CTBUH 2016 Year in Review
CTBUH 2016 Year in Review
CTBUH 2016 Year in Review
CTBUH 2016 Year in Review
Completions Timeline Total # of 200m+ Buildings Completions by City Total # of 200m+ Buildings Completions by Location Completions by City Completions by Country 2016 Completions Skyline 2016 Completions by Country Completions Timeline Completions by Country
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Background Image: Torre Reforma <br>(c) Alfonso Merchand LBR&amp;A

CTBUH Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2016

At the beginning of each year, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) publishes a study and report (download PDF) that examines all 200-meter-plus tall buildings that were completed during the previous year. Click the tabs below to see charts related to each topic. The charts and descriptions are interactive. You can click on them to view more information on The Skyscraper Center, our tall building database.

Completions by Country

 

Note: Only countries with at least two completions in 2016 are included in this chart. One tall building 200 m+ in height was also completed during 2016 in these countries: Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Japan, Kuwait, Mexico, Poland, Russia and Saudi Arabia.

For the ninth year running, China had the most 200-meter-plus completions with 84, representing 67% of the global 2016 total, and marking a 24% increase over its previous record of 68 in 2015.

The United States took second place with seven completions, and South Korea followed closely with six. Meanwhile, Indonesia came in fourth with five completions and the Philippines and Qatar trailed with four.

Completions by City

 

Note: Two or fewer tall buildings 200 m+ in height were also completed during 2016 in these cities: Abu Dhabi; Baku; Bangkok; Beijing; Boston; Dubai; Changsha; Foshan; Fuzhou; Guiyang; Hangzhou; Jersey City; Jinan; Kuala Lumpur; Kunshan; Kuwait City; Liuzhou; Makati; Manama; Melbourne; Mexico City; Moscow; Nagoya; Nanning; Ningbo; Qingdao; Riyadh; Shanghai; Singapore; Suzhou; Sydney; Taguig City; Warsaw; Wenzhou; Xiamen; Xi’an; Yiwu; Zhengzhou

Shenzhen had the highest number of 200-meter-plus completions of any city in 2016 with 11 (more than any country other than China managed to complete), while China’s Chongqing and Guangzhou, and Goyang, South Korea tied for second place with six each. The total height of buildings completed in Shenzhen is 2,608 meters.

Completions Timeline

 

The 128 buildings completed in 2016 beat every previous year on record, including the previous record high of 114 completions in 2015. This brings the total number of 200-meter-plus buildings in the world to 1,168, marking a 441% increase from the year 2000, when only 265 existed.

A total of 10 supertalls (buildings of 300 meters or higher) were completed in 2016, fewer than we anticipated this time last year, partly as a result of construction delays typical of buildings in this height range. Nonetheless, 2016 still saw the third-largest number of supertall completions of any year, falling only behind 2015, which saw 14; and 2014, which saw 11.

We currently project the completion of between 125 and 150 buildings of 200 meters' height or greater. Perhaps even more staggering is the fact that 12 to 20 of these buildings are expected to be in the supertall range.

Completions by Location

 

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Asia retained its status as the world’s skyscraper epicenter in 2016, completing 107 buildings, representing 84% of the 128-building total.

The Middle East matched its 2015 numbers with nine completions in 2016, with North America experiencing a slight increase this year, up from four completions in 2015 to seven in 2016.

North America had a big year with seven completions, Australia and Europe make notable appearances on the list with two.

Completions by Function

 

Interestingly, the functional split for tall building completions in 2016 remains almost perfectly consistent with that of previous years. Office functions have by far the highest share, representing 52% of completions with 67, achieving a consecutive all-time record over 2015, in which there were 53. Meanwhile, 38 mixed-use buildings were completed, representing 30% of the total; while 20 residential buildings came online with a share of 16%. Only three all-hotel towers were completed in 2016, representing just 3% of the total. Given that hotel functions are critical components of many mixed-use developments, the low number of completions for hotel-only towers does not indicate a downward trend for the function altogether.

