•  

Guangzhou Facts

Population 11,070,654 (2011) Source: Statistics Bureau of Guangzhou
Area 3,843 km² • 1,484 mi² Source: Statistics Bureau of Guangzhou
150m+ Buildings 115 Completed • 24 Under Constr.
300m+ Buildings 10 Completed • 3 Under Constr.
Tallest Building Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre (530 m)
Global Ranking #9 in the world by no. of 150m+ completed buildings
Regional Ranking #6 in Asia by no. of 150m+ completed buildings
Country Ranking #5 in China by no. of 150m+ completed buildings
First 150m+ Building Guangdong International Building (1990)
Average Building Age 12 years
Most Common Function Office , 52%
Most Common Material Concrete , 63%

All building-related facts are for 150m+ buildings.

Buildings See All Buildings in City

1   Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre 2016 530 m
2   Guangzhou International Finance Center 2010 439 m
3   CITIC Plaza 1996 390 m
4   Guangdong Business Center 1 - 376 m
5   The Pinnacle 2012 350 m
6   East Gate Tower - 350 m
7   Junchao Plaza - 320 m
8   Global City Square 2016 319 m
9   Poly Pazhou C2 2017 311 m
10   Pearl River Tower 2013 309 m
See full building list
CTBUH Height Criteria
  Completed   Arch. Topped Out   Struct. Topped Out   Under Constr.
1   Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre 2016 530 m
2   Guangzhou International Finance Center 2010 439 m
3   CITIC Plaza 1996 390 m
4   Guangdong Business Center 1 - 376 m
5   The Pinnacle 2012 350 m
6   East Gate Tower - 350 m
7   Junchao Plaza - 320 m
8   Global City Square 2016 319 m
9   Poly Pazhou C2 2017 311 m
10   Pearl River Tower 2013 309 m
See full building list
CTBUH Height Criteria
  Completed   Under Constr.

Building Function More Charts

Based on 136 Buildings Over 150m Height

 

Structural Material More Charts

Based on 86 Buildings Over 150m Height

 

Building Completions Timeline (Last 50 Years, 100 m+) Create Your Own Timeline

 
Usage Tips
  • Click a dot to see more information about that building.
  • Click a bar to see a list of all the buildings completed in that year.
  • Click and drag your mouse cursor around an area to zoom into that area.
  • To save or print this chart, click the icon on the upper right corner.

CTBUH Initiatives

CTBUH Guangzhou Symposium : Spatial Design
25 Jan 2019 – Event Report

Vertical Transportation: Ascent & Acceleration
12 Sep 2017 – CTBUH Research

CTBUH Recognizes Completion of Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre
21 Dec 2016 – CTBUH-Related News

