25 Iconic Skyscrapers in the World – Taipei 101 Makes the List

By MOOK Travel Life Network, Reported by Chen Guanxin

 

When it comes to skyscrapers, the ambition of cities around the world to reach higher and challenge the skyline has pushed human activity ever further from the ground. Among the many globally renowned high-rises, the American architecture firm KPF and CNN jointly announced a list of the 25 most iconic skyscrapers in the world, including Taipei 101, the Burj Al Arab, and the International Finance Centre in Hong Kong. The selection criteria did not prioritize height but focused on the buildings’ representativeness—whether for their designers, their host cities, or their local cultures, each holds an irreplaceable status.

Taipei 101, which made this list of the world’s 25 iconic skyscrapers, was chosen not only for its bamboo-like appearance—its jointed design resembles a bamboo shoot growing upward, symbolizing perseverance and resilience, and reflecting traditional Chinese culture and imagery—but also because it was once the world’s first skyscraper to exceed 500 meters in height. Its high-speed elevators, which can ascend at a rate of 1,010 meters per minute, also set a world record. Other selected skyscrapers include New York’s Empire State Building, Bangkok’s Elephant Tower, Tokyo’s Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower, Macau’s Grand Lisboa Hotel, Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands, London’s Shard Tower, and Frankfurt’s Deutsche Bank Headquarters.

 

The World’s 25 Iconic Skyscrapers:

Building Name	Location	Completion/Open Date
Empire State Building	New York, USA	May 1931
Chrysler Building	New York, USA	May 1930
Transamerica Pyramid	San Francisco, USA	1972
One World Trade Center	New York, USA	2013
CCTV Headquarters	Beijing, China	2012
Shanghai World Financial Center	Shanghai, China	2008
Bank of China Tower	Hong Kong, China	1990
Two International Finance Center	Hong Kong, China	2008
Hotel & Casino Grand Lisboa	Macau, China	2008
Taipei 101	Taipei, Taiwan	2004
Tokyo Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower	Tokyo, Japan	2008
Elephant Tower	Bangkok, Thailand	1997
Bitexco Financial Tower	Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam	2010
Petronas Twin Towers	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	1996
Marina Bay Sands	Singapore	2010
Ryugyong Hotel	Pyongyang, North Korea	N/A
Bahrain World Trade Center	Manama, Bahrain	2008
Kingdom Centre	Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	2002
Burj Al Arab	Dubai	1999
Burj Khalifa	Dubai	2009
Commerzbank Headquarters	Frankfurt, Germany	1997
The Shard	London, United Kingdom	2012
Torre Agbar	Barcelona, Spain	2004
Turning Torso	Malmö, Sweden	2005
St. Mary Axe	London, United Kingdom	2003