Ever since I was ten years old and saw a small six-inch model of the Empire State Building and my god-parents home, I have remained captivated with tall buildings. Particularly their appearance. New York’s former Twin Towers’ stately form and art-deco Chrysler Building with its jazzy automobile ornaments:
Chicago’s Sears Tower (now The Willis Tower), John Hancock Center and Two Prudential Plaza’s long lines:
Loved viewing Houston’s William’s Tower, JP Morgan Chase Tower and Wells Fargo Plaza when I lived there:
The jewel-like cut towers of One Liberty Place in Philadelphia:
...and Bank of America Plaza in Atlanta attract the eye:
And of course I enjoyed the wonderful appearance of the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco when I lived there. I also enjoyed the regal appearance of LA’s US Bank Tower when I lived there as well:
Observation towers are cool too! Like Toronto’s CN Tower, Las Vegas’ Stratospheric Tower, Seattle’s Space Needle, and San Antonio’s Tower of the Americas that I visited often when I lived there:
Many more here in the US, but now taller buildings have sprouted around the world that attracts the eye! Of course there’s been the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur for a while now. But even taller are the Taipei Tower in Taiwan, the International Commerce Center Tower in Hong Kong:
...as well as the Shanghai World Financial Center:
The new Freedom Tower in NY at a notable "1,776" feet tall towering over the planned plaza on the way...
Then there's the Lotte World Tower in Seoul, South Korea. This baby's a monster at 1,821 feet tall and is the tallest building in South Korea. It has offices, apartments, a hotel, store, concert hall, and a viewing platform...
Next up there's the Ping An Finance Center in Shenzhen, China. A wonderful structure to behold. This is the world's 4th tallest building as of December 2023. At over 100 floors of office space with a multi-story atrium containing retail, restaurants, and transit options to the city. At the top of the tower, the façade tapers to form a pyramid. The façade uses 1,700 tons of stainless steel making it the largest stainless steel facade in the world, helping it maintain its appearance in the city’s salty coastal atmosphere.
Now we get to the Makkah Royal Clock Tower (a.k.a. The Abraj Al Bait) in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The tallest of this Clock Tower complex group it is the world's 3rd tallest building at an astounding height of 1,972 feet. Included are seven hotels that cater to the millions of pilgrims who visit Mecca each year. The clock is also the largest in the world with faces on all four sides, each has a diameter of 141 feet.
Currently in second place as the world's tallest runner-up is the Shanghai Tower in Shanghai, China at 2,073 feet. Parked directly next to Shanghai Financial Center, it’s the tallest building in China. It features nine different indoor zones, each with its own atrium, garden, and cafes. The Shanghai Tower’s twisting shape is both aesthetic and functional as it reduces wind resistance.
Finally the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates opened on January 4, 2010 as the world's tallest building at a whopping 2,717 feet tall! Consisting of apartments, offices, and hotel rooms it's has the world’s highest restaurant and the world’s highest viewing platform. It's not only the tallest building in the world, but also the one with the most floors. Incidentally, the Burj Khalifa is named after Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the former president of the United Arab Emirates. Here it is in all its towering glory and also acting as a lightning rod...
Formerly known as Kingdom Tower, currently under construction is Saudi Arabia's Jeddah Tower is planned to be the tallest skyscraper and the world's first 1 kilometer tall building which will surpass the Burj Khalifa tower. The Jeddah Tower will reside on the north side of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The project is currently under development by designer Adrian Smith, who also designed the current tallest building in the world the Burj Khalifa. The Jeddah Tower began construction in 2013 and was originally slated to be completed in the 2020-2024 time frame, however after some delays construction has restarted. It will have a Neo-futurism architectural style and 265-floors in total.
In high school a buddy and I took the train to NYC and, lacking funds, went to the Empire State Building to see how far up we could get without paying. We made it to the 77th floor. The observation deck is on the 86th.
My wife and I were in Toronto and went to the CN tower observation deck. As we were walking around I saw what looked like a glass display. I thought maybe they had some info about how it was built. What it really was was a window looking staight down to the street. I almost had a heart attack. Looking out is fine. Straight down, not so much. Also the elevator was on the outside of the building. Pretty cool with the lake view.
When I was a kid I practically lived at the Tower of the Americas in San Antonio. Back then it was under a dollar, now it's twenty bucks. Anyway the elevator is on the outside as well and you can get a bit dizzy on the way up. I've seen some people turn their backs and face the wall instead of looking out that full length sheet of glass all the way up. The CN tower sounds like fun, and would be the first thing I'd visit! I'd like to try jumping up at the last second before the elevator stops to see if I keep going.😄
It’s fun to go up the observation decks /top floors when there is a wide expanse of space to see, not a city crowded by tall buildings and high rise condos.
The glass floor at the CN Tower is really cool. You get to see how tiny the cars and people are from that glass floor. IMO, there is nothing special about the view.
It was 16 years ago when I saw the towers in Kuala Lumpur, HK and Taipei. I guess when you were only in the city for a short period, you tend to be willing to spend for the ridiculous touristy things. 😅 I don’t have that much interest to do that now. I wouldn’t mind photographing the Burj Khalifa, if I ever get the chance to visit Dubai (not likely in any near future).
I'd love to go up the CN Tower. What did you think when you saw the towers in Kuala Lumpur, HK and Paipei? Were they far away or close enough to see much detail? Was it a cloudy day?
I can only imagine the insane rush Tom Cruise got filming the Burj Khalifa...
A beautiful collection of photos and stories. Inspiring and serene. My town has changed the skyline with the addition of the Comcast Technology Tower from which is spit outrageous cable bills 😂
And a fine building that is. Reminds me a bit between cubism and art deco. I hear ya about those outrageous bills though. Maybe they're 'building' a monopoly.
Good question. You know I don't recall, I wrote the original story on EP long ago and updated it recently. I think the Tower of the Americas one is mine. Ever been up any if these yourself?