More Initiatives

CTBUH Initiatives Related to Guangzhou

CTBUH Guangzhou Symposium : Spatial Design
25 Jan 2019, Guangzhou – Event Report
The CTBUH China Office successfully held a Symposium in Guangzhou revolving around the theme: "Spatial Design: Inside and Outisde of Skyscrapers."
Vertical Transportation: Ascent & Acceleration
12 Sep 2017, Chicago – CTBUH Research
CTBUH partnered with Guinness World Records to identify the commercial building with the fastest elevator speeds and longest vertical runs.
CTBUH Recognizes Completion of Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre
21 Dec 2016, Guangzhou – CTBUH-Related News
CTBUH has certified the completion of Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre. At 530 meters it is the tallest building in Guangzhou, second tallest in China, and fifth tallest worldwide.
CTBUH 2016 Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong Conference
16-21 Oct 2016 – Conference
There is perhaps nowhere on the planet that demonstrates the impact of urbanization as markedly as the cities of China’s Pearl River Delta.
CTBUH Board of Trustees Set the Agenda for 2017
16 Oct 2016, Shenzhen – Event Report
The Board of Trustees held their second meeting of the year in conjunction with the 2016 Conference to discuss the Council’s plans for 2017.
2016 Conference Steering Meeting
16 May 2016, Hong Kong – Event Report
Preparations for the upcoming CTBUH 2016 Conference are now significantly advancing, following a Steering Committee meeting in Hong Kong.
CITAB-CTBUH Name 2016 China Tall Building Award Recipients
25 Feb 2016, Shanghai – CTBUH News
CITAB and CTBUH are pleased to announce the award recipients for the inaugural CITAB-CTBUH 2016 China Tall Building Awards.
Inaugural Steering Committee Meetings in All Three Cities
10-20 Jan 2016 – Event Report
Plans for the 2016 CTBUH Conference are now well underway, beginning with initial meetings of the Conference Steering Committee in all three cities.
The Tallest 15 Cities in China
Sep 2012 – CTBUH Research
With over 1.3 billion citizens and a rapidly urbanizing population, China is developing tall buildings more than any other country globally.
Guangzhou IFC Chosen as Featured Building
Aug 2012, Guangzhou – Featured Tall Building
Guangzhou IFC is a landmark tower which defines the emerging international strength of China’s third city and serves as a landmark for Guangzhou Zhujiang New Town’s main axis.
The Tallest 20 in 2020: Entering the Era of the Megatall
8 Dec 2011, Chicago – CTBUH Research
Within this decade we will likely witness not only the world’s first kilometer-tall building, but also the completion of a significant number of buildings over 600 meters.
1984 Guangzhou 3rd International Conference on Tall Buildings
10-15 Dec 1984, Guangzhou – Conference
The 1984 3rd International Conference on Tall Buildings was held from December 10-15 in Hong Kong and Guangzhou, China.
CTBUH Releases Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2018
Dec 2018 – CTBUH News Report
The astronomical growth in tall building construction observed over the past decade continued in 2018, though the total number of completed buildings of 200 meters’ or greater height leveled off at…
CTBUH Releases Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2016
10 Jan 2017 – CTBUH News Report
CTBUH has determined that 128 buildings of 200 meters’ height or greater were completed around the world in 2016 – setting a new record for annual tall building completions and marking the third…
CTBUH Releases Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2015
Jan 2016 – CTBUH Journal Paper Report
CTBUH has determined that 106 buildings of 200 meters’ height or greater were completed around the world in 2015 – setting a new record for annual tall building completions.
CTBUH Releases Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2014
Dec 2014 – CTBUH Journal Paper
An All-Time Record 97 Buildings of 200 Meters or Higher Completed in 2014 and 2014 showed further shifts towards Asia, and also surprising developments in building functions and structural materials.
CTBUH Releases Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2012
Dec 2012 – CTBUH Journal Paper
For the first time in six years the number of tall buildings completed annually around the world declined as the effects of the global financial crisis became evident.
CTBUH Releases Tallest Buildings Completed in 2010
Dec 2010 – CTBUH Journal Paper
In a year dominated by news coverage of the new “World’s Tallest Building” – Burj Khalifa, Dubai – one may be surprised to learn that, besides being the year in which a building first surpassed the…
CTBUH Releases Tallest Buildings Completed in 2007
Dec 2007 – CTBUH Journal Paper
333 meters high with 72 stories and 480 suites, Rose Rotana Tower in Dubai leads the list of the 10 tallest buildings completed in 2007. The tower, which is developed by Bonyan International…
CTBUH Releases Tallest Buildings Completed in 2006
Dec 2006 – CTBUH Journal Paper
Nina Tower 1 in Hong Kong, at 319 meters high, leads the list of the ten tallest buildings completed in 2006. The Sports City Tower/Aspire Tower (Doha, United Arab Emirates) at 300 meters, and Eureka…

Videos

Bringing Office Space Up into the Light
30 May 2018 – Stephen Wang, Poly Real Estate Development; Javier Arizmendi, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Urban Policy Towards Tall Buildings Globally: The Architect’s Perspective
30 Oct 2017 – Chris Wilkinson, Wilkinson Eyre

