Amazing Buildings

The Empire State Building is located in New York City and is 102 stories high. Its name is derived from what the public fondly calls New York, the Empire State. It stood as the world's tallest building for nearly 40 years, from its completion in early 1931 until the topping out of the original World Trade Center's North Tower in 1970. Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, the Empire State Building was again the tallest building in the world, until One World Trade Center reached a greater height in April 2012. The Empire State Building is currently the fifth-tallest completed skyscraper in the United States and the 29th-tallest in the world. It is also the tallest freestanding structure in the Americas. When measured by pinnacle height, it is the fourth-tallest building in the United States. The Empire State Building is an American cultural icon. It is designed in the distinctive Art Deco style and has been named as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. In 2007, it was ranked number one on the AIA's list of America's Favorite Architecture.

The Burj Khalifa, known as the Burj Dubai before its inauguration, is a megatall skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is the tallest structure in the world, standing at 829.8 m. It is designed to be the centerpiece of a large-scale, mixed-use development. The decision to build the building is reportedly based on the government's decision to diversify from an oil-based economy and for Dubai to gain international recognition. The building was named in honor of the ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of the United Arab Emirates, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Abu Dhabi and the UAE government lent Dubai money to pay its debts. The building broke numerous height records, including its designation as the tallest tower in the world. The Y-shaped plan is designed for residential and hotel usage. A buttressed core structural system is used to support the height of the building. It contains a total of 57 elevators and 8 escalators. Critical reception to Burj Khalifa has been generally positive, and the building has received many awards. However, the labour issues during construction were controversial, since the building was primarily built by workers from South East Asia, who were allegedly treated poorly.

The Shanghai Tower is a 632-meter, 127-story megatall skyscraper in Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai. As of 2016, it is the world's second-tallest building by height. It also has the world's highest observation deck within a building or structure and the world's fastest elevators at a top speed of 20.5 m/s. Designed by Gensler and owned by the Shanghai city government, it is the tallest of the world's first triple adjacent super-tall buildings in Pudong, the other two being the Jin Mao Tower and the Shanghai World Financial Center. Its tiered construction, designed for high energy efficiency, provides nine separate zones divided between office, retail, and leisure use. Construction work on the tower began in November 2008 and topped out on 3 August 2013. The exterior was completed in summer 2015. Although the building was originally scheduled to open to the public in June 2015, as of October 2016, most of the building is still closed. The observation deck was opened on 1 July 2016.

Taipei 101 is a landmark supertall skyscraper in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. In 2011, the building was awarded the LEED platinum certification, the highest award according to the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, and became the tallest green building in the world. The tower has served as an icon of modern Taiwan ever since its opening. The building was architecturally created as a symbol of the evolution of technology and Asian tradition. Its postmodernist approach to style incorporates traditional design elements and gives them modern treatments. The tower is designed to withstand typhoons and earthquakes. A multi-level shopping mall adjoining the tower houses hundreds of stores, restaurants, and clubs. Fireworks launched from Taipei 101 feature prominently in international New Year's Eve broadcasts and the structure appears frequently in travel literature and international media.