flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

20 tallest towers that were never completed

20 tallest towers that were never completed

Remember the Chicago Spire? What about Russia Tower? These are two of the tallest building projects that were started, but never completed, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.


By CTBUH | November 29, 2014
Construction work started on the Santiago Calatrava-designed Chicago Spire in 20
Construction work started on the Santiago Calatrava-designed Chicago Spire in 2007, but was halted a year later due to the econo

In the world of tall building construction, projects can stall for any number of reasons—financial, political, cultural—and for long periods of time. 

The CTBUH Research team, in the latest installment of Tall Buildings in Numbers, has undertaken to find the top 20 tallest never-completed buildings, and the 15 longest construction periods from 1985 to the present, listing the stop and start dates, and last known status of these 35 projects.

We learned a lot along the way, turning up some interesting findings on familiar names and long-forgotten projects alike, including:
• Now over 28 years since it started construction, Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongang holds the record for longest construction period by over seven years.
• There are 50 buildings 150 meters or taller currently on hold (i.e., construction had started and stopped, but is planned to resume) around the world.
• The Palace of Soviets in Moscow was actually started in 1937, but construction was halted during frame construction with the coming of World War II. It would have been topped with a statue of Joseph Stalin, making it the world’s tallest structure
• Now over 28 years since it started construction, Ryugyong Hotel in Pyongang holds the record for longest construction period by over seven years.

 

 
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE Source: CTBUH

 

 
CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE Source: CTBUH

 

Read the full CTBUH report.

Related Stories

Sponsored | Performing Arts Centers | Jan 17, 2024

Performance-based facilities for performing arts boost the bottom line

A look at design trends for “budget-wise” performing arts facilities reveals ways in which well-planned and well-built facilities help performers and audiences get the most out of the arts. This continuing education course is worth 1.0 AIA learning unit.

Giants 400 | Jan 15, 2024

Top 130 Hospital Facility Architecture Firms for 2023

HKS, HDR, Stantec, CannonDesign, and Page Southerland Page top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest hospital facility architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report.

Airports | Jan 15, 2024

How to keep airports functional during construction

Gensler's aviation experts share new ideas about how to make the airport construction process better moving forward.

Adaptive Reuse | Jan 12, 2024

Office-to-residential conversions put pressure on curbside management and parking

With many office and commercial buildings being converted to residential use, two important issues—curbside management and parking—are sometimes not given their due attention. Cities need to assess how vehicle storage, bike and bus lanes, and drop-off zones in front of buildings may need to change because of office-to-residential conversions.

MFPRO+ News | Jan 12, 2024

As demand rises for EV chargers at multifamily housing properties, options and incentives multiply

As electric vehicle sales continue to increase, more renters are looking for apartments that offer charging options.

Student Housing | Jan 12, 2024

UC Berkeley uses shipping containers to block protestors of student housing project

The University of California at Berkeley took the drastic step of erecting a wall of shipping containers to keep protestors out of a site of a planned student housing complex. The $312 million project would provide badly needed housing at the site of People’s Park. 

Giants 400 | Jan 12, 2024

Top 10 Casino Architecture Firms for 2023

JCJ Architecture, HBG Design, Gensler, and WATG top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest casino architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report.

Senior Living Design | Jan 11, 2024

Designing for personal technology is crucial for senior living facilities

Today’s seniors are increasingly tech savvy. It isn’t enough to give senior living residents a pre-determined bundle of technology and assume that they’ll be satisfied.

Giants 400 | Jan 11, 2024

Top 40 Convention Center Architecture Firms for 2023

TVS, Populous, Arcadis North America, Gensler, and EUA top BD+C's ranking of the nation's largest convention center and event facility architecture and architecture engineering (AE) firms for 2023, as reported in the 2023 Giants 400 Report.

Architects | Jan 10, 2024

Award-winning civic design firm RossDrulisCusenbery joins DLR Group

DLR Group today announced the acquisition of Sonoma, California based civic and public safety design firm RossDrulisCusenbery (RDC). The addition of RDC adds focused design excellence of new building types to DLR Group’s global Justice+Civic studio. 

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category

Mass Timber

Charlotte's new multifamily mid-rise will feature exposed mass timber

Construction recently kicked off for Oxbow, a multifamily community in Charlotte’s The Mill District. The $97.8 million project, consisting of 389 rental units and 14,300 sf of commercial space, sits on 4.3 acres that formerly housed four commercial buildings. The street-level retail is designed for boutiques, coffee shops, and other neighborhood services.


Construction Costs

New download: BD+C's May 2024 Market Intelligence Report

Building Design+Construction's monthly Market Intelligence Report offers a snapshot of the health of the U.S. building construction industry, including the commercial, multifamily, institutional, and industrial building sectors. This report tracks the latest metrics related to construction spending, demand for design services, contractor backlogs, and material price trends.



halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021