In late July, it was announced that London’s iconic skyscraper, the Gherkin, had hit the market asking upwards of $1 billion. But the Gherkin isn’t the only landmark building to have hit the market in the last decade. Here’s a look at five notable skyscrapers to trade in the 21st century via Buzzbuzzhome.
Chrysler Building, New York
Price: $800 Million USD
New Owner: The government of Abu Dhabi
Previous Owner: Tishman Speyer
Year Purchased: 2008
Briefly the world’s tallest skyscraper, 90 percent of the Chrysler Building was sold by former owner Tishman Speyer to the government of Abu Dhabi for $800 million in 2008. However, Speyer continues to manage the building.
Rockefeller Center, New York
Price: $1.85 Billion
New Owner: Tishman Speyer and the Lester Crown Family
Previous Owners: Goldman Sachs Group, David Rockefeller, Stavros Niarchos and the Agnelli family
Year Purchased: 2000
Just at the start of the new millennium, Speyer struck a $1.85 billion deal for all 22-acres of Rockefeller Center, marking the first time that no member of the Rockefeller family would own any part of the property, according to Buzzbuzzhome.
Willis Tower, Chicago
Price: $840 Million USD
New Owner: Joseph Chetrit
Previous Owner: MetLife Inc.
Year Purchased: 2004
New York real estate tycoon Joseph Chetrit’s $840 million purchase of the 110-story building, formerly known as the Sears Tower, broke records as the largest real-estate purchase in Chicago’s history.
Harrods, London, UK
Price: $2.3 Billion USD
New Owner: Qatar Holdings
Previous Owner: Mohammed Al Fayed
Year Purchased: 2010
Just two weeks before selling the world-famous department store, former owner Mohammed Al Fayed notoriously said: “People approach us from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar. Fair enough. But I put two fingers up to them. It is not for sale. This is not Marks and Spencer or Sainsbury’s. It Is A Special Place that gives people pleasure. There is only one Mecca.”
The Ukraina Hotel, Moscow
Price: $274 Million USD
New Owner: Biskvit Co.
Previous Owners: City of Moscow
Year Purchased: 2005
At 34-stories, the Ukraina was the tallest hotel in the world from 1957 to 1976. Stalin himself commissioned the hotel, supposedly proclaiming: “We won the war… foreigners will come to Moscow, walk around, and there’s no skyscrapers.” [Buzzbuzzhome] – Christopher Cameron