According to the results of the recently held prestigious European architectural competition “The Emporis Awards - 2010”, 10 most beautiful and unusual skyscrapers were selected - I propose to evaluate and discuss the choice of experts
In total, European experts needed to carefully study 305 skyscrapers from around the world, the construction of which was completed last year. As a result, they put in 10th place on the list - an unusual residential building in New York
This 47-storey residence is located in the Historic District, downtown New York, and includes 320 apartments of various layouts, including 2 penthouses with terraces, which offer magnificent views of the city and the river.
William Beaver House features an innovative design, with contrasting bronze and gray brick accentuated by glazed yellow brick panels and large bays of windows. The interiors of the apartments at William Beaver House are meticulously designed for the ultimate luxury experience. All flats and suites are connected to cable TV and the Internet
9th place in the list is a residential complex in San Francisco
The skyscraper was opened in April 2009. Now people who come to San Francisco from Canada along the Bay Bridge will be able to see from afar the top of a translucent blue-gray crystal that adorned the city's skyline. The 197-meter tower has become the fourth largest skyscraper in San Francisco
In fact, the Millennium Tower consists of two towers. Between the main 60-story building and the small 12-story building next to it, there is a 2-story glass atrium
Residences and Grand Residences of the Millennium Tower complex became the most expensive on the entire West Coast
On the 8th place - erected in Dubai diamond tower(Almas Tower). The height of this giant is 363 meters. The Almas tower has 74 floors, of which 70 are used for commercial purposes, and 4 are technical
The building is located on an artificial island located in the center of the Jumeirah Lake Towers area and is the tallest in the area. It was built from 2005 to 2008
The 7th skyscraper on the Emporis list is in Bryant Park in New York. This 54-story office building with a spire reaches a height of 366 meters. After the installation of the spire, the tower became the second tallest building in New York after the Empire State Building.
Bank of America Tower is recognized as one of the most spectacular and environmentally friendly buildings in the world
The tower reached its maximum height on December 15, 2007, when the final part of the structure was assembled. But it took another 2 whole years to complete the construction.
6th place is occupied by the 128-meter Rotterdam (Red Apple). This 40-story residential building caused the most controversial assessments even during construction - as always in the case of something new that stands out from the overall picture, opinions were divided and two irreconcilable camps formed: “fans” and ardent opponents of the project. The Red Apple was built in the so-called "wine harbour", on an island located in the center of Rotterdam on the river Meuse
A residential complex is located in the high-rise part of the skyscraper, and the infrastructure serving it is located in a multi-level 21-meter podium, where there are shops, cafes and consumer services.
Compositionally, the complex is made in such a way that if you look at it from different points, it looks different. So, from the embankment, it resembles a stylized sailing ship that has just arrived at the port and has not yet lowered its sails: the 128-meter high-rise part rises above the 53-meter superstructure in the stylobate, extending beyond the island and hanging over the canal, resembling the stern of a Spanish galleon
When viewed from afar, the complex looks like a bright red rectangle. But it is worth taking a closer look, and it becomes noticeable that the facades of vertical stripes bend smoothly at a height. Such a seemingly uncomplicated technique dramatically changes the impression of the project - the building turns from a standard rectangular “box” into a work of art
Building Number 5 - The Tower, also known as the Trump Tower, is an ultra-modern skyscraper in Chicago.
The notability of the Chicago Trump Tower lies, first of all, in height, since this skyscraper is one of the most magnificent buildings in the world. The Trump International Hotel and Tower has 96 floors (including underground), and the total height from the ground to the tip of the spire is 415 meters
Trump Tower is a mixed use building. On the first levels there are shopping areas, lobbies and parking for 1000 cars. The territory from the 14th to the 27th floor is occupied by a 5-star hotel with 339 rooms, and levels from 29 to 89 inclusive are reserved for residential apartments. The last, 89th floor of the Tower is occupied by the residence of Donald Trump himself. The tycoon paid $28 million for his 14,000-square-foot apartment!
