USA vs. China Skyscraper Comparison

The United States has invented the skyscraper and has for a long time been the world's pioneer in building super-tall buildings, but China is rushing to claim the throne. In this video, we are comparing the world's tallest skyscrapers in the United States and China. We travel to Shanghai, where the Chinese government has recently completed a triad of super-talls, breaking the record for the nation's tallest skyscraper, and we discover how these mega-projects measure up to the proud legacy of the American skyscrapers. Before we continue, make sure to like this video and subscribe to Top Luxury. Let us know in the comments below which of these 7 mega-tall skyscrapers was your favorite. Number 7. Willis Tower. The tallest building that currently overlooks Chicago's famous skyline is the Willis Tower. The building is 442 meters or 1,450 feet tall and was completed in 1973 and was the tallest building in the world at the time. For the next 25 years, it managed to hold on to this title until the record was broken with the completion of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur. Nowadays, the tower is still one of Chicago's most popular tourist attractions. The 103rd floor of the tower features the highest observation deck in the United States. From here, you can overlook 80 kilometers in each direction and you can see four states. There is also a small glass box, known as the ledge, which tourists that aren't easily frightened can step onto and enjoy a view of the city unlike anything else. The building is occupied by several commercial tenants and was formerly known as the Sears Tower. It was renamed in 2009 as a term on the lease of the Willis Group, who is currently still renting office space in the building. The largest tenant, however, is United Airlines, who occupy 20 floors. Number 6. Central Park Tower. The United States is still currently working on megaprojects that break global records. In New York City, for example, the construction of the world's tallest residential tower is nearing completion, the Central Park Tower. The tower is the tallest in a series of slender superstructures that are being built on West 57th Street, just south of Central Park. The buildings are almost exclusively intended for high-end apartments, and the staggering price tags have earned these giants the nickname Billionaires' Row. The Central Park Tower is scheduled to be completed in late 2020 and will be 472 meters or 1,550 feet tall. The bottom floors are rented out to the luxury department store Nordstrom. There are 179 top luxury condominiums with prices starting at $6.5 million for a two-bedroom apartment. All the way up to the top, at the 131st floor, is the highest penthouse in the world. A four-bedroom apartment with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the park and with a private outdoor pool, it is listed for $95 million. Number 5. Shanghai World Financial Center If we take a look at the megaprojects on the other side of the Pacific, we find a much more common approach to building high-rises. Probably the most famous skyline of China is that of Shanghai. The city has the most populous urban area in the country and is commonly referred to as the World Center for Finance, Technology, and Transportation. One of the most iconic buildings in China is situated in the Pudong area, across from the Old Town of Shanghai. This is the Shanghai World Financial Center. The construction of this super-tall building started in 1997 and was officially finished 11 years later in 2008. The building is occupied by a mixture of companies, a museum, shopping malls, and a five-star hotel. The Park Hyatt Hotel was the highest hotel in the world when the building finished construction. It is home to the renowned Water's Edge Spa, which combines luxury relaxation with a sweeping view of the city's skyline and Huangpu River. The tower is 492 meters or 1,615 feet tall, almost 100 meters taller than the Empire State Building in New York. But it is currently not even near to the tallest building in China. Number 4. Guangzhou and Tianjin CTF Finance Centers The next two buildings on our list are skyscrapers of record-breaking heights, the Guangzhou and Tianjin CTF Finance Centers. These two superstructures both reach a height of 530 meters or 1,740 feet and are respectively the 7th and 8th tallest buildings in the world. They both serve a broad variety of purposes. They offer service departments, hotel rooms, office spaces, and leisure to the rich and powerful. Guangzhou and Tianjin are both mega-cities in China, with a population exceeding that of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. They are respectively situated next to Hong Kong and Beijing. The government construction companies have acquired a taste for neo-futuristic skyscrapers, and these large metropolitan areas are the stage for innovation. Both cities are infamous for their seismic activity, and the developers had to adhere to a strict code of requirements from the Chinese government. The Tianjin Tower, for example, integrated eight sloping mega-columns, which improved the strength and stability of the structure. For the same reasons, the tower in Guangzhou had to use an abnormally thick concrete foundation. Number 3. One World Trade Center Half of the top 10 tallest buildings in the world are currently located in China, but the U.S. is not sitting still. The 6th tallest building in the world was completed in Lower Manhattan in 2013, the One World Trade Center. With a height of 541 meters or 1,774 feet, it is the tallest building in the United States and the Western Hemisphere. It is a monument to freedom and the American dream. The building has been reconstructed in an effort to memorialize the 9-11 attacks, which brought down the original World Trade Center in 2001. The tower is part of a series of towers that are located on the original site of the 9-11 attacks. The whole project consists of six supertalls, of which two are still under construction. One World Trade Center, also known as the Freedom Tower, is the tallest of them all. The series of buildings have a modern design with large glass facades. It offers exclusive commercial space to the richest and most successful companies in the nation. The area is also an important transportation hub and provides quick connections to Brooklyn, Midtown, and Staten Island. Number 2. Ping An Finance Center Even taller than the One World Trade Center is a newly finished building in the Chinese metropolis of Shenzhen. The Ping An Finance Center is 599 meters or 1,965 feet tall. It is the second tallest building in China and the fourth tallest in the world. It features the highest observation deck in the world at a staggering height of 541 meters or 1,775 feet, even surpassing the observation deck of the famous Burj Khalifa. The building is primarily occupied by high-end retailers and commercial tenants. The main tenant, unsurprisingly, is Ping An Insurance, after which the building is named. The design is meant to represent the history and achievements of this successful Chinese company. Number 1. Shanghai Tower To find the tallest building in China and the last building in today's video, we have to go back to Shanghai. Towering above the iconic skyline is the Shanghai Tower. The Shanghai Tower is the second tallest building in the world. It reaches a height of 632 meters or 2,074 feet, twice the size of the Eiffel Tower and 200 meters taller than the Empire State Building. This building is the undefeated champion of Chinese engineering. The building reached the news in western countries when in 2015, two urban explorers, Vadim Makarov and Vitaly Raskolov, managed to bypass security and climb to the top of the building. They filmed their adventure and celebrated the Chinese New Year inside a crane at the top of the building. The video went viral on YouTube and became one of the duo's most-watched videos of all time. The Shanghai Tower is part of a megaproject by the Chinese government, just like the World Financial Center. Perhaps the most remarkable thing about this tower is its unique design. The structure is made up of several cylindrical buildings that are stacked atop each other. These are enclosed by a glass facade which twists and rises to hundreds of meters above the ground. There are, in total, 97 elevators that service the building, which travel with speeds up to 76 kilometers per hour or 47 miles per hour. The interior design is just as spectacular as the exterior. Each of the divisions has an atrium, many featuring gardens, restaurants, and retail spaces. Here, you can enjoy the most spectacular panoramic views of the city. The whole building can accommodate 16,000 people every day. The Chinese economy is growing fast, and many people are moving to the cities. There is an enormous demand for living and working space. 5 out of the 10 world's tallest buildings are currently in China, where the United States only adds one name to the list. The United States invented the skyscraper, and now has inspired the rest of the world to catch up. Which skyscraper did you like the most? Let us know in the comments below. If you enjoyed this video, make sure to hit the like button and subscribe to Top Luxury. Thank you for watching and we'll see you in the next video.