Completions by Material

 

The number of buildings completed in 2016 with composite structural systems hit an all-time high this year, with 68, or 53% of the total. Composite construction represents an effort to use the optimal properties of steel and concrete and counteract their respective weaknesses. Thus, this material trend is expected to continue to dominate, particularly as tall buildings continue to proliferate in seismically active regions like China, which mandate robust structural responses. Concrete construction took the remaining share of completions with 58, or 45% of the total. The significant use of concrete can be attributed to a combination of concrete’s relative ubiquity and lower cost in many regions, as well as its comparative simplicity in construction, which would increase its appeal in regions with lower-skilled labor pools. In 2016, not a single building of 200 meters or higher was completed with an all-steel structural system. The use of steel in tall buildings has almost completely transitioned into composite construction. As of this writing, there are only nineteen 200-meter-plus buildings currently under construction that employ all-steel structural systems.

Skyline: Tallest Building by Year

Tallest By Year 2016 Menara Telekom Kingdom Centre Two International Finance Centre Taipei 101 Q1 Tower Shimao International Plaza Rose Rayhaan Shanghai World Financial Center Trump International Hotel & Tower Burj Khalifa KK100 Makkah Royal Clock Tower Hotel JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai Tower 2 One World Trade Center Shanghai Tower Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre


Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre, Guangzhou, at 530 meters, was the tallest building to complete in 2016, and is now the tallest building in Guangzhou, the second tallest in China, and the fifth tallest in the world.

Average Building Height

 

Although the average height of all 200m+ completions seems to fluctuate each year, the average height of the tallest 100 buildings continues to rise as the industry pushes itself further into the sky.

World's 100 Tallest by Location

 

World's 100 Tallest by Function

 

Mixed-use functions continue to enjoy a plurality in the 100 Tallest list, with 41 buildings, the same count as in 2015. Meanwhile, office functions take a slightly greater share in 2016 with 40 buildings, up from 38 in 2015. Residential and hotel functions have smaller shares, with 12 and seven buildings, respectively.

World's 100 Tallest by Material

 

The 100 Tallest list continues to be dominated by composite construction, with 53 buildings now employing composite systems, up from 46 in 2015. All-concrete and steel primary structures have experienced slight losses, down to 34 buildings for concrete and nine for steel.

