flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

20 tallest towers that were never completed

20 tallest towers that were never completed

Remember the Chicago Spire? What about Russia Tower? These are two of the tallest building projects that were started, but never completed, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.


By CTBUH | November 29, 2014
Construction work started on the Santiago Calatrava-designed Chicago Spire in 20
Construction work started on the Santiago Calatrava-designed Chicago Spire in 2007, but was halted a year later due to the econo

In the world of tall building construction, projects can stall for any number of reasons—financial, political, cultural—and for long periods of time. 

The CTBUH Research team, in the latest installment of Tall Buildings in Numbers, has undertaken to find the top 20 tallest never-completed buildings, and the 15 longest construction periods from 1985 to the present, listing the stop and start dates, and last known status of these 35 projects.

We learned a lot along the way, turning up some interesting findings on familiar names and long-forgotten projects alike, including:
• Now over 28 years since it started construction, Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongang holds the record for longest construction period by over seven years.
• There are 50 buildings 150 meters or taller currently on hold (i.e., construction had started and stopped, but is planned to resume) around the world.
• The Palace of Soviets in Moscow was actually started in 1937, but construction was halted during frame construction with the coming of World War II. It would have been topped with a statue of Joseph Stalin, making it the world’s tallest structure
• Now over 28 years since it started construction, Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongang holds the record for longest construction period by over seven years.

 

 
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE Source: CTBUH

 

 
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE Source: CTBUH

 

Read the full CTBUH report.

Related Stories

| Nov 5, 2014

Survey: More than 75% of workload takes place without face-to-face interactions

With the rise of technology, much of the workday—even the most productive morning hours—is spent corresponding via email or conference call, according to a recent survey of corporate workers by Mancini•Duffy.

| Nov 5, 2014

The architects behind George Lucas' planned Chicago museum unveil 'futuristic pyramid'

Preliminary designs for the $300 million George Lucas Museum of Narrative Art have been unveiled, and it looks like a futuristic, curvy pyramid.

Sponsored | | Nov 5, 2014

How to maximize affordability and sustainability through all-wood podiums

Wood podium construction takes an age-old material and moves it into the 21st century. 

| Nov 4, 2014

Zaha Hadid's first building in Shanghai debuts

Sky SOHO is the third in a trilogy of SOHO China developments designed by Zaha Hadid Architects.

| Nov 4, 2014

HOK breaks ground on colossal research complex for LG in Seoul

Located in Seoul’s Magok District, the LG Science Park provides facilities to support innovative research and industrial prototyping. HOK designed phase one of the master plan and six of the laboratory and office buildings.

| Nov 3, 2014

IIT names winners of inaugural Mies Crown Hall Americas Prize

Herzog & de Meuron's iconic 1111 Lincoln Road parking garage in Miami Beach, Fla., is one of two winners of the $50,000 architectural prize.

| Nov 3, 2014

Cairo's ultra-green mixed-use development will be topped with flowing solar canopy

The solar canopy will shade green rooftop terraces and sky villas atop the nine-story structure.

| Nov 2, 2014

Top 10 LEED lessons learned from a green building veteran

M+W Group's David Gibney offers his top lessons learned from coordinating dozens of large LEED projects during the past 13 years.

| Oct 31, 2014

Dubai plans world’s next tallest towers

Emaar Properties has unveiled plans for a new project containing two towers that will top the charts in height, making them the world’s tallest towers once completed.

| Oct 30, 2014

CannonDesign releases guide for specifying flooring in healthcare settings

The new report, "Flooring Applications in Healthcare Settings," compares and contrasts different flooring types in the context of parameters such as health and safety impact, design and operational issues, environmental considerations, economics, and product options.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category

Museums

UT Dallas opens Morphosis-designed Crow Museum of Asian Art

In Richardson, Tex., the University of Texas at Dallas has opened a second location for the Crow Museum of Asian Art—the first of multiple buildings that will be part of a 12-acre cultural district. When completed, the arts and performance complex, called the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Jr. Athenaeum, will include two museums, a performance hall and music building, a grand plaza, and a dedicated parking structure on the Richardson campus.




halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021