Songdo International City (송도국제도시) – South Korea’s Masterpiece

Songdo City Under Construction

Songdo International City is a global business center being developed on 1,500 acres (6 km²) of reclaimed land along Incheon’s waterfront, 65 km west of Seoul, South Korea and connected to Incheon/Seoul International Airport by a 12.3 km highway bridge, called Incheon Bridge.  The Songdo International Business District (IBD) will include a convention center, international school, museum, ecotarium, cultural center, Jack Nicklaus Golf Course, Northeast Asia Trade Tower (NEATT), First World Towers, and Central Park.  (The Incheon Towers is part of another parcel within New Songdo City, which may officially become the world’s tallest twin towers!) State-of-the-art schools, hospitals, apartments, office buildings and high-end cultural amenities are to be built in the city. Architectural hallmarks from around the world, including New York’s Central Park and Venice’s canals, are to be incorporated into the city. English is planned to be the lingua franca. This 10-year development project is estimated to cost in excess of $40 billion, making it the largest private development project ever undertaken anywhere in the history of the world! The project aspires to make the city and South Korea the preeminent business hub of Asia! When completed in 2015, the city’s infrastructure will be a test bed for new technologies, and the city itself will exemplify a digital way of life. It will be one of the world’s first cities in which all information systems – residential, medical, business – are linked.

Sheraton is due to open a new 319-bedroom hotel, golfing legend Jack Nicklaus is overseeing the construction of an 18-hole 7,300-yard championship course; and the US tech multinational Cisco Systems signed a multibillion-dollar deal to provide network technologies to the new city.  Most components of the city, from the 470,000 square foot international school to Songdo’s $155m Convention Center, which opened October 2008, are state of the art. The school, affiliated with the prestigious US-based Milton Academy, has facilities to rival globally-renown universities.

By its completion date in 2015, New Songdo City is to be a free economic zone with 80,000 apartments, 50 million square feet of office space and 10 million square feet of retail.

Northeast Asia Trade Tower – New Tallest in South Korea

Northeast Asia Trade Tower

The Northeast Asia Trade Tower or NEATT is a 305 m, 68 floor skyscraper currently topped-out in New Songdo City, a massive real estate project in Incheon, South Korea, which is close by the nation’s capital of Seoul.   The tower is currently South Korea’s tallest building and will be the landmark structure of the planned city.

Nanjing Greenland Financial Center – Tallest in Nanjing, China

Nanjing Greenland Financial Center

The Nanjing Greenland Financial Center (also known as the Greenland Square Zifeng Tower) is a 450 m tall skyscraper (official height is taller than the Sears/Willis Tower in Chicago) currently topped out in Nanjing, China with completion expected in 2009 and being opened for business early 2010.

The 89-story building will feature office space and retail space in the lower section, restaurants and a public observatory near the top (72nd floor – 287 m above the ground), and will be topped off with a spire.  This observation deck will provide an unobstructed, panoramic view of Nanjing and the nearby Yangtze River, two lakes and the Ningzheng Ridge mountains.

The mixed-use tower which overlooks Xuanwu Lake became the second tallest building in China (behind the Shanghai World Financial Center and ahead of 2 International Financial Center in Hong Kong) and the 5th tallest building in the world when topped out.

Chicago – the 2nd City, my home (an update)

Chicago, center of a 9.5 million metropolitan area and home to the second busiest airport in the world (O`Hare International Airport), is the birthplace of the skyscraper. Chicago has the fourth largest gross metropolitan product in the world (behind Tokyo, New York City, and Los Angeles).  Chicago is home to 17 Fortune Global 500 companies, McCormick Place (the world’s 3rd largest convention center), the world’s largest urban health care district, and almost all the major USA health-care related organizations.  No other city on earth can match the splendor and possibilities of Chicago with the cost of living of Chicago.  Overall, Chicago was ranked as the 8th greatest city in the world!

When Chicago built its first steel high-rise in 1885 (Home Insurance Building), it was not the tallest structure in the world (42 m later expanded to 55 m then demolished in 1931) but the first example of a new form of engineering that would change nearly every city on earth. Today, Chicago has 20 buildings over 200 m tall (three of which are among the top 20 tallest buildings in the world, including the tallest in North America- the Willis Tower). In addition, the Willis Tower has the most floors of any completed building in the world, and stands as the world’s tallest completed skyscraper when measuring to pinnacle height; rising 527 m with the addition of its western antenna (official height is 442 m.) In addition, Chicago has the distinction of being the only city in the world with more than one completed building containing at least 100 floors. Chicago is the site of 91 completed skyscrapers that stand at least 152 m in height, with 16 more under construction. At the end of 2008, there were 1,074 completed high-rises in the city, second in the country behind New York City.