Building Tall Skyscraper Lecture Series: How High Can We Go?
16 Mar 2017 – Antony Wood, CTBUH; Richard Tomasetti, Thornton Tomasetti; Ian Smith, thyssenkrupp, Gordan Gill, Adrain Smill + Gordon Gill Architecture

More Videos

Videos Related to Guangzhou

Bringing Office Space Up into the Light
30 May 2018 – Presentation at CTBUH 2018 Chicago Tall + Urban Conference; Stephen Wang, Poly Real Estate Development; Javier Arizmendi, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Poly International Plaza is an office and trade center development consisting of two towers, each coupled with a low-rise podium that accommodates exhibition and retail…
Urban Policy Towards Tall Buildings Globally: The Architect’s Perspective
30 Oct 2017 – Presentation at CTBUH 2017 Australia Conference; Chris Wilkinson, Wilkinson Eyre
Tall buildings have an important role in defining the character of the City and they help reduce urban sprawl. However, when a building rises above the others on the…
Building Tall Skyscraper Lecture Series: How High Can We Go?
16 Mar 2017 – Building Tall Skyscraper Lecture Series; Antony Wood, CTBUH; Richard Tomasetti, Thornton Tomasetti; Ian Smith, thyssenkrupp, Gordan Gill, Adrain Smill + Gordon Gill Architecture
Thursday, March 16, 2017. Chicago, United States of America. Hosted in collaboration with the Chicago Architecture Foundation, the first lecture of the series Building…
Pearl River New Town: From New Guangzhou City Center to CBD
19 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Qifeng Yuan, Sun Yat-Sen University
Wednesday, October 19, 2016. Guangzhou, China. Qifeng Yuan of Sun Yat-Sen University, presents at the 2016 China Conference Plenary 4: "Guangzhou Developments" As the…
CTF Guangzhou - Efficiency in Mixed-Use Supertall
19 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Florence Chan, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates
Wednesday, October 19, 2016. Gaungzhou, China. Florence Chan of Kohn Pedersen Fox presents at the 2016 China Conference Plenary 4: "Guangzhou Developments" Since the…
Local Urbanism - High-Rise Building Design in the Development of High Density Cities
19 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Yang Ni, Architectural Design and Research Institute of South China University of Technology
This project is located in the Tianhe district of Guangzhou, which is the area with the highest density in the city. There are Linhe village and high-rise residential…
Exploring Geometry and Form in Tall Buildings
19 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Chris Wilkinson, Wilkinson Eyre
Wednesday, October 19, 2016. Guangzhou, China. Chris Wilkinson of Wilkinson Eyre, presents at the 2016 China Conference Plenary 5: "Beyond Guangzhou: Other Settings"…
From San Diego to Guangzhou: The Story of Marketing Tall Buildings
19 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; William Murray, Wordsearch
One of the keys to attracting buyers and tenants for a contemporary tall building is a succinct marketing strategy and a robust understanding of how to brand real estate…
CTBUH 2016 China Conference Plenary 4: Guangzhou Developments Q & A
19 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Eddie Chung, New World Development Company Ltd; Qifeng Yuan, Sun Yat-Sen University; Florence Chan, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates; Yang Ni, Architectural Design & Research Institute of South China Univ
Wednesday, October 19, 2016. Guangzhou, China. Eddie Chung of New World Development Company, Ltd., Qifeng Yuan of Sun Yat-Sen University, Florence Chan of Kohn Pedersen…
Megacities: Setting the Scene
17 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Daniel Safarik, CTBUH
The rise of the megacity presents unprecedented opportunities to understand the human urbanization project, and to observe the effects of multi-core, polycentric cities…
The Largest Megacity in the World: Assessing the Urbanization of the Pearl River Delta
17 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Peter Kindel, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
With the world’s urban population expected to increase by roughly 2.5 billion people by 2050, developing an understanding of megalopolises is critical to understanding…
