Shenzhen's China Resources Headquarters is the fourth tallest building completed in 2018.
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  • The year's tallest skyscrapers include a number of luxury towers around the world.
  • The structures feature notable design elements like helipads, sky gardens, and an indoor skating rink.
  • 2018's tallest building, the Citic Tower in Beijing, draws inspiration from an ancient wine vessel.


This was a landmark year for new construction, with more than 140 skyscrapers erected across the globe.

The number falls short of 2017's total, but represents the second-highest tally ever recorded, according to data from the Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).

The vast majority of tall buildings completed in 2018 are located in China, which underwent a major construction boom, producing more skyscrapers than anywhere else in the world.

The nation is now home to half of the world's 100 tallest skyscrapers, including the Citic Tower, a mammoth structure that tops out at more than 1,700 feet (518 metres).

Take a look at some of the tallest buildings completed in 2018.


The year's tallest tower was named after a wine vessel.

At more than 1,700 feet (518 metres), the Citic Tower in Beijing is the tallest structure built in 2018, and the eighth tallest structure in the world, according to the CTBUH.

The skyscraper is commonly known as China Zun, a reference to the ancient wine vessel that inspired its curvature.

Earlier this year, Chinese national security officials were worried that the building's top three floors housed a secret view of the Zhongnanhai complex - the official residence of China's president, Xi Jinping, and other top political leaders. A Singapore-based paper reported that the government has assumed ownership of those top three floors, but Business Insider could not independently verify the claim.

Read more: Saudi Arabia is building the world's tallest skyscraper - here's what it will look like


Vietnam's Landmark 81 tower contains an indoor skating rink, movie theater, and five-star hotel.

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Vietnam's Landmark 81 tower is part of a $1.5 billion (R21 billion) mixed-use development called Vinhomes Central Park, which stretches across Ho Chi Minh City.

Residents of the tower's luxury apartments have access to a pool, spa, and outdoor lounge. Visitors at the commercial center can enjoy a gym, movie theater, and indoor skating rink.

The tower also features a five-star hotel and three-floor observation deck, which offers unparalleled waterfront views.


The third tallest tower of 2018, built in Hong Kong, has a slightly shorter twin.

Tower 1 of the Changsha complex in Hong Kong is about 500 feet (152 metres) taller than its twin, which stands at around 1,000 feet (304 metres).

Though the two towers are structurally similar, Tower 1 features a 2.5 million-square-foot mega-mall (over 200 000 square-metre), along with luxury office space and a six-star hotel.

The building is the 13th tallest in the world, according to the CTBUH.


Locals call Shenzhen's third tallest building Spring Bamboo.

Sparktour/Wikimedia Commons

China Resources Headquarters is unmistakable for its rocket-like structure and reflective glass panels, which illuminate the Shenzhen skyline.

At just under 1,300 feet (396 metres) tall , the building anchors a waterfront business district that includes office, retail, residential, and public space.

Its shape closely resembles a bamboo shoot, lending it the popular nickname Spring Bamboo.


There's a helipad at the top of China's Logan Century 1.

The design of China's Logan Century 1 is also nature-inspired - it mimics the shape of a blooming flower.

Aluminum fins on the facade help to conserve energy, while the sides are covered in tinted glass.

At the top of the tower is a helipad and observation deck, where visitors can gaze across the lush city of Nanning.


The Hanking Center Tower has a detached core that's connected to the main building by a series of sky bridges.

Like many of its peers, the Hanking Center Tower was designed to house Shenzhen's growing share of tech companies.

At around 1,150 feet (350 metres), the skyscraper is the tallest building the world that has a detached core. The core is connected to the main tower by a series of sky bridges.

While the building's main tower stretches high into the sky, it also features a ground-level center with an atrium and communal gardens.


Malaysia's Four Seasons Place has been criticized for obstructing an iconic view.

gionnixxx/Getty

Four Seasons Place was the seventh tallest building completed in 2018, and it's now the third tallest hotel in the world.

The project in Kuala Lumpur was sanctioned by Malaysia's former prime minister, Najib Razak. But it has caused some controversy because it obstructs the view of the Petronas Twin Towers, the world's tallest twin buildings.

The new tower's 68 floors - including three below ground - house hundreds of luxury apartments and hotel rooms.


Philadelphia's Comcast Technology Center was the tallest building to be completed this year in the United States.

Wikimedia Commons

The United States is home to just one of the top 10 tallest skyscrapers completed in 2018, and 13 of the top 100.

This year's crown jewel is the Comcast Technology Center in Philadelphia, which stands at more than 1,100 feet (335 metres).

The building is home to a 12-story hotel and NBC television studios, as well as 13 three-story sky gardens.

A group of young architects also designed a method to counteract swaying on windy days, installing five dampers in the ceiling that hold 125,000 gallons (473 000 litres) of water.

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