Chicago has three buildings under construction that are planned to exceed 304.8 m (1000 feet) in height: the 610 m Chicago Spire, the recently completed 415 m Trump International Hotel & Tower, and the 319 m Waterview Tower. The 150-story Chicago Spire, upon its completion in 2012 (although this is questionable since construction is now suspended indefinitely… *sad face*), would become the tallest skyscraper (tallest structure as well since it will surpass the CN Tower in Toronto) in the Western Hemisphere. The tower would also stand as the second tallest all-residential skyscraper in the world (tallest will be the under construction 618 m Pentominium in Dubai), surpassing the 323 m Q1 in Gold Coast, Australia. There are also several buildings proposed for construction in the city, the largest being the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel and Residence Tower, which would rise 386 m and 107 floors. As of June 2008, there were 160 high-rise buildings under construction, approved for construction, and proposed for construction in Chicago. Chicago is definitely a member of the “Big 4” skylines of the world; some even put it at number one (which would be hard to argue against!)

Current Chicago Skyline

Wells Fargo Plaza – the Most Beautiful Skyscraper in the “South” (USA)

Wells Fargo Plaza

The Wells Fargo Plaza, completed in 1983 and formerly knwon as the Allied Bank Plaza and First Interstate Bank Plaza, is located at 1000 Louisiana Street in downtown Houston, USA.  This building is currently the 13th-tallest Building in the United States, and the second tallest building in Texas and Houston, after Houston’s JPMorgan Chase Tower. It is the tallest building named for Wells Fargo.  From street level, the building is 302 m tall, contains 71 floors, and is extensively made of green glass. Only the Wells Fargo Plaza offers direct access from the street to the Houston tunnel system; otherwise, entry points are from street-level stairs, escalators, and elevators located inside buildings that are connected to the tunnel.

Burj Dubai – Tallest Skyscraper/Free-Standing Object/Man-Made Structure in the World

Burj Dubai

Burj Dubai (Arabic: برج دبي‎ “Dubai Tower”), a supertall skyscraper topped-out in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is the tallest man-made structure ever built, at 818 m. Construction began on 21 September 2004, and the tower is expected to be ready for occupancy by early 2010.

The building is part of the 2 km² flagship development called “Downtown Burj Dubai” at the “First Interchange” along Sheikh Zayed Road, near Dubai’s main business district. The tower’s architect is Adrian Smith, who worked with Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) until 2006. The Chicago-based architecture and engineering firm SOM is in charge of the project. The primary builders are Samsung Engineering & Construction and Besix.

Timeline

• 21 September 2004: Emaar contractors begin construction.
• February 2007: Surpasses the Sears Tower (since renamed to the Willis Tower) as the building with the most floors.
• 13 May 2007: Sets record for vertical concrete pumping on any building at 452 m, surpassing the 449.2 m  to which concrete was pumped during the construction of Taipei 101.
• 21 July 2007: Surpasses Taipei 101, whose height of 509.2 m made it the world’s tallest building.
• 12 August 2007: Surpasses the Sears Tower (Willis Tower) antenna, which stands 527.3 m
• 3 September 2007: Becomes the second-tallest freestanding structure, surpassing the 540 m Ostankino Tower in Moscow.
• 12 September 2007: At 555.3 m, becomes the world’s tallest freestanding structure, surpassing the CN Tower in Toronto.
• 7 April 2008: At 629 m, surpasses the KVLY-TV Mast to become the tallest man-made structure ever.
• 1 September 2008: Height tops 688 m, making it the tallest man-made structure ever built, surpassing the previous record-holder, the Warsaw Radio Mast in Konstantynów, Poland.
• 17 January 2009: Topped out at 818 m.

