The Burj Khalifa is the centrepiece of Downtown Dubai, an exclusive development of hotels, residential buildings and shopping malls that cover 2km2.Upon its completion in 2010, it broke several records, including the world's highest restaurant and nightclub. It also has the most number of floors (163) of any building ever constructed.
The Merdeka's name and design were inspired by the declaration of independence of Malaysia by Tunku Abdul Rahman in August 1957. During the ceremony, he repeatedly chanted 'Merdeka', which translates as 'Independence' in English.
Once construction was completed in 2015, the Shanghai Tower became the tallest building in China. Its 128 floors house office spaces, concert halls and even a swimming pool on the 84th floor. It also holds the joint record (with the Ping An International Finance Center) for the world's highest observation deck, at a head-spinning 562m.
This magnificent clock tower forms the centrepiece of a hotel complex in Saudi Arabia. Its main purpose is to cater for pilgrims visiting the nearby sacred site of the Great Mosque of Mecca, just 300m away. People who happen to visit this amazing place won't have any difficulties knowing the time either, thanks to its huge clock faces – the biggest in the world.
The Pin An tower is located within the business district of Shenzhen, China. Pin An is possibly the largest insurance company in the world, and translates as 'safe and well'.
Incredibly, the Lotte World Tower is the first building in South Korea to have over 100 floors. Of those, 10 are occupied by an exclusive shopping mall. Opened in 2017, it took 13 years of planning and site clearance before construction commenced. As with most skyscrapers, the building is used for various different activities. With gyms, offices, shops and hotels you probably wouldn't need to ever leave the front door.
The new 'One World Trade Center' was built on the site of Six World Trade Center, destroyed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Construction started in 2006, and was completed in 2014, with a public observation deck opening in 2015.
The Tianjin tower also holds the record of the eighth-tallest building in the world with the similarly-named Guangzhou CTF tower. Both therefore can claim to be the third-tallest towers in China too.
Opened in 2019, the Tianjin tower has been built with sustainability in mind. Its distinctive shape was designed to protect it against the effects of strong winds on such a tall building, and also saves on the use of glass.
The distinctive Citic Tower opened in 2018, and houses a mixture of offices, hotels and luxury apartments. There are also plans for a rooftop garden at 524m, which could lead to some decent sunbathing opportunities. Its nickname China Zun comes from the influence of an ancient Chinese drinking vessel, which inspired the design of the building.