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This article was first published 13 years ago

Images: The world's 15 tallest buildings

Last updated on: January 18, 2011 15:42 IST

Image: World One to be a landmark in Mumbai.
Photographs: Courtesy, Lodha group.

The battle in the real estate sector is really intensifying. With almost all cities growing vertically, skyscrapers are set to adorn the urban landscape in Indian cities too. Mumbai takes the lead with a number of tall buildings in the country.

By 2014, India's financial capital is likely to have what is being touted as 'the world's tallest residential building': Lodha Developers plans to build 'the world's tallest residential tower' at a cost of Rs 2,000 crore (Rs 20 billion) in central Mumbai.

The 1,450-feet (442 metre) building, WorldOne, will come up at Worli on a 17-acre plot. Each unit in the premier building will be priced around Rs 7.5 crore to Rs 50 crore (Rs 75 to Rs 500 million).

However, World One may become the second tallest residential building in the world if 'The Pentominium', a skyscraper under construction in Dubai, is completed by 2013 as per schedule.

The residential tower funded by Trident International Holdings will be 516 metres (1,693 foot) tall.

Click NEXT to read about world's 15 tallest towers. . .

The world's 15 tallest buildings

Image: Fireworks at Burj Khalifa.

1. Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Height: 828 metres/2,717 feet
Floors: 163

The tower is constructed by Emaar Properties, one of the world's leading real estate companies, the centrepiece of Dh73 billion ($20 billion) Downtown Dubai project is sure to impress the roving eye instantly.

The design is adapted from the desert flower, Hymenocalis, and incorporates patterning systems that are embodied in Islamic architecture.

The tower is designed in the form three petals arranged around a central core. As the tower rises from the flat base, the petals unfold in an upwardly spiralling pattern.

The Burj's structure has employed the latest technologies in wind engineering, structural engineering, structural systems, construction materials and construction methods. It will have a high performance exterior cladding system to withstand the harsh summer temperatures.

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The world's 15 tallest buildings

Image: Taipei 101.

2. Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan

Height: 508 metres/1,667 feet
Floors: 101

The building ranked officially as the world's tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010.

The tower is designed by CY Lee & partners.

The tower received the 2004 Emporis Skyscraper Award.

Fireworks launched from Taipei 101 feature prominently in international New Year's Eve broadcasts.

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The world's 15 tallest buildings

Image: Shanghai World Financial Centre.

3. Shanghai World Financial Centre in China

Height: 492 metres/1,614 feet
Floors: 101

The Shanghai World Financial Center is a supertall skyscraper in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China.

It is a mixed use skyscraper which consists of offices, hotels, conference rooms, observation decks, and shopping malls.

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The world's 15 tallest buildings

Image: Hong Kong's International Commerce Centre.

4. International Commerce Centre in Hong Kong

Height: 484 metres/1,588 feet
Floors: 108

It is a part of the Union Square project built on top of Kowloon Station.

The development is owned and jointly developed by MTR Corporation Limited and Sun Hung Kai Properties, Hong Kong's metro operator and largest property developer, respectively.

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The world's 15 tallest buildings

Image: Petronas Twin Towers.

5. Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Height: 452 metres/1,483 feet
Floors: 88  

The towers are designed by Argentine architects C sar Pelli and Djay Cerico under the consultancy of Julius Goldand Filipino engineer Domingo Basa.

The 88-floor towers are constructed largely of reinforced concrete, with a steel and glass facade.

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The world's 15 tallest buildings

Image: Nanjing Greenland Financial Centre.

6. Nanjing Greenland Financial Centre in China

Height: 450 metres/1,476 feet
Floors: 89

The Nanjing Greenland Financial Centre features retail and office space in the lower section, and restaurants and a public observatory near the top.

The tower's stepping is functional, helping separate these sections.

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The world's 15 tallest buildings

Image: Willis Tower Chicago.

7. Willis Tower, Chicago, USA

Height: 442 metres/1,451 feet
Floors: 108

Willis Tower was formerly known as Sears Tower.

At the time of its completion in 1974, it was the tallest building in the world, surpassing the World Trade Center towers in New York, and it held this rank for nearly 25 years.

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The world's 15 tallest buildings

Image: Guangzhou West Tower.

8. Guangzhou West Tower in China

Height: 438 metres/1,435 feet
Floors: 103

This skyscraper stands at Zhujiang Avenue West in Tianhe District at Guangzhou. The building was topped out at the end of 2008.

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The world's 15 tallest buildings

Image: Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago.

9. Trump International Hotel and Tower, Chicago, USA

Height: 423 metres/1,389 feet
Floors: 98.

The Trump International Hotel and Tower, also known as Trump Tower Chicago and locally as the Trump Tower, is a skyscraper condo-hotel.

The building, named after real estate developer Donald Trump, was designed by architect Adrian Smith of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill.

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The world's 15 tallest buildings

Image: Gerbrandy Tower.
Photographs: Jin Mao Tower Shanghai.

10. Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai, China

Height: 421 metres/1,380 feet
Floors: 88

The Jin Mao Tower landmark skyscraper in the Lujiazui area of the Pudong district of Shanghai.

It contains offices and the Shanghai Grand Hyatt hotel.

It was designed by the Chicago office of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

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The world's 15 tallest buildings

Image: Almas Tower.

11. Almas Tower, Dubai, the UAE

Height: 363 metres/1191 ft
Floors: 68

It is located on its own artificial island in the centre of the Jumeirah Lake Towers scheme.

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The world's 15 tallest buildings

Image: Minsheng Bank Building.

12. Minsheng Bank Building, Wuhan, China

Height: 331 metres/1087 feet
Floors: 68

It is a highrise office building in Wuhan, China.

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The world's 15 tallest buildings

Image: One Island East in TaiKoo Place.

13. One Island East in TaiKoo Place, Hong Kong

Height: 298 metres/979 feet
Floors: 69

It has 59 stories of habitable office space and two basement levels.

Besides a sky lobby on the 37th and 38th floors, there are 28 high speed passenger lifts and 6 high speed shuttle lifts.

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The world's 15 tallest buildings

Image: Comcast Centre in Center City, Philadelphia.

14. Comcast Centre in Center City, Philadelphia, United States.

Height: 297 metres/974 feet
Floors: 57

The tallest building in Philadelphia and the fifteenth tallest in the United States was originally called One Pennsylvania Plaza when the building was first announced in 2001.

The Comcast Center went through two redesigns before construction began in 2005.

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The world's 15 tallest buildings

Image: Emirates Crown.

15. Emirates Crown in Dubai, UAE

Height: 296 metres/971 feet
Floors: 63

Emirates Crown offers spacious and luxurious 2, 3 and 5 bedroom apartments.

On site facilities in Emirates Crown include restaurants and cafes, shops, day care centre, fitness facilities and more.

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