A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least 100 metres or 150 metres in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Historically, the term first referred to buildings with between 10 or 20 stories when these types of buildings began to be constructed in the 1880s. Skyscrapers may host offices, hotels, residential spaces, and retail spaces.
The Shard, also referred to as the Shard of Glass, Shard London Bridge and formerly London Bridge Tower, is a 72-storey skyscraper, designed by the Italian architect Renzo Piano, in Southwark, London, that forms part of the Shard Quarter development. Standing 309.6 metres high, the Shard is the tallest building in the United Kingdom, and the sixth-tallest building in Europe. It is also the second-tallest free-standing structure in the United Kingdom, after the concrete tower of the Emley Moor transmitting station. It replaced Southwark Towers, a 24-storey office block built on the site in 1975.
The Burj Khalifa, known as the Burj Dubai prior to its inauguration in 2010, is a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With a total height of 829.8 m and a roof height of 828 m (2,717 ft), the Burj Khalifa has been the tallest structure and building in the world since its topping out in 2009.
The Torre Mayor is a skyscraper in Mexico City, Mexico. With a height of 225 metres to the top floor and 55 stories, it is the third tallest building in Mexico. It was surpassed in height by Torre BBVA Bancomer in 2015, which in turn was surpassed by Torre Reforma. From its completion in 2003 until 2010 it was also the tallest building in Latin America. The Torre Mayor was developed by Canadian businessman Paul Reichmann, who also maintained part ownership until his death in 2013. It is also part-owned by a group of institutional investors. The building was designed by the architectural firms of Zeidler Partnership Architects and Executive Architects Adamson Associates Architects, both of Toronto. The structural engineers and designers were The Cantor Seinuk Group from New York City in association with Enrique Martínez Romero S.A. in Mexico City.
Torre Entel is the name of a 127.4 metres (418 ft) high TV and telecommunications tower in Santiago, Chile. Torre Entel has an observation deck open for visitors. Construction began in 1970 during Eduardo Frei Montalva term as president and it was inaugurated in 1974. In 1976 it carried its first television transmissions. For many years it was the tallest building in Chile and today remains a symbol of Santiago. The tower is constructed of concrete, steel, and aluminum.
The Parque Central Complex is a housing, commercial and cultural development, implemented by Centro Simón Bolívar and located in the area known as El Conde in the center of the city of Caracas, Venezuela adjacent to Paseo Vargas.
The Pemex Executive Tower is a skyscraper in Mexico City. The 214-metre (702 ft) international style tower was built between 1976 and 1982. Since the building's opening, it has been occupied by state-owned Pemex, one of the largest petroleum companies in the world.
Contemporary architecture is the architecture of the 21st century. No single style is dominant; contemporary architects are working in several different styles, from postmodernism and high-tech architecture to highly conceptual and expressive forms and designs, resembling sculpture on an enormous scale. The different styles and approaches have in common the use of very advanced technology and modern building materials, such as tube structures which allow construction of buildings that are taller, lighter and stronger than those in the 20th century, and the use of new techniques of computer-aided design, which allow buildings to be designed and modeled on computers in three dimensions, and constructed with more precision and speed.
The Costanera Center is a business and commercial complex that includes a six-floor shopping mall, the Gran Torre Santiago and three other skyscrapers – two high-end hotels and an office building. The complex is located in the commune of Providencia, Santiago, Chile, and is owned by the holding Cencosud. The tallest of the four buildings, the Torre Costanera, was designed by architect César Pelli and is 300 metres (980 ft) tall, making it the tallest building in Latin America and the second tallest in the Southern Hemisphere after Australia's Q1 on the Gold Coast at 322 metres (1,056 ft) tall. Of the two other buildings in the complex, one will be 170 metres (560 ft) high and the other only four stories.
The Costanera Center Torre 2, better known as Gran Torre Santiago, and previously known as Torre Gran Costanera, is a 62-story tall skyscraper in Santiago, Chile, the second tallest in Latin America. It is the fourth-tallest building in the Southern hemisphere by highest architectural feature and third-tallest by highest occupied floor. It was designed by Argentine architect César Pelli, Chilean architects Alemparte Barreda & Asociados, and by the Canadian company Watt International.
