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Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai, China Turning Torso in Malmo, Sweden Shanghai Tower in Shanghai, China
The Jeddah Tower (now under construction in Jeddah, East Asia has also played a major part in this challenge
Saudi Arabia) will, in four or five years’ time, snatch the record to the sky. The Shanghai Tower in China is over 630 meters
from the Burj Khalifa, with its 200 floors developed along one high; it is the tallest skyscraper in China and the third tallest
kilometer and more (the total meters are still a secret), i.e. 11 in the world, after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai and Merdeka 118
times the height of the Statue of Liberty. This monumental in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. On the other hand, of the world’s
building will house luxury apartments, restaurants, stores, skyscrapers higher than 500 meters, half are located in
offices, a hotel, a balcony suspended 652 meters high and China, even though a recent order sought to limit vertical
even the world’s highest astronomical observatory. To development in cities. Indeed, the National Development and
move around inside the building, there will be 59 elevators, Reform Commission’s new rules prohibit buildings over 500
including five double-decker ones, and 12 escalators, with meters, while buildings over 250 meters are strictly limited.
custom-designed mechanical systems – something that has We are certain that these limitations will not be sufficient
never been done before – fully recalibrated for new weights to halt the ongoing efforts to push the boundaries of
and heights. skyscraper design.
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