This was a year for rapid skyscraper development and new highs in the tall buildings industry. To chronicle the achievements of industry professionals, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) cherrypicked the top moments from 2014, including a record concrete pour, a cautionary note about high-rise development, and two men's daring feat.
Here are CTBUH's top skyscraper moments from 2014:
1. 31-Story Vertical Garden Sprouts in Sydney
Patrick Blanc's One Central Park in Sydney contains his largest vertical gardens yet. It won the 2014 CTBUH Best Tall Building in Asia and Australasia, and the Best Tall Building Worldwide.
2. Record-Breaking Pour At Wilshire Grand
When construction crews poured the Wilshire Grand Tower's 30-meter foundation all at once on February 15, 2014, they set a record for the largest continuous concrete pour ever conducted.
3. Study: 236 Skyscrapers Will Rise in London
New London Architecture performed a study showing that 236 tall building projects had been approved or were already under way in 2014. This prompted the creation of the Architect's Journal and Observer newspapers' Skyline Campaign.
4. World’s Tallest Building Hosts Daring Duo's Leap
Two men jumped from the top of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, gaining the Guinness Book of World Records' "Highest Base Jump from the Tallest Building” title.
5. Cape Town Gets First New High-Rise in 21 Years
Portside, a 142-meter tower and Cape Town's first in over two decades, was completed this year.
6. World’s 100th Supertall Tops Out in Nanchang
China's Jiangxi Nanchang Greenland Central Plaza, made up of two towers, became the world's 99th and 100th supertall buildings.
7. “Tower of David” Squatters Evicted in Caracas
Venezuelan authorities began moving people out of the world's tallest slum, a 45-story skyscraper in Caracas.
8. Melbourne Approves Australia 108
Australia 108, at 319 meters, will become the tallest building in the southern hemisphere.
9. Bosco Verticale Opens Its Doors in Milan
Five years after construction began, Bosco Verticale has allowed residents to move in. The towers support over 1,000 species of trees, shrubs, and plants.
10. One World Trade Center: World’s Third Tallest
At 541 meters (1,776 feet), the One World Trade Center became North America's tallest building and the world's third tallest.
11. ThyssenKrupp’s MULTI: Up, Down, and Sideways
MULTI elevator technology would use magnetic linear induction, allowing multiple cars to move in the shaft at once, as well as horizontally. Tests will begin in 2016.
Related Stories
Affordable Housing | Jul 12, 2023
Navigating homelessness with modular building solutions
San Francisco-based architect Chuck Bloszies, FAIA, SE, LEED AP, discusses his firm's designs for Navigation Centers, temporary housing for the homeless in northern California.
Sponsored | Fire and Life Safety | Jul 12, 2023
Fire safety considerations for cantilevered buildings [AIA course]
Bold cantilevered designs are prevalent today, as developers and architects strive to maximize space, views, and natural light in buildings. Cantilevered structures, however, present a host of challenges for building teams, according to José R. Rivera, PE, Associate Principal and Director of Plumbing and Fire Protection with Lilker.
Building Owners | Jul 12, 2023
Building movement: When is it a problem?
As buildings age, their structural conditions can deteriorate, causing damage and safety concerns. In order to mitigate this, it’s important to engage in the regular inspection and condition assessment of buildings for diagnosis.
Mass Timber | Jul 11, 2023
5 solutions to acoustic issues in mass timber buildings
For all its advantages, mass timber also has a less-heralded quality: its acoustic challenges. Exposed wood ceilings and floors have led to issues with excessive noise. Mass timber experts offer practical solutions to the top five acoustic issues in mass timber buildings.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 11, 2023
Converting downtown office into multifamily residential: Let’s stop and think about this
Is the office-to-residential conversion really what’s best for our downtowns from a cultural, urban, economic perspective? Or is this silver bullet really a poison pill?
Adaptive Reuse | Jul 10, 2023
California updates building code for adaptive reuse of office, retail structures for housing
The California Building Standards Commission recently voted to make it easier to convert commercial properties to residential use. The commission adopted provisions of the International Existing Building Code (IEBC) that allow developers more flexibility for adaptive reuse of retail and office structures.
Laboratories | Jul 10, 2023
U.S. Department of Agriculture opens nation’s first biosafety level 4 containment facility for animal disease research
Replacing a seven-decade-old animal disease center, the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility includes the nation’s first facility with biosafety containment capable of housing large livestock.
Adaptive Reuse | Jul 6, 2023
The responsibility of adapting historic university buildings
Shepley Bulfinch's David Whitehill, AIA, believes the adaptive reuse of historic university buildings is not a matter of sentimentality but of practicality, progress, and preservation.
Market Data | Jul 5, 2023
Nonresidential construction spending decreased in May, its first drop in nearly a year
National nonresidential construction spending decreased 0.2% in May, according to an Associated Builders and Contractors analysis of data published today by the U.S. Census Bureau. On a seasonally adjusted annualized basis, nonresidential spending totaled $1.06 trillion.
Architects | Jul 5, 2023
Niles Bolton Associates promotes Jeffrey Smith, AIA, to President and C. Cannon Reynolds, AIA, to Managing Director
Niles Bolton Associates (NBA), a leading architecture, planning and design firm, announces leadership changes as a part of its ongoing commitment to future growth. Current Executive Vice President, Jeffrey Smith, AIA, has been named President and C. Cannon Reynolds, AIA, has been named Managing Director effective June 30, 2023.