Rose Rotana Tower in Dubai is the world's tallest building completed in 2007

UAE. Soaring 333 metres high with 72 stories and 480 suites, Rose Rotana Tower in Dubai leads the list of the ten tallest buildings completed in 2007, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) reported recently. The tower, which is developed by Bonyan International Investment Group, is also regarded as the world’s tallest single-use hotel building.

Of further relevance in the list is the fact that the Middle East region has displaced China by having the most buildings in the ‘annual tallest constructed’ list. Four out of the tallest ten buildings built during 2007 are located in the UAE and Bahrain, which reflects the massive building boom that continues in the Middle East.

According to a recent CTBUH report, The New York Times Building in the US (at 319 metres) and the China International Center Tower (at 269 meters) were second and third respectively.

While, the 268 metres Naberezhnaya Tower in Moscow was fourth, the 261 metre Hotel Panorama in Hong Kong was fifth, the 260 metre Dual Tower One and Two in Manama Bahrain were sixth and seventh respectively. Emirates Marina Serviced Apartments and Spa at 254 meters was at number eight and the 250 metre Park Tower in China was ninth, while the 248 metre Mid Town Tower in Japan came in at tenth place.

To be eligible for consideration, the buildings should have been completed in 2007 and either be “open for business” or at “least partially occupied”, according to CTBUH Executive Director Antony Wood. The criteria for the tallest buildings in the world includes any building where the majority of the floors are utilised for residential, business or manufacturing purposes.

“When speaking of the tallest buildings in the world, it is important to specify exactly what is being measured. The CTBUH is the authoritative source for information about the tallest buildings in the world, and our list of the tallest buildings - drawn from an extensive database - is based on the height of the building to the structural or architectural top, which includes spires and pinnacles, but does not include antennas, masts or flagpoles,” Wood explained.

“As cities and their skylines continue to evolve, tall buildings can make positive contributions to city life,” argued Wood. “They can affect the image and identity of a city as a whole and serve as beacons of regeneration and stimulate further investment. Therefore, tall building design and construction has a role in addressing the need for both a dense, sustainable city and all-inclusive urban living.”

Contrary to prevalent assumptions just a decade or two ago that the tallest buildings in the world would be located in the United States, CTBUH’s list of the projected 20 buildings set to be the world’s tallest in 2020 shows that nine of the tallest buildings in the world will be in Asia, eight in the Middle East, two in North America and one in Europe.

According to the council, “Al Burj tower in the UAE will lead the list of the 20 tallest buildings in 2020 if built, followed by Mubarak Tower in Kuwait and Burj Dubai in the UAE. The Doha Convention Center in Qatar will come in at tenth and the Pentominium Tower and Burj Al-Alam in Dubai will be 12th and 13th respectively. Abraj Al-Bait in Saudi Arabia will be 17th and DAMAC Heights in Dubai will be 19th.”

“The most startling feature of the ‘Tallest 20 in 2020’ is that we can see in little more than a decade that the world’s current tallest building – Taipei 101 – actually stands at 14th in the list, while the Petronas Towers, currently 2nd and 3rd, will be 20th. Furthermore iconic buildings such as the Sears Tower and Empire State Building, the latter of which has been in the tallest ten for over 70 years, are nowhere to be seen,” added Wood.

Following the collapse of the World Trade Center Towers many questioned the purpose of continuing to build tall. With the unprecedented levels of tall building activity today, and the vast quantities of research that has – and continues to be – undertaken in the quest to improve and increase the social, economic and environmental benefits of this typology, tall buildings will continue to boast an integral part of contemporary cityscapes.

“Within the next two years, the Burj Dubai is set to be completed at over 800 metres in height, some 300 metres taller than the world’s current tallest, Taipei 101. With new high-rise proposals continually striving for these massive heights, the dizzying realization of a mile-high tower is perhaps not that far away,” he concluded.

Entitled 'Tall & Green: Typology for a Sustainable Urban Future', the CTBUH 8th Congress will be held in Dubai from 3-5 March 2008 and it will gather more than 600 building professionals from around the world to discuss the new generation of skyscraper form: tall, articulated towers, mega-projects and ‘new’ cities in future urban developments. The congress will also discuss the design of tall buildings and technologies concerned with energy use reduction and energy generation. 

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat  holds a conference every year, but a World Congress – of which the Dubai will be the 8th – only once every four to five years.