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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.

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