The World's Tallest Buildings and Towers
The thrill of visiting the top of very tall buildings cannot be described in words but has to be actually is to be actually felt. I had the opportunity of visiting two tall buildings of the world in New York City. They were the World Trade Center and Empire State Building. However the former is no longer in existence and at the same spot One World Trade Center building is nearing completion.
The Egyptian Pyramids were for many centuries the tallest structures in the world till modern technology started constructing tall buildings and towers from 1889 on wards.
Described below are five iconic tall structures of the world :
Eiffel Tower, Paris
Can we imagine today that there was keen opposition to the building of the now icon, Eiffel Tower, when it was approved for construction by the authorities in 1886. It was opposed by a Committee of 300 persons, comprising of then prominent artists and citizens. They could not digest the emergence of a gigantic tower which would not only dominate all buildings in France but also become the tallest structure in the world when constructed. Luckily better sense prevailed and the Tower today stands as a fine achievement of human imagination. It has become a symbol of both Paris and France.
The tower was built to act as the entrance for the World Fair held in Paris starting from March 31,1889. Its construction was started in January, 1887 and completed within two years in time for the Fair's inauguration day. However it was opened to public after nine days and the lifts to the top were still not n operation. The 324 meter tall tower consists of three levels.
It became a hit with the public. Tickets were charged at the rate of 2 francs for the first level, 3 for the second and 5 for the top level. The tickets were reduced to half on Sunday. Nearly two million visitors had visited it by the exhibition end. Ever since it has been a must for visitors to Paris. In 2010 it received its 250 millionth visitor and annually more than 7 million visitors ascend it.
The entire structure weighs around 10,000 tonnes and is made from wrought iron. The tower is painted every seven years to protect it from rust and 50 to 60 tons of paint are consumed at an cost of $ 63,00,000 and the electricity bill is $4,00,000 per year.
Today there are more than a dozen towers taller than the Eiffel Tower around the globe. But it had the distinction of being the tallest man made structure for about forty years when the Chrysler Building was built in New York City in 1941.Towards the end of the World War II when Germany was on the verge of defeat, Hitler is supposed to have ordered the demolition of the Tower, but his military governor of Paris refused to carry ii out . The Tower was sold twice in fake deals as scrap by a famous swindler. The tower also serves as a communication tower for radio and transmissions.
The two restaurants on the first and second levels are patronized by the millions of visitors every year from all over the world. I also had an opportunity to visit it and ascend up to the second floor. I could not go up to the third and top level because at six thirty in the evening the number of tickets issued meant that the last ticket holder would be able to go at around nine thirty just before the closing time. But the view of Paris from the second level is also majestic.
Imagine if the protest at its commissioning had been successful or Hitler's demolition order was carried out then the most famous tower would not be there today. Gustav Eiffel's design and its successful construction has withstood majestically for more than 100 years and will continue to attract visitors for countless more years.
Burj Khalifa, Dubai
At 829.8 meters, the Burj Khalifa has the distinction of being the tallest human built structure in the world. It became a reality when it was opened for the public on January 4,2010 and surpassed the then tallest structure Taipei 101. Its construction was started on September 1, 2004 and completed on October 30, 2009, in a record period of five years for such mammoth sized tower.
The building consists of 900 apartments. The Burj is estimated to have cost around US$1.5 billion. It has 163 floors above ground and two parking levels in the basement. It has a total floor area of 3,09,407 square meters.
The aim behind constructing it was to give the city state of Dubai something unique that would give it an equally unique recognition and motivate tourists to visit it. It was also an attempt to move Dubai from an oil based economy to a service oriented economy.
The Burj is designed by Adrian Smith at Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. Its design is based on the patterning systems in Islamic architecture. The property is developed by Emmar Properties and was constructed by a consortium led by Samsung Engineering & Construction Company, S. Korea. The construction was started in January, 2004 and completed in late 2009. The Burj was opened on January 4, 2010.
The exterior of the tower is a cladding of 1,42,000 square meters of reflective glazing and aluminium and textured stainless panels with vertical tubular fins. This gives it a distinguished look and also helps in meeting the extreme hot temperatures of Dubai.
The Burj can accommodate 35,000 people at a time and is serviced by 57 lifts and 8 escalators. Its water supply is capable of supplying 9,46,000 liters of water per day through a layout of more than 100 kms of pipelines. It has 24,348 windows having 1,20,000 square meters of glass area. Special cleaning mechanisms are developed to clean them in a period of up to 4 month.
Recipient of many awards the Burj Khalifa every year organizes a grand firework display on New Year eve to the delight of persons from over 200 countries who are working in Dubai.
Burj Khalifa was known as Burj Dubai before its formal inauguration. At its completion there was economic crisis which financially impacted the tower. At this juncture UAE President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan extended considerable financial support and the tower was named Burj Khalifa in recognition of this support.
