Here we’re going to count down the top five coolest skyscrapers in the world. This is
just in our opinion and it’s not based on a public vote or anything sensible like that.
Our only rule here is that these have to have been built, they can’t be wacky ideas that
someone has dreamt up that are never actually going to become a reality. Enjoy!
At number five is the crazy looking Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort in China.
Built on the Taihu Lake near Shanghai, the building’s main structure stands 27 storeys
tall and houses 282 standard rooms as well as numerous suites.
Whilst the building may appear to be a horseshoe it’s actually a complete oval, as further
levels hidden underground complete the form.
I really like number four; this is Bosco Verticale in Milan and it’s just like nothing I’ve
ever seen before.
The literal translation means “vertical forest” and it’s easy to see how it acquired
that name. The project is one 18 storey tower and another 26 storey tower planted with over
900 trees across its levels. They help to moderate the building’s temperature in summer
and winter, as well as attenuating noise and combating some of the city’s smog.
The design was subject to strict load monitoring and wind tunnel testing to ensure that the
trees could not topple or be blown over.
In at number three is 30 St Mary Axe in the UK. Now it’s not the tallest building in
London by any means but it is, in my opinion, the coolest.
Built on the former site of the Baltic Exchange that was destroyed by a Provisional IRA bomb
in the early 90’s, the 41 storey tower contains six shafts that twist up through its floors
providing natural ventilation. The tower’s form widens as it rises, responding to the
tight site constraints at street level. The Foster and Partners design won the prestigious
Stirling Prize in 2004, becoming the first building to do so by a unanimous judge’s decision.
Second place for me is a slightly left-of-field entry; the 190m Turning Torso Tower in Sweden.
This building was designed to become a landmark for the country and it certainly achieves
that. The tower’s twisting structure is formed of nine, five-storey segments that
house office space and 147 apartments. It reaches a height of 54 storeys in total.
Top place for me actually goes to a bit of an older structure; this is the Transamerica
Pyramid in the heart of San Francisco.
Completed in 1972 and standing 48 storeys high, the building is an iconic part of the
San Francisco skyline and has featured in many films. Its pyramid form rises to 260m
and two fins on the East and West elevations accommodate a lift and stairwell. The building’s
floor plate reduces as it rises meaning that only two of the tower’s 18 lifts actually
reach the top floor.
The viewing platform is now closed but visitors can access a 360 degree video feed of the
view from the ground floor. Perfect if you’re not keen on heights.