While 2013 didn't see the completion of a mega tower like Burj Khalifa, it was a near-record-setting year in terms of the number of super-tall skyscrapers completed.
Led by the 82-story, 1,166-foot JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai Tower 2, a total of 73 buildings of 200 meters or greater height were built in 2013. It was the second-busiest year ever, behind only 2011, when 81 super-tall projects opened, according to a report by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).
Last year also saw the completion of nine 300-meter-plus towers. In fact, nearly half (47%) the world's 77 300-meter-plus skyscrapers were completed during the past four years.
The top 10 skyscrapers completed in 2013 are:
1. JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai Tower 2, Dubai, UAE (82 stories, 355 meters, 1,166 feet)
2. Mercury City Tower, Moscow, Russia (75, 339, 1,112)
3. Modern Media Center, Changzhou, China (57, 332, 1,089)
4. Al Yaqoub Tower, Dubai, UAE (69, 328, 1,076)
5. The Landmark, Abu Dhabi, UAE (72, 324, 1,063)
5. Deji Plaza, Nanjing, China (62, 324, 1,063)
7. Cayan Tower, Dubai, UAE (73, 307, 1,008)
8. East Pacific Center Tower A, Shenzhen, China (85, 306, 1,004)
8. The Shard, London, UK (73, 306, 1,004)
10. Dongguan TBA Tower Dongguan, China (68, 289, 948)
See the full list
Tall buildings 200 meters or taller completed each year from 1960 to 2014 © CTBUH (click image to enlarge)
Other milestones from 2013, according to the CTBUH report:
• Across the globe, the sum of heights of all 200-meter-plus buildings completed globally in 2013 was 17,662 meters – also the second-ranked in history, behind the 2011 record of 21,642 meters.
• Of the 73 buildings completed in 2013, 12 – or 16 percent – entered the list of 100 Tallest Buildings in the World.
• For the sixth year running, China had the most 200-meter-plus completions of any nation, at 37 – located across 22 cities.
• Three of the five tallest buildings completed are in the United Arab Emirates, for the second year in a row.
• The city of Goyang, Korea, has debuted on the world skyscraper stage with eight 200-meter-plus buildings completing in 2013.
• Europe has two of the 10 tallest buildings completed in a given year for the first time since 1953.
• Panama added two buildings over 200 meters, bringing the small Central American nation’s count up to 19. It had none as recently as 2008.
• Of the 73 buildings over 200 meters completed in 2013, only one, 1717 Broadway in New York, was in the U.S.
For the full report, visit: http://www.ctbuh.org/TallBuildings/HeightStatistics/AnnualBuildingReview/Trendsof2013/tabid/6105/language/en-US/Default.aspx
The tallest building completed each year since the year 2000. © CTBUH (click image to enlarge)
© CTBUH (click image to enlarge)
© CTBUH (click image to enlarge)
Related Stories
| Dec 27, 2014
'Core-first' construction technique cuts costs, saves time on NYC high-rise project
When Plaza Construction first introduced the concept of "core first" in managing the construction of a major office building, the procedure of pouring concrete prior to erecting a steel frame had never been done in New York City.
| Dec 23, 2014
5 tech trends transforming BIM/VDC
From energy modeling on the fly to prefabrication of building systems, these advancements are potential game changers for AEC firms that are serious about building information modeling.
| Dec 22, 2014
What Building Teams can learn from home builders' travails
Commercial and residential construction can be as different as night and day. But as one who covered the housing industry for nearly a decade, I firmly believe AEC firms can learn some valuable lessons from the trials and tribulations that home builders experienced during the Great Recession, writes BD+C's John Caulfield.
| Dec 22, 2014
Skanska to build Miami’s Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science
Designed by Grimshaw Architects, the 250,000-sf museum will serve as an economic engine and cultural anchor for Miami’s fast-growing urban core.
| Dec 22, 2014
Studio Gang to design Chicago’s third-tallest skyscraper
The first U.S. real-estate investment by The Wanda Group, owned by China’s richest man, will be an 88-story, 1,148-ft-tall mixed-use tower designed by Jeanne Gang.
| Dec 19, 2014
Zaha Hadid unveils dune-shaped HQ for Emirati environmental management company
Zaha Hadid Architects released designs for the new headquarters of Emirati environmental management company Bee’ah, revealing a structure that references the shape and motion of a sand dune.
| Dec 19, 2014
Chicago Architecture Biennial to hold 'Lakefront Kiosk Competition'
The first Chicago Architecture Biennial will take place from October 2015-January 2016, with a theme of "The State of the Art of Architecture."
| Dec 18, 2014
Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West to be recreated—with LEGO
Containing more than 180,000 LEGO bricks in 11 colors and 120 different shapes, the model measures eight by four feet and is made entirely of standard LEGO parts.
| Dec 18, 2014
11 new highs for tall buildings: CTBUH recaps the year's top moments in skyscraper construction
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat cherrypicked the top moments from 2014, including a record concrete pour, a cautionary note about high-rise development, and two men's daring feat.
| Dec 18, 2014
International Parking Institute and Green Parking Council collaborate with GBCI
The new collaboration recognizes importance of sustainable parking facility design and management to the built environment.