Current records

• Tallest structure: 818 m (previously KVLY-TV mast – 628.8 m)
• Tallest freestanding structure: 818 m (previously CN Tower – 553.3 m)
• Building with most floors: 160 (previously World Trade Center – 110)
• World’s highest elevator installation
• Worlds fastest elevators at speed of 64 km/h or 18 m/s (previously Taipei 101 – 16.83 m/s)
• Highest vertical concrete pumping (for a building): 601 m (previously Taipei 101 – 449.2 m)
• Highest vertical concrete pumping (for any construction): 601 m  (previously Riva del Garda Hydroelectric Power Plant – 532 m)
• The first world’s tallest structure in history to include residential space

Height Comparison

Hong Kong Skyline (香港) – World’s Greatest Skyline

Hong Kong, officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a largely self-governing territory of the People’s Republic of China, facing Shenzhen to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south. Hong Kong is a global metropolitan and international financial center, and has a highly developed capitalist economy.  Beginning as a trading port, Hong Kong became a crown colony of the United Kingdom in 1842, reclassified as a British dependent territory in 1983, and remained so until the transfer of its sovereignty to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1997. Under the “one country, two systems” policy, Hong Kong enjoys a high degree  of autonomy in all areas with the exception of foreign affairs and defense, which are the responsibility of the PRC Government. As part of this arrangement, Hong Kong continues to maintain its own currency, legal system, political system, immigration control, rule of the road and other aspects that concern its way of life, many of which are distinct from those of mainland China. Renowned for its expansive skyline and natural setting, its identity as a cosmopolitan center where the East meets the West is reflected in its cuisine, cinema, music and traditions. The city’s population is 95% Chinese (speaking almost exclusively Cantonese but English is a second official language with Mandarin being the most prominent “unofficial” language) and with a population of 7 million people but land area of 1,108 km², creates one of the most densely populated areas in the world.

Hong Kong is one of the world’s leading financial centers^. Its highly capitalist economy has been ranked the freest in the world by the Index of Economic Freedom for 15 consecutive years^! The currency used in Hong Kong is the Hong Kong dollar.  The territory has little arable land and few natural resources, so it must import most of its food and raw materials. Hong Kong is the world’s eleventh largest trading entity (this is when the single city is compared to countries around the world), with the total value of imports and exports exceeding its gross domestic product. Much of Hong Kong’s exports consist of re-exports, which are products made outside of the territory, especially in mainland China, and distributed via Hong Kong. Currently, Hong Kong’s economy is dominated by the service sector, which accounts for over 90% of its GDP, while industry now constitutes just 9%. Hong Kong’s largest export markets are mainland China, the United States, and Japan.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong has a highly developed transportation network with over 90% of daily travels are on public transport, making it the highest percentage in the world. A tramway system, serving the city since 1904, covers the northern parts of Hong Kong Island and is the only tram system in the world run exclusively with double deckers. The Star Ferry service operates four lines across Victoria Harbor and has been in operation for over 120 years, providing a panoramic view of Hong Kong’s skyline^. It is considered one of the city’s most treasured cultural icons and has been rated as one of the most picturesque ferry crossings in the world. Hong Kong’s steep, hilly terrain calls for some unusual ways of getting up and down the slopes. The Peak Tram, the first public transport system in Hong Kong, has provided vertical rail transport between Central and Victoria Peak since 1888 by steeply ascending the side of a mountain. In Central and Western district, there is an extensive system of escalators and moving pavements, including the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world, the Mid-Levels escalator. Hong Kong Harbor is one of the largest and buisest ports in the world (only rivaled by nearby Singapore, Mainland China’s greatest city Shanghai, and Incheon- a suburb of Seoul.)  Hong Kong International Airport is a leading air passenger gateway and logistics hub in Asia (consistently ranked as one of the greatest airports in the world with Singapore International and Incheon-Seoul International) and one of the world’s busiest airports in terms of international passenger and cargo movement.  Overall, Hong Kong was ranked as the 5th greatest city on earth!

Daytime Skyline

Hong Kong has six completed skyscrapers taller than 300 m, (while Chicago has five and Dubai and New York City both have four.)  Hong Kong has a whopping 43 buildings over 200 m tall (2nd most, behind New York City’s 50), 30 of which were built in the year 2000 or later! Hong Kong has a known amount of 228 buildings with known height figures greater than 150 m, the tallest of which is the 415 m 2 International Financial Centre, my favorite modern skyscraper in the world! [There are a great number of completed buildings ranging from 50 to 63 stories tall that do not have exact height figures given by the owners of the building nor emporis.com. It is possible but not definite that some of these skyscrapers are taller than 150 m; thus, it can only be stated that there are at least 228 buildings that are at least 150 m high which is greater than any city on earth! Chicago has 91 and New York City has 192.  Most speculate that Hong Kong's number of true skyscrapers (continuously habitable buildings of at least 150 m in height) is well over 300.]  By the end of 2008, Hong Kong had the most completed high-rise buildings in the world with 7627 (practically equally New York City, Chicago, and Shanghai combined!!!)

