While China may have fewer entries on the list of the five tallest skyscrapers set to be completed next year than in years past, the country still has three such buildings, including the tallest and second tallest, according to The B1M.
The tallest skyscraper to be finished next year is the 1,560-foot Wuhan Greenland Center, which originally was supposed to be the second-tallest human-made structure in the world — surpassing Tokyo Skyfree — when construction began in 2012.
But the building was shortened by about 520 feet after Chinese officials requested a redesign — during construction — so it wouldn’t interfere with airspace restrictions, the outlet reported.
China’s Greenland Shandong International Financial Center, at just over 1,400 feet, is the second-tallest on the list and is set to become Jinan’s tallest skyscraper upon completion next year.
Like Wuhan Greenland Center, GSIFC was the victim of delays and its anticipated opening was pushed back a year.
The third tallest on the list, the un-ironically named Iconic Tower in the New Administrative Capital, Egypt, has the distinction of being Africa’s first supertall skyscraper.
The 1,290-foot, 77-floor structure faced numerous challenges during construction, including setting the foundation in the soft desert soil as well as the hot working conditions.
It’s also one of 20 skyscrapers set to be built in the central business district of the new capital.
The fourth entrant, Hengfeng Guiyand Center Tower 1, is the tallest of five buildings in a megacomplex in Guiyang, according to the outlet.
The 1,220-foot structure, the second-tallest in the city, will house luxury apartments, retail, office space, and entertainment facilities.
Ciel Tower in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, at nearly 1,200 feet, is the final entrant on the list, and, upon completion, will set a record as the tallest hotel in the world (taking the title from the 1,170-foot Gevora, which is also in Dubai).
Ciel Tower will have 1,000 guest rooms and suits, as well as an infinity pool, among other things.
Tall buildings still have huge appeal at home and abroad. In the U.S., Vornado Realty Trust and Rudin Management recently reached a deal with Griffin’s Citadel that allows the developers to construct a 1.7-million-square-foot Midtown East tower.
Meanwhile, last month, matchmaker Jacob & Co. — of which Jacob Arabo is chairman and creative director — and Emeriati property development company Binghatti are collaborating to construct the world’s tallest residential building in Dubai.
When completed, the 1,550-foot tall, 100-story Burj Binghatti Jacob & Co. Residences hypertower will usurp New York’s 98-story Central Park Tower as the tallest residential building in the world.
— Ted Glanzer