Trump Tower has 27 high-grade passenger elevators. The building boasts huge 12-foot windows, literally from floor to ceiling. In addition, the Tower has its own park and waterfront adjacent to the Chicago River. Surprisingly, Trump Tower residents even have their own private dog walking area.
On the 4th place Emporis experts put Pillars of Hercules(Torres de Hercules) in Spanish Andalusia. Of course, this is not such a giant as the rest of the skyscrapers on the list, but due to its appearance, this office building could not miss this list.
Two towers, united by a glazed passage, rush up to 126 meters. At the same time, at the base of each of them there is a pool filled with water.
On 20 floors of buildings there are many offices, branches of world banks, travel agencies, and the top floor is occupied by a restaurant with a breathtaking panoramic view of Gibraltar
It is also interesting that the intricacies of the facade patterns contain the words of the well-known proverb “Non Plus Ultra” (“Nowhere else” or “There is nothing else”), and the patterns themselves go several tens of meters above the last floor, protecting the roof terrace
The top three “leaders” are opened by a building in Bangkok, although, to be honest, I would not classify this skyscraper as one of the 10 most beautiful and unusual skyscrapers at all - compared to other buildings, the Metropolitan looks somehow poor and ordinary, but since the experts decided to bring it to your list - let's try to figure out what "bribed" them so much =)
The Metropolitan is a 69-storey building divided into three vertical sections with a height of 228 meters. It belongs to a chain of design hotels. But it turned out that its interiors are of particular value.
The design of the interiors of the Metropolitan has been turned into a special art. The color, shape and location of every detail is precisely thought out. This is the realm of beautiful things and exquisite style. The design of the rooms is dominated by minimalism and delicate pastel colors. White pillows, beige walls, faded rose curtains and bedspreads…
The paintings decorating the rooms are made by talented Asian artists. Furniture design created by leading craftsmen in this field. Even gourmet Mediterranean cuisine in the elegant hotel restaurant is served with a special taste)
"Silver" went to the office skyscraper O-14 in the business district of Dubai. The building is a 22-story commercial skyscraper that cost $81.9 million to build.
A feature of O-14 is the outer walls with round holes (there are more than 1000 of them in the project), made of concrete 400 mm thick
Such an architectural solution also has a functional meaning, the openings serve as windows, letting in a limited amount of sunlight. There is an air gap between the walls and the glazing of the building, which creates the effect of a chimney, cooling the glass surface and thus creating a passive cooling system.
According to The Emporis Awards, Chicago skyscraper was recognized as the most beautiful skyscraper in the world Aqua. This huge 250-meter giant from a distance does not stand out from the general Chicago “landscape”, but as soon as you get closer, it turns into a real waterfall, striking the imagination with the unreality of its design - it seems as if some kind of fabulous ice colossus has grown in the middle of the city
250 meters high-rise divided into 81 floors. In a buiding Aqua there is a hotel and ordinary living quarters. The facades of the skyscraper are decorated with real “lakes”, the role of water in which is played by windows, skillfully accentuated by hiding the rest of the windows with elongated uneven projections of the facade
The Aqua skyscraper impressed the Emporis experts with “an original design solution combined with sustainable design”. And here I completely agree with them - Aqua stands out qualitatively from all the buildings on this list and definitely deserves to be called the best of the currently built =)
Skyscraper is not necessarily a gray rectangular box of glass and concrete. Modern architects demonstrate miracles of ingenuity, erecting multi-meter buildings of the most incredible forms.
From the outside it seems that such original structures simply cannot be stable, however, most of these skyscrapers are able to withstand an earthquake of about 9 points. Today's collection contains the most unusual skyscrapers in the world.
This building is distinguished by unusual lighting. 4,000 LEDs are built into the skin of the skyscraper, and the cladding itself consists of colored metal panels. By changing the lighting modes, you can completely transform the appearance of Torre Agbar.
9. Burj Al Arab, Dubai
8. CCTV Beijing
The Chinese call this building "pants" because of its very unusual shape. The height of the skyscraper is 234 meters. The office of the Central Chinese Television is located here. $700 million was spent on the construction of CCTV.