List of 2016 Completions

Rank Building Name City Stories m ft
1 Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre Guangzhou, China 111 530 1,739
2 Eton Place Dalian Tower 1 Dalian, China 80 383 1,257
3 Federation Towers - Vostok Tower Moscow, Russia 95 374 1,226
4 Tianjin Modern City Office Tower Tianjin, China 65 338 1,109
5 Global City Square Guangzhou, China 67 319 1,046
6 Chongqing IFS T1 Chongqing, China 62 316 1,037
7 MahaNakhon Bangkok, Thailand 75 314 1,031
= 8 Wanda Plaza 1 Kunming, China 67 307 1,008
= 8 Wanda Plaza 2 Kunming, China 67 307 1,008
10 Shenzhen CFC Changfu Centre Shenzhen, China 68 304 997
11 Riverfront Times Square Shenzhen, China 64 293 961
12 Tanjong Pagar Centre Singapore, Singapore 68 290 951
13 China Chuneng Tower Shenzhen, China 62 289 947
14 Gama Tower Jakarta, Indonesia 64 286 937
15 GT Land Landmark Plaza South Tower Guangzhou, China 47 283 928
16 30 Park Place New York City, USA 67 282 926
= 17 Tianhui Plaza C3 Guangzhou, China 60 270 886
= 17 Greenland Center Tower 1 Xi'an, China 57 270 886
19 Huayuan Center Tower 7 Changsha, China 54 270 885
20 10 Hudson Yards New York City, USA 52 268 878
21 Hongren Fortune Center Wuhan, China 47 265 868
22 Financial Street Heping Center Tianjin, China 47 263 863
= 23 Oriental Plaza T1 Chongqing, China 56 262 860
= 23 Xinglin Bay Business Tower Xiamen, China 54 262 860
25 Beijing Greenland Dawangjing Tower Beijing, China 55 260 853
26 Grand Hyatt Metrocenter Taguig City, Philippines 66 258 848
= 27 Wenzhou Zhixin Plaza Wenzhou, China 53 255 837
= 27 Regent Emirates Pearl Abu Dhabi, UAE 52 255 837
29 Wongtee Plaza Shenzhen, China 65 254 832
30 R&F International Business Center Phase 2 Guangzhou, China 53 253 829
31 Golden Eagle Plaza Kunshan, China 55 252 827
32 56 Leonard Street New York City, USA 57 250 821
= 33 HKRI Centre One Shanghai, China 51 250 820
= 33 Fusheng Qianlong Plaza Fuzhou, China 50 250 820
35 Yunda Central Plaza - St. Regis Hotel Changsha, China 63 249 816
36 Poly Business Center Office Tower Foshan, China 55 248 814
= 37 Torre Reforma Mexico City, Mexico 56 246 807
= 37 Shangbang Leasing Tower Tianjin, China 54 246 807
= 37 Ningbo Bank of China Headquarters Ningbo, China 51 246 807
40 Waldorf Astoria + Magnolias Ratchaprasong Bangkok, Thailand 60 242 794
= 41 Banyan Tree Signatures Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 55 240 787
= 41 Central Bank of Kuwait Kuwait City, Kuwait 42 240 787
43 Xi`an Center Xi'an, China 54 238 781
44 Excellence Century Center Tower 1 Qingdao, China 57 237 779
45 ASE Center R3 Chongqing, China 69 237 777
= 46 Ilsan Yojin Y-City Tower 103 Goyang, South Korea 59 230 755
= 46 Ilsan Yojin Y-City Tower 105 Goyang, South Korea 59 230 755
= 46 Hilton Double Tree Sinyar Tower Doha, Qatar 53 230 755
= 46 International Fortune Plaza Tower A Suzhou, China 44 230 755
50 Shangri-La at the Fort Taguig City, Philippines 63 229 752
51 North Yoker Plaza Tower A Shenyang, China 45 229 751
= 52 Dalian Dingsen Center North Tower Dalian, China 52 228 748
= 52 Dalian Dingsen Center South Tower Dalian, China 52 228 748
= 52 Changchenghui Tower 1 Wuhan, China 43 228 748
55 Kingold Century Guangzhou, China 46 227 745
= 56 Ilsan Yojin Y-City Tower 102 Goyang, South Korea 58 225 738
= 56 Ilsan Yojin Y-City Tower 104 Goyang, South Korea 58 225 738
= 56 Yunzhong Tower 1 Nanchang, China 51 225 738
= 56 Yunzhong Tower 2 Nanchang, China 51 225 738
60 China Resources Building Chongqing, China 44 224 734
= 61 Vision Apartments Melbourne, Australia 69 223 732
= 61 BTPN Office Tower Jakarta, Indonesia 48 223 732
63 Qatar Petroleum District Tower 7 Doha, Qatar 47 223 731
64 Kerry Center Nanchang, China 45 222 728
