2013: A remarkable year for skyscrapers

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat has just released their annual review of skyscraper construction. Overall, 2013 proved to be a year of incredible growth for the industry.

According to the Council’s report, 2013 was the second-best year on record in terms of completed super-tall buildings. 73 buildings more than 200 meters (656 feet) tall were completed in 2013, second only to 2011, when 81 such buildings were completed.

Twelve of those 73 buildings even made a showing on the list of the 100 Tallest Buildings in the World.

“We can more confidently estimate that the slight slowdown of 2012, which recorded 69 completions after 2011’s record 81 – was a ‘blip,’ and that 2013 was more representative of the general upward trend,” the report says.

Asia had an especially dominant year in the skyscraper market, with a record-breaking 53 buildings (74% of the world’s total for the year) over 650 feet completed in Asian countries. China’s 37 completed skyscrapers were the most of any nation, topping the list for the sixth year in a row. Goyang, Korea also made a surprisingly strong showing, with 8 super-tall building completions.

In terms of sheer height, however, it should come as no surprise that Dubai was, once again, a dominant force. The tallest building completed in 2013 was the JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai Tower 2, topping out at 355 meters, or 1,165 feet, tall. But the JW Marriott wasn’t the only super-tall building to debut in the glitzy Persian Gulf country last year. For the second year in a row, three of the top five tallest buildings to be completed were in the United Arab Emirates.

Despite all of the media attention surrounding One World Trade Center and its spire, only one building over 650 feet was completed in the United States in 2013, New York’s 1717 Broadway. Europe, on the other hand, debuted two of the year’s 10 tallest buildings for the first time since 1953, including the controversial Shard building in London.