It is known among tall-building architects that there are many tricks to increase the height of skyscrapers. But inflated skyscraper height came to the attention of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) last year after a case study suggested that the Kingdom Tower was designed with large decorative "vanity space" on top, inside of its spire, to enhance its height. Kingdom Tower, designed by Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill, is set to be the tallest tower in the world when built.
As a result, CTBUH performed a study which illustrates that large portions of some skyscrapers are actually useless space used to artificially enhance their height, Architizer reports. CTBUH created an infographic showcasing the vanity space phenomenon. Vanity space is defined as the distance between a skyscraper's highest occupiable floor and its architectural top.
Burj Khalifa, currently the tallest building on the globe, at 2,716 feet, has an 800-foot-tall unoccupied spire that accounts for nearly a third of its overall height. Ukraina Hotel in Moscow gets the award for having the largest percentage of vanity space: 42% of its 675 feet is unoccupied space.
See the infographic below, and you can read the full report here.
Courtesy of CBTUH
Related Stories
| Aug 21, 2012
Under 40 Leadership Summit slated for October 3-5 in Chicago
Attendees will be given an exclusive technical tour of Wrigley Field, led by Steven J. Jacobsen, CDP, who has been retained by the Chicago Cubs to create the business plan and high-level concepts to evaluate the feasibility of various renovation options for this iconic sports venue; and Carl Rice, Cubs’ Vice President, Baseball Operations.
| Aug 21, 2012
Hong Kong’s first LEED Platinum pre-certified building opens
Environmentally-sensitive features have been incorporated, including reduced operational CO2 emissions, and providing occupiers with more choice in creating a suitable working environment.
| Aug 21, 2012
Stellar wins four ABC Excellence In Construction awards
ABC's Excellence In Construction program is the industry’s leading award competition, recognizing outstanding construction projects in a variety of categories.
| Aug 20, 2012
Protecting the artifacts at George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum
Roof leaks threatened to damage artifacts and disturb a delicately controlled indoor environment at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum.
| Aug 17, 2012
Ferreri joins PGAL as Principal
Ferreri will be responsible for business development, contract negotiation, project design through construction and staff management/mentoring.
| Aug 17, 2012
Centric Architecture and PLAD Studio merge
The new firm will retain Centric Architecture as its name.
| Aug 15, 2012
MBH Architects announces new appointments
MBH Architects continues to grow, take on new clients.
| Aug 15, 2012
Architects and designers challenged in Allsteel’s reality design competition
KITS mobile app offers flexibility in planning.
| Aug 14, 2012
Leo A Daly welcomes Carl Gentilcore
Gentilcore will be responsible for identifying, developing and managing client relations with key federal government agencies.
| Aug 14, 2012
SOM Foundation announces prize recipients for 2012
Submissions for the SOM Prize were received from students at 34 schools in the U.S.