From Meadows to Megacities: Creating Urban Density in the Pearl River Region
17 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Travis Soberg, Goettsch Partners
The Greater Pearl River Delta region emerged as a result of China's 1979 reform policies. Within the last 20 years, the GPRD has grown from a population of less than 10…
The Roots of Tall Buildings: Connecting the City
17 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Peter Brannan, Arquitectonica
This presentation investigated the integration of tall tower, mixed-use developments and how they connect with the city and the public when they meet the ground. Critical…
A Cultural Brand’s Journey Toward Building A Better New World
17 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Stanley Wu, New World Development Company Limited
New World Development Company Limited (NWD) has been a listed property developer in Hong Kong for nearly half a century. With businesses encompassing property development…
Megacities - Setting the Scene Q&A
17 Oct 2016 – Presentation at CTBUH 2016 China Conference; Daniel Safarik, CTBUH; Peter Kindel, Skidmore Owings & Merrill; Travis Soberg, Goettsch Partners
Monday, October 17, 2016. Shenzhen, China. Daniel Safarik, CTBUH; Peter Kindel, Skidmore Owings & Merrill; Travis Soberg, Goettsch Partners, answer questions at the end…
CTBUH Video Interview – Peter Kindel
17 Oct 2016 – 2016 China Conference Interviews; Peter Kindel, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Peter Kindel of Skidmore, Owings & Merill is interviewed by Chris Bentley during the 2016 CTBUH China Conference. Peter discusses the urbanization of the Pearl River…
Guangzhou Finance Centre: an Elegant Simplicity of Form
20 Sep 2012 – Presentation at CTBUH 2012 9th World Congress, Shanghai; Chris Wilkinson, Wilkinson Eyre Architects
When a tower rises above the cityscape, it has a responsibility to make a positive contribution and a grouping of towers should make a visually acceptable composition.…
Interview: Guangzhou IFC
3 Nov 2011 – 2011 Awards Ceremony/Symposium Interviews; Chris Wilkinson & Dominic Bettison, Wilkinson Eyre Architects; Michael Kwok & Craig Gibbons, Arup
Chris Wilkinson & Dominic Bettison of Wilkinson Eyre Architects, Michael Kwok & Craig Gibbons of Arup are interviewed by Jeff Herzer during the 2011 CTBUH Awards…
Best Tall Building Asia & Australasia: Guangzhou IFC: Towards An Elegant Simplicity
3 Nov 2011 – CTBUH "10th Annual Awards"; Chris Wilkinson, Wilkinson Eyre Architects; Michael Kwok, Arup
The tallest of the four regional winners this year at 440 meters, the Guangzhou International Finance Center utilizes the world’s tallest constructed diagrid structure,…
Sustainable Strategies for High-Rise Buildings
3 Feb 2010 – Presentation at CTBUH 2010 Mumbai Conference; Russell Gilchrist, SOM
High rise buildings present opportunities for passive and active sustainable strategies that are not so readily available to their less tall counterparts. This…
The Future of Sustainable Urban Design on a Large Scale: Guangzhou
3 Feb 2010 – Presentation at CTBUH 2010 Mumbai Conference; Jeff Heller, Heller Manus Architects
Recently, China’s central government has developed an advanced and progressive sustainable policy. Guangzhou, China’s third largest city, has made a commitment to…
Towards Zero Energy in China - Pearl River Tower
23 Oct 2009 – Presentation at CTBUH 2009 Chicago Conference; Russell Gilchrist, SOM
The Pearl River Tower was conceived as a ‘net zero energy’ operating skyscraper i.e. it would generate enough energy to offset its own demand. With the tower nearing…
Pearl River Tower, Guangzhou: Fire Protection Strategies for an Energy Efficient High-Rise Building
5 Mar 2008 – Presentation at CTBUH 2008 8th World Congress, Dubai; Fang Li, James Antell & Martin Reiss, RJA
Fang Li and James Antell, Rolf Jensen & Associates, discussed the 71 stories Pearl River Tower, Guangzhou at the CTBUH 8th World Congress in Dubai. The building features…
Towards Zero Energy: Case Study of the Pearl River Tower, Guangzhou, China
3 Mar 2008 – Presentation at CTBUH 2008 8th World Congress, Dubai; Roger Frechette & Russell Gilchrist, SOM
Roger Frechette, SOM talked about the meaning of ‘carbon neutral’ in the context of building design at the CTBUH 8th World Congress in Dubai. The presentation examined…

