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
Office Buildings | Dec 5, 2022
How to foster collaboration and inspiration for a workplace culture that does not exist (yet)
A building might not be able to “hack” innovation, but it can create the right conditions to foster connection and innovation, write GBBN's Chad Burke and Zachary Zettler.
University Buildings | Dec 5, 2022
Florida Polytechnic University unveils its Applied Research Center, furthering its mission to provide STEM education
In Lakeland, Fla., located between Orlando and Tampa, Florida Polytechnic University unveiled its new Applied Research Center (ARC). Designed by HOK and built by Skanska, the 90,000-sf academic building houses research and teaching laboratories, student design spaces, conference rooms, and faculty offices—furthering the school’s science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) mission.
Mass Timber | Dec 1, 2022
Cross laminated timber market forecast to more than triple by end of decade
Cross laminated timber (CLT) is gaining acceptance as an eco-friendly building material, a trend that will propel its growth through the end of the 2020s. The CLT market is projected to more than triple from $1.11 billion in 2021 to $3.72 billion by 2030, according to a report from Polaris Market Research.
Giants 400 | Dec 1, 2022
Top 50 Parking Structure Architecture + AE Firms for 2022
Choate Parking Consultants, Gensler, Clark Nexsen, and Solomon Cordwell Buenz top the ranking of the nation's largest parking structure architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Education Facilities | Nov 30, 2022
10 ways to achieve therapeutic learning environments
Today’s school should be much more than a place to learn—it should be a nurturing setting that celebrates achievements and responds to the challenges of many different users.
75 Top Building Products | Nov 30, 2022
75 top building products for 2022
Each year, the Building Design+Construction editorial team evaluates the vast universe of new and updated products, materials, and systems for the U.S. building design and construction market. The best-of-the-best products make up our annual 75 Top Products report.
K-12 Schools | Nov 30, 2022
School districts are prioritizing federal funds for air filtration, HVAC upgrades
U.S. school districts are widely planning to use funds from last year’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) to upgrade or improve air filtration and heating/cooling systems, according to a report from the Center for Green Schools at the U.S. Green Building Council. The report, “School Facilities Funding in the Pandemic,” says air filtration and HVAC upgrades are the top facility improvement choice for the 5,004 school districts included in the analysis.
Architects | Nov 29, 2022
Three decades and counting, Tinkelman Architecture has helped reshape New York’s Hudson Valley
The full-service firm has designed more than 100 projects in this region, including several multifamily buildings currently in the works
Retail Centers | Nov 29, 2022
'Social' tenants play a vital role in the health of the retail center market
After a long Covid-induced period when the public avoided large gatherings, owners of malls and retail lifestyle centers are increasingly focused on attracting tenants that provide opportunities for socialization. Pent-up demand for experiences involving gatherings of people is fueling renovations and redesigns of large retail developments.
Giants 400 | Nov 28, 2022
Top 200 Office Sector Architecture and AE Firms for 2022
Gensler, Perkins and Will, Stantec, and HOK top the ranking of the nation's largest office sector architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
