The annual Skyscraper Awards is hosted by Emporis, a real estate data mining company, and the results are in for 2015's most beautiful building with the Shanghai Tower, coming out on top. Located in the city center, the tower won ahead of Moscow's Evolution Tower which landed in second place, and features a similar twisting form to the Shanghai Tower.
Featuring the world's highest restaurant, the Shanghai Tower was designed by the architecture firm Gensler and Chinese architect Jun Xia. With a whopping height of 2,073 feet, it comes second only to Dubai's Burj Khalifa as the world's tallest building.
According to Stuff NZ, the $2.4billion budget was well-planned and went mainly into the development of the 127-storey glass skyscraper, located in the financial district of Pudong, that twists and rotates upon a linear axis. The project was hence completed in 2015, after nearly 7 years of construction.
Business Insider says that besides its incredible height and one of a kind form, the Shanghai Tower is also home to the world's fastest elevators, and features a swimming pool, observation deck, lounge and restaurant on one of its upper floors with a 360 degree view of Shanghai. The rest of the building is home to shops, restaurants and offices.
The unique form is also resplendent and echoes the architectural trends for extremely tall skyscrapers and twisting towers. Countries in the Middle East and Asia are quickly trying to innovate and create new technological advancements in design, engineering and construction in order to make their mark in a world full of plain, linear buildings.
Emporis' jury claims that the Shanghai Tower won the 2015 Skyscraper Award because of its "architectural excellence, both in design and function". To qualify for their "Skyscraper Awards", buildings must meet a minimum height of 100m (about 30 storeys).
Check out the amazing timelapse video of the Shanghai Tower's construction, here.
This article is copyrighted by Travelers Today, the travel news leader