Contrary to common belief, Hong Kong’s skyline shows a large selection of distinct sky-reaching towers, rather than block-style apartments (most of the South American “skylines” are just a large quantity of short blocks.)  Every night, many skyscrapers on both sides of Victoria Harbor light up in a synchronized show called A Symphony of Lights, named by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest permanent light and sound festival in the world (this show is coupled with amazing fireworks that seem to blow up within the skyscrapers on holidays, the best being Christmas, Western New Year (Solar Calendar), and the Chinese New Year (Lunar Calendar!)  I would consider my life complete after I view the Hong Kong New Year Show.)

The high density and tall skyline of Hong Kong’s urban area is due to a lack of available space, with the average distance from the harbor front to the steep hills of Hong Kong Island at 1.3 km. This lack of space causing demand for dense, high-rise offices and housing, has resulted in 36 of the world’s 100 tallest residential buildings being in Hong Kong, and more people living or working above the 14th floor than anywhere else on Earth, making it the world’s most vertical city!

As of June 2008, there are 288 high-rises under construction (including Hong Kong’s new king the 484 m International Commerce Centre- probably will be the world’s third tallest skyscraper by roof height trailing the Burj Dubai and the Shanghai Tower), approved for construction, and proposed for construction in Hong Kong!  It is without a doubt that Hong Kong’s skyline is the BEST IN THE WORLD (my personal favorite) and LEADER of the “Big 4” skylines of the world, with the surrounding mountains and Victoria Harbor (and not to mention that Shenzhen’s amazing skyline is so nearby) complementing it to create the most awesome example of man and God working together!  Long live the Champion of the Skyline!!!

The World's Greatest Skyline

Aerial View of Chicago

Chicago

1 World Trade Center – the Future Tallest Skyscraper in New York City

1 World Trade Center

1 World Trade Center, formerly known as the Freedom Tower, is the main building of the new World Trade Center under construction in Lower Manhattan in New York City, USA.  The tower is suppose to be 417 m to the roof of the building (about the same height as the former World Trade Center Twin Towers) and 541.3 m tall to the tip.

1 World Trade Center’s program includes office space, an observation deck, world-class restaurants, parking, and broadcast and antenna facilities, all supported by both above and below-ground mechanical infrastructure for the building and its adjacent public spaces. Below-ground tenant parking and storage, shopping and access to the PATH and subway trains and the World Financial Center are also provided.

A 24 m public lobby topped by a series of mechanical floors form a 61 m building base. 69 tenant floors rise above the base to 341 m elevation. Mechanical floors, two floors to be occupied by the Metropolitan Television Alliance, restaurants and observation decks culminate in an observation deck and glass parapet that mark 415 m and 417 m respectively — the heights of the original Twin Towers. A shrouded antenna structure supported by cables rises to a total height of 541 m (1776 ft), which is symbolic of the year the United States Declaration of Independence was signed (July 4, 1776).  The World Trade Center’s South Tower had an outdoor rooftop observation deck at 420 m and another indoor observation deck at 399 m. 1 World Trade Center’s indoor observation deck, at a height of 386 m, will not be as high as either of the observation decks destroyed in the South Tower.

The following is a breakdown of floors as noted by SkyscraperPage.com:

• 1-19 – tower base (including 80 ft (24 m) tall lobby and 3 mechanical floors)
• 20-63 – offices
• 64 – skylobby
• 65-88 – offices
• 89-99 – mechanical floors
• 100-102 – observation deck and other public facilities to be announced
• 103-108 – mechanical floors

Note that these official designations may not correspond to actual floor levels (in particular at the base).

The building is projected to be ready for occupancy at some point in 2013.  If it will take the title from the Sears Tower as the tallest skyscraper in the Americas will depend on the official height of the skyscraper.

Federation Tower – the Future Tallest Skyscraper in Europe

Federation Tower

The Federation Tower (Russian: Башня «Федерация») is a skyscraper currently under construction as part of the Moscow International Business Center in Moscow, Russia. When completed in 2010 (or maybe even later, initially it was suppose to be done by 2009), it will become the tallest building in Europe. The complex will be two towers connected to one another via a high-rise bridge.  The East Tower is designed to have 93 floors and the tip is suppose to reach about 506 m (roof height of about 360 m.)  The West Tower is designed to be 62 floors and 242 m tall.  The spire (which is slated to be the longest spire in the world) will have a 360° view out its elevators (the world’s highest glass elevators) which will move as quickly as 18 m/s.