Torre del Caballito is a skyscraper located on the Paseo de la Reforma #10 at the Cuauhtemoc delegation in Mexico City. It was designed by Grupo Posadas de Mexico. It is 135 metres and 35 storeys tall. 33 of the floors are used as office space which measures 60,000 square meters. It also has 15 underground parking levels. The building's total area is 131,000 square meters.
The Iberdrola Tower is an office skyscraper in Bilbao, Spain. Its construction started on 19 March 2009 and was officially inaugurated by King Juan Carlos I on 21 February 2012. The tower has a height of 165 metres (541 feet) tall and has 40 floors. The first eight floors of the tower were to hold a hotel by the Spanish hotel chain ABBA, but the project was eventually cancelled. The hotel will be replaced by an auditorium with the capacity of 200 people. The remaining floors have an office usage. The tower, built as Iberdrola's headquarters, is the tallest building in the Basque Country and the city of Bilbao, and the eighth tallest building in Spain.
Torre Altus is one of the tallest skyscrapers in Mexico City, Mexico. It is a residential condominium tower located on Paseo de los Laureles y Alcanfores in the Bosques de las Lomas district of the Miguel Hidalgo borough in the city. Bosques de las Lomas is one of the more exclusive residential and commercial districts in Latin America.
Torre Insignia is a building designed by Mario Pani Darqui which is located on the corner of Avenida Ricardo Flores Magón and Avenida de los Insurgentes Norte, in the Tlateloco housing complex in Cuauhtémoc in Mexico City. At its completion in 1962, the tower became the second tallest building in Mexico after the Torre Latinoamericana. The tower is not currently in use and is being renovated. It is the tallest building in the Tlatelolco area and the third highest in the Avenida Insurgentes. The building housed the headquarters of Banobras. The building has a pyramid shape and was built with a reinforced concrete frame. It has been remodeled at least twice and is one of the most important buildings in the city, besides having the tallest carillon in the world; there are 47 bells made by Petit & Fritsen.
Torre Axa México, previously Mexicana de Aviación Tower, is a landmark located in Colonia del Valle in Benito Juárez, Mexico City, Mexico. The former worldwide headquarters of Mexicana de Aviación, it is a 32-storey building that is 132 metres (433 ft) tall. It was designed by Rafael Mijares and Andrés Giovanni.
Edificio Miguel E Abed, located on Eje Central Lázaro Cárdenas #13 in the Historic Center of Mexico City, opposite the Torre Latinoamericana. It was built by Mexican-Lebanese businessman Miguel E. Abed who was also one of the founders of the Centro Libanes in Mexico City along with former president Miguel Avila Camacho. The building is equipped with three high-speed elevators (lifts) which move at 6.0 meters per second. In the building are offices of various companies, that are installed since the early 1960s. In 1952, the building exceeded the Tower Anahuac for four years, to become the tallest building in Mexico until 1956 - the year in which construction was completed on the tallest building in Latin America for its time, the Torre Latinoamericana.
Freedom Tower is a skyscraper located in front of the Diana Fountain roundabout at Paseo de la Reforma 439, Colonia, Cuauhtémoc, Delegación Cuauhtémoc in Mexico City. Its construction began in November 2004 and completed in January 2008. The tower started operating in June of that same year. The building has a commercial area on the third floor, and a seven-level underground parking garage with a capacity for 2,000 cars.
The Bicentennial of Chile took place on September 18, 2010. The celebration commemorates the beginning of the Independence process in Chile, with the first Government Junta of Chile on September 18, 1810, and Chile's becoming a free and independent country eight years later. Several activities were prepared for this occasion by the Chilean Government.
Diagonal ZeroZero is a skyscraper in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The building is 110 metres (360 ft) tall with 24 floors. It was designed by Emba Estudi Massip-Bosch arquitectes in Barcelona, founded and led by Enric Massip-Bosch.