65 Ilsan Yojin Y-City Tower 106 Goyang, South Korea 57 221 725
= 66 Park Lane Manor 5 Nanning, China 60 220 722
= 66 Park Lane Manor 6 Nanning, China 60 220 722
= 66 Alphaland Makati Place Makati, Philippines 55 220 722
= 66 Warsaw Spire Warsaw, Poland 49 220 722
= 66 Wyndham Centre Chongqing, China 48 220 722
= 66 Shuiwan 1979 Tower Shenzhen, China 47 220 722
= 66 Golden Eagle International Shopping Center Nanjing, China 42 220 722
= 73 Oriental Hope Intertek Plaza 1 Chengdu, China 45 219 719
= 73 Oriental Hope Intertek Plaza 2 Chengdu, China 45 219 719
= 73 Sino Life Insurance Building Shenzhen, China 0 219 719
= 76 China Resources Center 1 Hefei, China 43 218 716
= 77 252 East 57th Street New York City, USA 65 218 715
= 77 Causeway Bay International Plaza Nanchang, China 42 218 715
= 77 Chongqing Rural Commercial Bank Financial Building Chongqing, China 42 218 715
= 77 Zhejiang Television Center Hangzhou, China 42 218 715
81 International Towers Tower 1 Sydney, Australia 51 217 712
= 82 Capital Place Office Tower Jakarta, Indonesia 47 215 706
= 83 Jinshi International Plaza 1 Qingdao, China 54 215 705
= 83 World Trade Center 1 Yiwu, China 0 215 705
85 Four Seasons Tower Tianjin, China 48 215 704
86 Ilsan Yojin Y-City Tower 101 Goyang, South Korea 55 214 702
87 URL Jersey City, USA 70 213 700
88 International Financial Centre Tower 2 Jakarta, Indonesia 49 213 699
89 The 118 Tower Dubai, UAE 46 212 696
90 The Tower Jakarta, Indonesia 50 212 695
91 JR Gate Tower Nagoya, Japan 46 211 693
92 No. 1 Shanghai Shanghai, China 34 210 691
= 93 Fortune Center Residential Tower 1 Liuzhou, China 60 210 689
= 93 Park Terraces Point Tower Makati, Philippines 59 210 689
= 93 Asia-Pacific Center Guiyang, China 55 210 689
= 93 Harmonious Century Tower A Kunming, China 55 210 689
= 93 Harmonious Century Tower B Kunming, China 55 210 689
= 93 The Crescent City Baku, Azerbaijan 52 210 689
= 93 Ahcof City Plaza Hefei, China 51 210 689
= 93 New City International Hefei, China 47 210 689
= 93 CNOOC New Tower 1 Shenzhen, China 45 210 689
= 93 CNOOC New Tower 2 Shenzhen, China 45 210 689
103 The Beekman Hotel & Residences New York City, USA 47 209 687
104 China Co-op Group Tower Dalian, China 41 209 686
105 King of Towers Dalian, China 41 208 682
= 106 Millennium Tower Boston, USA 54 208 681
= 106 Wenbo Tower Shenzhen, China 48 208 682
108 Oasia Hotel Downtown Singapore, Singapore 27 207 678
109 St. Regis Hotel & Residences Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 48 205 673
= 110 Chengdu Fantasia Meinian Plaza, Tower C Chengdu, China 48 204 670
= 110 Chengdu Fantasia Meinian Plaza, Tower D Chengdu, China 48 204 670
112 Dongyuan International Chengdu Sichuan Airlines Square Chengdu, China 47 204 669
113 Eton Shenyang Center #5 Shenyang, China 60 203 665
114 Shenzhen Venture Capital Shenzhen, China 44 202 664
= 115 Jinan Center Financial City A3-5 Jinan, China 44 202 663
= 115 Huijin International Plaza Guiyang, China 40 202 663
117 Hongyun Building Tower A Shenyang, China 44 201 660
= 118 Gateway Towers AQ-1 Doha, Qatar 43 201 659
= 118 Gateway Towers AQ-2 Doha, Qatar 43 201 659
= 120 United Tower Manama, Bahrain 47 200 656
= 120 China Oceanwide International Center Tower 1 Wuhan, China 46 200 656
= 120 Nanjing Financial City Tower 2 Nanjing, China 46 200 656
= 120 Nanjing Financial City Tower 6 Nanjing, China 46 200 656
= 120 Mincheng Center Hotel Fuzhou, China 45 200 656
= 120 Centralcon Group Tower Shenzhen, China 43 200 656
= 120 Jinshui Wanda Center Office Tower Zhengzhou, China 43 200 656
= 120 Burj DAMAC Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 36 200 656
= 120 Suning Electric Plaza Nanjing, China 0 200 656