7. Revolution Tower, Panama
Most often, this building is compared with a corkscrew. The 242-meter glass and concrete tower rotates 360 degrees as it rises. The skyscraper consists of 52 floors, the building is crowned with a pointed spire.
6. Aqua, Chicago
The facade of this unusual building is decorated with undulating terraces. They literally "stream" on the surface of the 250-meter giant. In the evenings, the building is spectacularly illuminated with multi-colored illumination.
5. O-14, Dubai
The outer walls of the building are covered with round holes of different diameters, which gives the skyscraper a futuristic look. There are more than a thousand holes in total, and the thickness of the concrete shell in which the “holes” are made is about 40 cm.
4. Torres de Hercules, Andalusia
The height of the two towers, united by a glazed passage, is 126 meters. Attention to the skyscraper is attracted by the unusual concrete decor of the facade, which is a pattern with the phrase "Non Plus Ultra" (Nowhere else) encrypted in it.
3. Kingdom Center, Riyadh
This skyscraper of an unusual design was awarded the nickname "opener". The total height of the tower is 302 meters, and the observation platform at the top of the building is a 50-meter promenade called the Sky Bridge.
The Emporis Skyscraper Award, a prestigious architectural competition, annually ranks high-rise buildings with outstanding architecture. The most beautiful skyscrapers in the world vying for the right to get on the honor roll. Recently, the results were announced among the skyscrapers built in 2012. The authoritative jury singled out 11 buildings out of more than 300 skyscrapers.
Ninth place was shared by three nominees at once - Renaissance Barcelona Fira Hotel (Spain), Dumankaya IKON (Turkey) and Zhenghou Greenland Plaza (China) - in the photo from left to right.
Eighth place at the headquarters of the bank of the same name - the UniCredit tower in Milan. The skyscraper with a height of 218m is also considered the tallest in Italy.
On the seventh line is the Turkish skyscraper Varyap Meridian in Istanbul. It is the tallest tower (244m) in the complex of five buildings.
Ranked sixth is the Perl River Tower in Guangzhou, China. The skyscraper is not only one of the ten most beautiful skyscrapers in the world, but is also considered the most energy efficient. The presence of through technical floors along the entire height of the facade allows you to use the energy of the sun and wind for your own needs.
Our compatriot, the House on Mosfilmovskaya in Moscow, closes the top five. The residential complex is represented by two skyscrapers connected to each other. Facing is made of light stone.
Fourth place at the Canadian skyscraper The Bow (means "stretched bow") in Calgary. The name of the tower was given in honor of the Bow River, which flows through the entire city. The river bed is quite winding, so the glazed facade of the building is also made in the form of an arc.
Bronze at the Burj Qatar skyscraper in Doha. The building has absolutely no external corners, and the metal openwork frame, in addition to aesthetic, also performs a sun protection function.
The second place belongs to the Al Bahr towers in Abu Dhabi. The advantage of the complex is a patterned facade, consisting of thousands of moving elements. Depending on the time of day and the position of the sun, the elements on the buildings move, protecting the interior from the scorching rays. Such is the tandem of architecture and innovation.
The honorable first place is occupied by the Absolute World Tower in Mississauga, Canada. The buildings are notable for their twisted shape, narrowed in the center. The twin towers are rotated 209 degrees from base to top. With the help of such an unusual solution, the architects managed to achieve the visual effect of the rotation of skyscrapers. In the people, they were nicknamed "Marilyn Monroe", allegedly for their similarity with the curves of the diva's figure.
It should be noted that Moscow skyscrapers are not inferior to foreign skyscrapers and have been repeatedly included in the Emporis Skyscraper Award rating. So, in 2010, the Moscow tower of the City of Capitals complex got into the top ten, in 2007. - The tower on the Embankment, by the way, these two towers are one of, in 2005. - Triumph Palace, in 2003. - Edelweiss and Scarlet Sails.
There are beautiful and graceful towers all over the world, in different countries, on different continents, serving many different purposes. Most of you are aware of these towers being famous landmarks in their respective countries.
