The tallest skyscrapers of 2018 include a helipad, sky gardens, and an indoor skating rink
Source Article : Aria Bendix , Business Insider US Jan 01, 2019, 09:02 AM
- The year’s tallest skyscrapers include a number of luxury towers around the world.
- The structures feature notable design elements like helipads, sky gardens, and an indoor skating rink.
- 2018’s tallest building, the Citic Tower in Beijing, draws inspiration from an ancient wine vessel.
This was a landmark year for new construction, with more than 140 skyscrapers erected across the globe.
The number falls short of 2017’s total, but represents the second-highest tally ever recorded, according to data from the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).
The vast majority of tall buildings completed in 2018 are located in China, which underwent a major construction boom, producing more skyscrapers than anywhere else in the world.
The nation is now home to half of the world’s 100 tallest skyscrapers, including the Citic Tower, a mammoth structure that tops out at more than 1,700 feet (518 metres).
Take a look at some of the tallest buildings completed in 2018.
The year’s tallest tower was named after a wine vessel.
At more than 1,700 feet (518 metres), the Citic Tower in Beijing is the tallest structure built in 2018, and the eighth tallest structure in the world, according to the CTBUH.
The skyscraper is commonly known as China Zun, a reference to the ancient wine vessel that inspired its curvature.
Earlier this year, Chinese national security officials were worriedthat the building’s top three floors housed a secret view of the Zhongnanhai complex – the official residence of China’s president, Xi Jinping, and other top political leaders. A Singapore-based paper reported that the government has assumed ownership of those top three floors, but Business Insider could not independently verify the claim.
Read more: Saudi Arabia is building the world’s tallest skyscraper – here’s what it will look like
Vietnam’s Landmark 81 tower contains an indoor skating rink, movie theater, and five-star hotel.
Ennguyennguyen/Getty
Vietnam’s Landmark 81 tower is part of a $1.5 billion (R21 billion) mixed-use development called Vinhomes Central Park, which stretches across Ho Chi Minh City.
Residents of the tower’s luxury apartments have access to a pool, spa, and outdoor lounge. Visitors at the commercial center can enjoy a gym, movie theater, and indoor skating rink.
The tower also features a five-star hotel and three-floor observation deck, which offers unparalleled waterfront views.
The third tallest tower of 2018, built in Hong Kong, has a slightly shorter twin.
Tower 1 of the Changsha complex in Hong Kong is about 500 feet (152 metres) taller than its twin, which stands at around 1,000 feet (304 metres).
Though the two towers are structurally similar, Tower 1 features a 2.5 million-square-foot mega-mall (over 200 000 square-metre), along with luxury office space and a six-star hotel.
The building is the 13th tallest in the world, according to the CTBUH.
Locals call Shenzhen’s third tallest building Spring Bamboo.
Sparktour/Wikimedia Commons
China Resources Headquarters is unmistakable for its rocket-like structure and reflective glass panels, which illuminate the Shenzhen skyline.
At just under 1,300 feet (396 metres) tall , the building anchors a waterfront business district that includes office, retail, residential, and public space.
Its shape closely resembles a bamboo shoot, lending it the popular nickname Spring Bamboo.
There’s a helipad at the top of China’s Logan Century 1.
Awesome SkyscraperProject/YouTube
The design of China’s Logan Century 1 is also nature-inspired – it mimics the shape of a blooming flower.
Aluminum fins on the facade help to conserve energy, while the sides are covered in tinted glass.
At the top of the tower is a helipad and observation deck, where visitors can gaze across the lush city of Nanning.