Browse hundreds of other videos from Council events including conferences and interviews with prominent tall building professionals in the Video Library

Research Papers

Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2018
Dec 2018 – CTBUH Journal 2019 Issue I

2017: Skyscraper History’s Tallest, Highest- Volume, and Most Geographically Diverse Year
5 Feb 2018 – CTBUH Journal, 2018 Issue I

The Global Tall Building Picture: Impact of 2017
Feb 2018 – CTBUH Journal, 2018 Issue I

More Papers

Papers Related to Guangzhou

Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2018
Dec 2018 – CTBUH Journal 2019 Issue I; CTBUH Research
The astronomical growth in tall building construction observed over the past decade continued in 2018, though the total number of completed buildings of 200 meters’ or…
2017: Skyscraper History’s Tallest, Highest- Volume, and Most Geographically Diverse Year
5 Feb 2018 – CTBUH Journal, 2018 Issue I
This 2017 Tall Building Year in Review / Tall Buildings in Numbers data analysis report shows that more buildings of 200 meters’ height or greater were completed in 2017…
The Global Tall Building Picture: Impact of 2017
Feb 2018 – CTBUH Journal, 2018 Issue I; CTBUH Staff, CTBUH
In 2017, 144 buildings of 200 meters’ height or greater were completed. This is the fourth record-breaking year in a row, and it brings the total number of 200-meter-plus…
Site | Structure | Architecture – Projects that Create Change
Sep 2017 – International Journal of High-Rise Buildings Volume 6 Number 3; Leo Chow & Mark P. Sarkisian, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
China’s rapid growth has created great opportunities for design and construction of projects that not only transform sites but cities. This work combines local, national…
Engineering of Guangzhou International Finance Centre
Mar 2017 – International Journal of High-Rise Buildings Volume 6 Number 1; Michael Kwok & Alexis Lee, Arup
The Guangzhou International Finance Centre (IFC) is a landmark building that symbolizes the emerging international strength of Guangzhou, China’s third largest city. It…
Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2016
10 Jan 2017 – CTBUH Journal, 2017 Issue I; Jason Gabel, Annan Shehadi, Shawn Ursini & Marshall Gerometta, CTBUH
CTBUH has determined that 128 buildings of 200 meters’ height or greater were completed around the world in 2016 – setting a new record for annual tall building…
Exploring Geometry and Form in Tall Buildings
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Chris Wilkinson, Wilkinson Eyre Architects
Using four tower designs on four continents – the Guangzhou International Finance Center in China, the Crown Sydney Resort Hotel in Australia, 45 Bay Street in Canada,…
The Roots of Tall Buildings: Connecting the City
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Peter Brannan, Arquitectonica
This paper investigates the integration of tall tower, mixed-use developments and how they connect with the city and the public when they meet the ground. Critical…
The Largest Megalopolis in the World: Assessing the Urbanization of the Pearl River Delta
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Peter Kindel, Ellen Lou & Lingyue Anne Chen, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
With the world’s urban population expected to increase by roughly 2.5 billion people by 2050, developing an understanding of megalopolises is critical to understanding…
The Practice of TOD in the Urban Eco-Renaissance-CADRE Skyscraper & New GZ North Railway Station
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Huijing Huang, Guangzhou Design Institute
The scarcity of land in the downtown area, in addition to the deterioration of urban environments, has led to urban sprawl and a lack of development in an old city zone.…
From Meadows to Megacities: Creating Urban Density in the Pearl River Region
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Travis Soberg, Goettsch Partners
The Greater Pearl River Delta region emerged as a result of China’s 1979 reform policies. Within the last 20 years, the GPRD has grown from a population of less than 10…
A Cultural Brand’s Journey Toward Building A Better New World
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; David Ho, New World Development Company Limited
