World's second tallest building to open in Saudi

March 11, 2010 - Saudi Arabia

The world's second tallest building will be opened next August in Saudi Arabia, Meed has reported.

The 577-metre Makkah Clock Royal Tower will be 59 metres taller than the 508-metre tall Taipei 101 tower in Taiwan, but 251 metres shorter than the Dubai's 828-metre tall Burj Khalifa.

Developed by the Saudi Bin Laden Group, the tower is a part of the 4.5 million-square-metre, Abraaj al-Bayt complex, of the Kingdom Holding Co.

The Cullinan, Hong Kong

January 25, 2010 - Kowloon

Named after the 3,106-carat Cullinan diamond−found in 1905 and the world’s largest known diamond−this lofty project has effectively become the focal point of Kowloon’s skyline.

At 270 metres, the Cullinan I tower is Hong Kong’s tallest residential building.

The tower houses 852 luxury apartments, with standardsizes between 83 and 213 sq m, and two crown triplex suites on the 91st to 93rd floors, which encompass over 372 sq m, plus have six bedrooms, private pools and roof gardens.

Torres de Hercules by Rafael de La-Hoz

November 09, 2009 - Andalusia

The Spanish architectural firm of Rafael de La-Hoz, have completed the Torres de Hercules.

The two cylindrical white towers are located in the Bay of Algeciras in Southern Spain. They are a symbol of the legendary Pillars of Hercules and the tallest buildings in Andalusia.

Seoul building world's second tallest tower

October 27, 2009 - South Korea

At 640 m high, Digital Media City Landmark tower in Seoul, South Korea, will be around 180m shorter than the Burj Dubai, but it is projected to be the second tallest building in the world when it completes in April 2015.

Having broken ground this week, the Samoo-designed tower costing 3.3 trillion won ($2.8billion), will now rise 133 floors in height.

"Differently from skyscrapers in other countries, this is a town within a building that has urban facilities under one roof," said Kim Wu-Seok, president of Seoul Lilte Tower Asset Management, a consortium constructing the building.

International Commerce Centre, Hong Kong

September 01, 2009 - Hong Kong

Even by the standards of Hong Kong’s skyscraper-studded skyline, the new International Commerce Center is big. Very big.

At 490 meters, or 1,608 feet, the gleaming, nearly complete tower, which has been mushrooming its way into the record books over the past five years, is now the tallest building in Hong Kong.

The 118 stories of the International Commerce Center, or I.C.C., also give it the rank of the world’s fourth-tallest building, behind the Burj Dubai in Dubai, Taipei 101 in the Taiwanese capital and the Shanghai World Financial Center.

Shard London Bridge starts construction

August 27, 2009 - London

The Shard is one of the most enigmatic buildings to adorn the London skyline in recent years.

The vision of its creator, the much lauded Italian architect Renzo Piano was for a vertical "City in the Sky"; and the Shard at London Bridge Quarter with its mix of offices residences, hotel, restaurants and viewing platforms will herald a new era in high rise development for London and will become emblematic when all eyes look towards the city in 2012.

Dorobanti Tower by Zaha Hadid Architects

August 11, 2009 - Romania

Zaha Hadid Architects have designed a high-rise building for the center of Bucharest, Romania, which has a structural, lattice façade.

The 200m tall iconic tower will contain a five star hotel, a business centre, a casino, retail areas, apartments and underground parking.

Construction is expected to be completed in 2013