But you may not know about some of them, which will make you take a trip to visit one of these magnificent towers. Such a journey will allow you to enjoy the pure beauty and details, for which you do not need to be an architectural expert. Visiting these ten graceful towers can be an exciting, new and interesting type of vacation that can be enjoyed by all ages, hobbies and interests!
CN Tower in Toronto The CN Tower, located in Downtown Toronto in Canada, is a very tall and extremely narrow tower reaching a height of 553.33 meters. Construction of the CN Tower began in 1973 and was completed in 1976. The CN Tower represents Canada's National Tower and was built for a number of reasons. Its main purposes were to serve as an observation tower, a telecommunications tower, a restaurant and an attractive Toronto landmark. Between 1976 and 2007, the CN Tower in Canada was ranked as the tallest tower in the world, as well as the tallest freestanding structure in the world.
Three Pagodas of Dali, China
Dating back to the Dali Kingdom and the Nanzhao Kingdom, the Three Pagodas are a series of three separate towers located in Dali, China. The three towers are set at equal distances from each other, forming a kind of triangular shape, with one of the towers placed in front of the group and the other two forming a symmetrical triangular shape. The towers of the three pagodas are made of bricks and covered with white clay, which is reminiscent of the traditional style of ancient Buddhist architecture. 
Svan towers in Georgia
The Svan towers are located in the historic Georgian province of Svaneti. It is a very popular destination among tourists who choose to visit the city to explore the area's World Heritage Sites, as well as the many other historical and cultural landmarks in the area. The most popular attraction that attracts large volumes of tourists is the group of Svaneti Towers, which were built during the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th centuries to make the villages of the region more attractive. 
Towers of Bologna, Italy
In the city of Bologna in Italy, the city's most famous landmark is a group of towers that are known as the Towers of Bologna. Within this group, there are two towers that are especially popular and visited by tourists. They are called so - the Two Towers of Bologna. They are believed to have been built during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, however, the reason for the construction is still not clear. 
Eiffel Tower, Paris
It's impossible to make a list of the top ten best towers on earth without mentioning one of the most famous towers in the world - the French Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower is located in a large open square in the French capital, Paris. The tower reaches a huge three hundred twenty-four meters in length and is one of the most famous landmarks of the city and the country. The height of the building is really impressive, and you can take the elevator to the highest platform. Construction work on the Eiffel Tower was originally started in 1887 and was completed just two years later, in 1889. Among the sights of Paris, the tower occupies a leading position in terms of attendance. 
Qutub Minar tower in Delhi
The Qutub Minar in Delhi, India is one of the longest and narrowest towers on earth. It reaches a height of 72.5 meters and is composed of three hundred and seventy-nine stairs that are inside the tower. Nearby are many other medieval ancient buildings and ruins. Construction work on Qutb Minar began in 1192 and was completed a few years later. The tower has survived earthquakes and natural destruction, and has been reconstructed several times. In 1993, the tower was officially opened to the public as a tourist attraction. 
Belém Tower in Lisbon
Belém Tower, located in the Portuguese city of Lisbon, was built during the early sixteenth century and is also known as St. Vincent's Tower. Belen is a fortified tower located on a fortress that once protected the city and country from intruders and dangerous threats. Although the tower is classified as Lisbon territory in Portugal, it is actually located on a very small island off the coast, but is still classified as part of the Lisbon municipality. It was because of its location that the Lisbon earthquake of 1744 did not affect the castle, while destroying many buildings on the mainland. 
London Big Ben
It's no secret that England's capital London is a world famous place, being one of the most important cities in the world, a popular tourist destination and home to a variety of different attractions. One of the city's most famous landmarks, the iconic clock tower Big Ben sits on the banks of the River Thames. Big Ben is often used as a backdrop to various news channels, where announcers begin their countdown to midnight on New Year's Day. 