Burj Khalifa has achieved for Dubai a symbol of worldwide recognition commensurate with its desire to become a world class provider of a variety of services including tourism. The Burj has become an icon of Dubai.
Petronas Towers, Malaysia
The Petronas Towers is actually a twin tower complex joined by a sky bridge. It is today the tallest twin tower in the world. However from 1998 to 2004 at 459.1 meters it was the tallest structure in the world till Taipei 101 surpassed it . Designed by the Argentine architect Cesar Pelli, it was built at a cost of US$ 1.6 billion.
It is situated in Kuala Lumpur the capital of Malaysia. It has 88 floors above ground and five floors underground. It is serviced by 78 lifts and elevators. Its design is based on Islamic art the predominant religion of Malaysia. It is built from reinforced concrete, steel and glass facade which give it a very majestic look. Both the towers were built together but by different agencies to expedite its construction.
Tower 1 was built by a consortium led by Hazama Corporation of Japan and Tower 2 was built by a consortium led by Samsung Engineering & Construction Company of S. Korea. Tower 2 got built first. The connecting sky bridge was built by Kudong Engineering and construction Company. The sky bridge is a double decked bridge on the 41st and 42nd floors and is the highest two storied bridge in the world. It is not attached to the towers but is designed to move in and out of the towers to prevent it from breaking as the towers move towards and away from each other during high winds. The 750 ton weight and 58 meter long bridge is used to go from tower to tower and for evacuation purposes if there is problem in either tower.
Tower one is entirely occupied by Petronas company and space in Tower 2 is given on lease to a large number of other companies. At the bottom of the tower, Malaysia's largest super market, Suria KLCC is functioning. Visitors can choose from various options to visit the towers and enjoy the view from its observatories.
The Petronas Towers have truly become a landmark in Kuala Lumpur and is recognized as a symbol of Malaysia's progress in modern times.
Taipei 101,Taiwan
Taipei 101 is located in the eastern part of Taipei, capital of Taiwan. It was the tallest structure from 2004,when it overtook Petronas Towers, till 2010 wen Burj Khalifa surpassed it. The 509 meter high building consists of 101 floors above ground and five floors underground. It was built at a cost of US$ 1.8 billion and was designed by C. Y. Lee. It was constructed by a consortium led by Samsung Engineering and Construction Company of S. Korea. It is owned by the Taipei Financial Center Corporation and is a non-residential building.
Planning for the building started in 1997 and construction started in 2000 and was completed in mid 2003. The tower was inaugurated on New Year Eve of 2004. Ever since grand firework displays are held every year on New Years Eve from the tower.
The building was the first to break the half kilometer mark in height. It is one of the most stable buildings ever built as it has to face typhoons and it can withstand storms having 216 kms/hour velocities. It can also withstand earthquakes of a very high magnitude. Its blue-green glass facade give it a very sophisticated look and help block more than 50% of heat and UV light. It is serviced by 61 lift and elevators with record breaking speeds of 60.6 kms/hr.
There are restaurants on the 85th and 86th floors. The public observatories are located on the 89th and 91st floors.
It has since become an icon for Taiwan.
Empire State Building, New York
From being the tallest building in the world in 1931 to being the 23rd tallest building in the world today, the 102 storied Empire State Building has seen it all. For 40 years it held the crown for being the tallest in the world till in 1972 when one of the towers of the now non existent World Trade Center surpassed its height and took away the crown.
The 381 meter roof top height tall building today is the 3rd largest skyscraper in USA and after completion of the One World Trade Center will become the fourth tallest in USA. It was designed by William F. Lamb and primarily financed by John Raskob and Pierre S du Pont. Its construction was started in 1929 and completed in 1931 at a cost of US$ 40,948,000. It is serviced by 73 elevators. It is situated in midtown Manhattan, New York City, USA.
It is a non-residential building and around 21,000 employees work in its various offices every day. It has an observation deck on the 86th floor from where visitors can watch New York in all its glory. More than 10 million visitors have visited it. It makes more revenue from ticket sales than from rent collection of its office areas. Since 1964, the top of the building has been floodlit and different colors are employed to light up in celebration of various events like festivals, games, victories etc. The building is also houses a large number of both TV and FM radio stations. It has also widely been featured in Films and TV serials.
It is an iconic building because it was the first of the tall buildings that were to be constructed in the twentieth century. It held the record for a long period of forty years and thus became etched in the minds of millions of people around the globe as the tallest building in the world. Its shape, location and promotion in films, books and TV gave it an unprecedented exposure and status. I have had an opportunity to visit it and ascend upto the observation deck and enjoy a very magnificent view of Manhattan.
Although it is now at number 23 in the world it is still number one in its attraction and number of visitors who visit it annually.
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