor, 610 m tall 151 Incheon Tower in Songdo International City, Incheon, South Korea, started in 2008, which will be the tallest twin towers in the world when it is completed in 2014.
• The Abraj Al-Bait Towers, also known as the "Mecca Royal Clock Hotel Tower" is a complex under construction in Mecca, Saudi Arabia by the Saudi Binladin Group. The complex consists of seven towers, and the tallest tower (Hotel Tower) will have a height of 601 m (1,972 ft). Upon completion in 2011, the structure will have the largest floor area of any structure in the world, at 1,500,000 m2 (16,000,000 sq ft).
• Construction of the 110-floor, 510 m tall Busan Lotte World, Busan, South Korea, started in 2009. It is due for completion in 2016.
• One World Trade Center is currently under construction in New York City and will be the tallest tower in the redevelopment of the site of the former World Trade Center. Its pinnacle will reach a height of 541.4 m (1,776 ft), a height (in feet) representing the year of the United States Declaration of Independence.
• World One is a 442 m (1,450 ft) tall residential skyscraper under construction in Mumbai, India. It is located in Upper Worli of Mumbai on a 17.5 acre site. The project will cost INR 2,000 crore (US$380 million), be completed by 2014 and will have the world’s second tallest residential tower once completed. It will be rated as Leed Gold Certified building by the Green Building Council. World One is designed by Pei Cobb Freed and Partners and Leslie E. Robertson Associates.
• Construction of The Shard in London, United Kingdom started in March 2009, and was completed in May 2012, in time for the London Olympics. At 310 m (1,017 ft), it is set to be the tallest building in the European Union.
• Gran Torre Santiago will be the tallest building in Latin America with 300 m (984 ft) to the top. Construction started in 2006 and is planned to finish in 2013. It is located in Chile´s Capital Santiago and is being developed by Cencosud.