Galata Tower in Istanbul
The Galata Tower is located in the large Turkish city of Istanbul. It reaches a height of 62.59 meters and consists of nine floors. This is a great place to visit while in the city of Istanbul as you can come here to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and see Istanbul from the heights. Climbing to the top of the tower, which was originally built as a sentry in 1348, you will enjoy fantastic panoramic views of this charming and popular Turkish city. Read about the sights of Istanbul in a separate article. 
spiral minaret
Located in Qassem Darwish Fakhru - the Islamic Center of Doha in Qatar - the Spiral Minaret is a structure that was only recently built and is now one of Doha's most famous and most visited landmarks. Despite being called a mosque, Doha's Spiral Minaret is not really one. At night, the tower is illuminated, making it look twice as imposing as it is during daytime, highlighting the beauty and imposing shape of Doha's spiral minaret. 
World of travel
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03.06.14 14:20
“Babylonian pandemonium!” - sometimes we say, without thinking that we are remembering one of the most famous towers. Its existence is confirmed by religious and historical sources. But we will talk about the "tall beauties", "old" or "young" decorating our planet today.
The most beautiful towers in the world
clock towers
Some of these structures became famous not at all for how many record meters they rushed to the sky.
Exquisite and unusual clock towers. Back in 1490, the old city hall of Prague was decorated with a clock. According to legend, the great master Hanush created this miracle with 12 moving apostles and the skeleton of Death. To prevent him from repeating this work of art, the watchmaker was deprived of his sight, and he cursed the watch. They froze for almost a century. But now they delight tourists with their shows. Death pulls on the rope, while she looks at the hourglass in the other hand of the skeleton. And the apostles are on the move.
Much later (in 1888) a clock tower appeared on the gate leading to the old part of the city of Cartagena. Gate "Torre del Reloy" - one of the attractions of Colombia.
In the last minutes of each year, we all sit at the festive tables in anticipation of the chiming clock, announcing: it has happened, January 1 has come! The Spasskaya Tower of the Moscow Kremlin is also a remarkably beautiful tower, decorated with a dial.
The most famous Big Ben, a 315-foot granite giant, is rightfully a symbol of the capital of Great Britain (once the bell inside the tower was called "Big Ben", then this name spread to the entire structure). Although they tried to rename the majestic building into the Elizabeth Tower, out of habit everyone calls it the good old nickname.
The Hindus have their own copy of Big Ben, Rajabai.
Don't let them fall!
The "queen" of the falling towers is the Pisa built in the middle of the XIV century. But she has "comrades in misfortune", which for some reason are undeservedly forgotten. And these are also pretty towers!
For example, the tilt of the German medieval bell tower (the church is called Zuurhusen) is slightly larger than the tilt of its Italian "sister" (the difference is 1.22 degrees).
Another (and also located in Germany) tower stands on the windy outskirts. Scientists have calculated that Frankenhausen deviates by 6 cm annually, so the beauty must be saved urgently!
Italian Church of St. Martino (another name is the Burano tower, after the island on which it is located), two Dutch landmarks ("Oude Kerk" and "Bedum") are also considered legendary leaning towers.
The best of the best
At the very beginning of 2010, the United Arab Emirates again surprised the whole world by solemnly opening its next miracle. It took almost 6 years to build a very beautiful high-rise Burj Khalifa tower. Its top is at a dizzying height of 828 meters. And its infrastructure, including high-speed elevators, is worthy of the warmest praise. Viewing the surroundings of Dubai from its observation deck is a favorite pastime for travelers.
The pride of Toronto is the CN Tower. It is much smaller - about 553 m, but until 2007, this Canadian treasure was considered the highest building on the planet.
His record was broken by the Chinese Guangzhou TV Tower. Its observation platform can take 10 thousand tourists a day, the panorama is breathtaking - after all, the building rises 610 meters above the city!
"Shorty" (324 m) looks next to these "tall" modern buildings of the Eiffel Tower. But without it it is difficult to imagine Paris. So, it should definitely be mentioned in this story!
But the most impressive - in terms of beauty and design - is called the 250-meter 81-story building "Aqua", located in Chicago. True, it looks like a frozen iceberg with influxes of ice jets?
