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
Related Stories
| Oct 27, 2014
Davis, Calif., latest city to join race to develop 'innovation hubs'
The city plans to develop two "innovation centers" with a total of seven million sf of commercial space geared for local research and technology companies.
| Oct 27, 2014
Report estimates 1.2 million people experience LEED-certified retail centers daily
The "LEED In Motion: Retail" report includes USGBC’s conceptualization of the future of retail, emphasizing the economic and social benefit of green building for retailers of all sizes and types.
| Oct 27, 2014
Top 10 green building products for 2015
Among the breakthrough products to make BuildingGreen's annual Top-10 Green Building Products list are halogen-free polyiso insulation and a high-flow-rate biofiltration system.
| Oct 27, 2014
Studio Gang Architects designs residential tower with exoskeleton-like exterior for Miami
Jeanne Gang's design reinvents the Florida room with shaded, asymmetrical balconies.
| Oct 26, 2014
New York initiates design competition for upgrading LaGuardia, Kennedy airports
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that the state would open design competitions to fix and upgrade New York City’s aging airports. But financing construction is still unsettled.
| Oct 26, 2014
Study asks: Do green schools improve student performance?
A study by DLR Group and Colorado State University attempts to quantify the student performance benefits of green schools.
Sponsored | | Oct 24, 2014
Infographic: 5 key considerations for securing modular workspace
Keep these five considerations in mind for your next project that may benefit from modular space. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Oct 24, 2014
Herzog & de Meuron reveals plans for redesign of Roche pharmaceutical campus in Germany
The project includes the addition of a 205-meter-high tower and research center, as well as the renovation of an historic office building designed by Swiss architect Otto R. Salvisber.
Sponsored | | Oct 23, 2014
From slots to public safety: Abandoned Detroit casino transformed into LEED-certified public safety headquarters
First constructed as an office for the Internal Revenue Service, the city's new public safety headquarters had more recently served as a temporary home for the MGM Casino. SPONSORED CONTENT
| Oct 23, 2014
Santiago Calatrava-designed church breaks ground in Lower Manhattan
Saturday marked the public "ground blessing" ceremony for the Saint Nicholas National Shrine, the Greek Orthodox Church destroyed on 9/11 by the collapse of the World Trade Center towers.