Top 30 Projected 2017 Completions

Rank Building Name City Stories m ft
1 Ping An Finance Center Shenzhen, China 115 599 1,965
2 Lotte World Tower Seoul, South Korea 123 555 1,819
3 Changsha IFS Tower T1 Changsha, China 94 452 1,483
4 Suzhou IFS Suzhou, China 98 450 1,476
5 Wuhan Center Tower Wuhan, China 88 438 1,437
6 Marina 101 Dubai, UAE 101 427 1,399
7 Capital Market Authority Tower Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 76 385 1,263
8 Nanning Logan Century 1 Nanning, China 82 383 1,257
9 Dalian International Trade Center Dalian, China 86 370 1,214
10 The Address The BLVD Dubai, UAE 72 368 1,207
11 Xiamen Cross Strait Financial Centre Xiamen, China 68 344 1,128
12 Ahmed Abdul Rahim Al Attar Tower Dubai, UAE 76 342 1,122
13 Suning Plaza Tower 1 Zhenjiang, China 77 341 1,120
14 DAMAC Heights Dubai, UAE 88 335 1,100
= 15 Twin Towers Guiyang, West Tower Guiyang, China 74 335 1,099
= 15 Twin Towers Guiyang, East Tower Guiyang, China 74 335 1,099
17 Wilshire Grand Center Los Angeles, USA 73 335 1,099
18 Zhuhai St. Regis Hotel & Office Tower Zhuhai, China 67 330 1,083
19 Yuexiu Fortune Center Tower 1 Wuhan, China 65 330 1,083
20 Hon Kwok City Center Shenzhen, China 80 329 1,081
21 Yantai Shimao No. 1 The Harbour Yantai, China 59 323 1,060
22 Guangxi Finance Plaza Nanning, China 68 321 1,053
23 Sinar Mas Center 1 Shanghai, China 66 320 1,048
24 Jiuzhou International Tower Nanning, China 71 318 1,043
25 China World Trade Center Phase 3B Beijing, China 59 316 1,037
26 Changsha IFS Tower T2 Changsha, China 63 315 1,033
27 Poly Pazhou C2 Guangzhou, China 61 309 1,015
28 Guangfa Securities Headquarters Guangzhou, China 62 308 1,010
29 KAFD World Trade Center Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 67 304 997
30 Shang Xin International Plaza Chongqing, China 65 301 989

Total # of 200m+ Buildings at the End of Each Decade

 

In 2016, 128 buildings of 200 meters’ height or greater were completed, setting a new record for annual tall building completions and marking the third consecutive record-breaking year. This brings the total number of 200-meter-plus buildings in the world to 1,168, marking a 441% increase from 2000.

Buildings Entering 100 Tallest

 

A total of 10 supertalls (buildings of 300 meters or higher) were completed in 2016, fewer than we anticipated this time last year, partly as a result of construction delays typical of buildings in this height range. Nonetheless, 2016 still saw the third-largest number of supertall completions of any year, falling only behind 2015, which saw 14; and 2014, which saw 11.

Skyline: Tallest 2016 Completions

2016 Skyline Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre Eton Place Dalian Tower 1 Vostok Tower Tianjin Modern City Office Tower Global City Square Chongqing IFS T1 MahaNakhon Wanda Plaza 1 Wanda Plaza 2 Shenzhen CFC Changfu Centre Riverfront Times Square Tanjong Pagar Centre China Chuneng Tower Gama Tower GT Land Landmark Plaza South Tower 30 Park Place Tianhui Plaza C3 Greenland Center Tower 1 Huayuan Center Tower 7 10 Hudson Yards