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 115-floor, 660m meter tall Ping'an International Finance Center started in Shenzhen, China, 2010. It will be China's tallest building and the second-tallest building in the world.
- Construction of the 124-floor, 636 meter tall Wuhan Greenland Center started in late 2012 in Wuhan, China. It will be the third tallest building in the world and the tallest structure in Hubei province.
- 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 123-floor, 555 m tall Lotte World Premium Tower started in Seoul, South Korea in 2012. It is set to become the tallest building in the OECD, with the tallest observation deck in the world.
- 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.
- Construction of the 110-floor, 510 m tall Busan Lotte World, Busan, South Korea, started in 2009. It is due for completion in 2016.
- Construction of the 102-floor, 487 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.
- Construction of the 86-floor, 463 meter tall Lakhta Center in St. Petersburg, Russia is set to become the tallest building in Europe when it is completed.
- 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.
- 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.
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