New World Development Company Limited (NWD) has been a listed property developer in Hong Kong for nearly half a century. With businesses encompassing property development…
21st Century Vertical Lifestyles - Intergenerational, Integrated Communities
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Stephan Reinke, Stephan Reinke Architects Limited
How does the 21st Century youth culture of social media integrate and merge with an ever increasing tech savvy senior population? As our cities and urban environments…
Façade Construction in China: Journey to Lean Design
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Allan Chung, Gensler; Ivan Mutis, Illinois Institute of Technology
There is a recent trend in the construction industry to implement “lean concepts,” a management strategy based upon the Toyota Production System philosophy. While the…
Climate-Responsive Exterior Enclosure Design
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Keith Boswell & Michael Duncan, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP
In this paper, three different solutions in three different regions of China illustrate best practices for the design and execution of optimized building enclosure…
Overcoming MEP and VT System Design Challenges in Three of the Tallest Buildings in China
17 Oct 2016 – Cities to Megacities: Shaping Dense Vertical Urbanism; Vincent Tse, Herbert Lam, Kenneth Li & Michael Sung, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff
This paper will address the mechanical, electrical, plumbing and drainage, and vertical transportation system (MEP/VTS) design challenges encountered during the design…
Megacities: Setting the Scene
Oct 2016 – CTBUH Journal, 2016 Issue IV; Daniel Safarik, Shawn Ursini & Antony Wood; Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
The rise of the megacity presents unprecedented opportunities to understand the human urbanization phenomenon, and to observe the effects of multicore, polycentric cities…
Cities to Megacities: Perspectives
Oct 2016 – CTBUH Journal, 2016 Issue IV; CTBUH 2016 Conference Speakers
The CTBUH 2016 International Conference is being held in the three cities of the Pearl River Delta, the world’s largest “megacity,” projected to have 120 million…
Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2015
Jan 2016 – CTBUH Journal, 2016 Issue I; Jason Gabel, Marty Carver & Marshall Gerometta, CTBUH
CTBUH has determined that 106 buildings of 200 meters’ height or greater were completed around the world in 2015 – setting a new record for annual tall building…
Integrated and Intelligent Buildings: An Imperative to People, the Planet and the Bottom Line
26 Oct 2015 – The Future of Tall: A Selection of Written Works on Current Skyscraper Innovations; Kelly Romano, Mead Rusert & Hayden Reeve, United Technologies Corporation
With the impact of urbanization, larger cities, operating pressures and the rise of megatall skyscrapers, today’s new and existing buildings are increasingly being…
The Inevitability of Global Adaptation: Eastern and Western Developers Practicing Internationally
26 Oct 2015 – Asia & Australasia: A Selection of Written Works on the World's Tall Building Forefront; Samuel Luckino & Peter Brannan, Arquitectonica
For architecture and engineering firms serving development clients who build large-scale urban projects in various corners of the world, the effort is often facilitated…
Innovative Technologies and Their Application on the Construction of a 100-Plus-Story Skyscraper
Sep 2015 – International Journal of High-Rise Buildings Volume 4 Number 3; Ye Haowen, China State Construction Engineering Corporation
Experience on the construction of several 100-plus-story skyscrapers including Guangzhou West Tower, Guangzhou East Tower, and Shenzhen’s KK100 is described considering…
World’s Highest Observation Decks
Aug 2015 – CTBUH Journal, 2015 Issue III; CTBUH Research
Perhaps no element of a tall building is more closely related to the pure pleasure of standing high in the sky and taking in the view of one’s surroundings than…
Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2014
Dec 2014 – CTBUH Journal, 2015 Issue I; Daniel Safarik, Antony Wood, Marty Carver & Marshall Gerometta, CTBUH
An All-Time Record 97 Buildings of 200 Meters or Higher Completed in 2014 and 2014 showed further shifts towards Asia, and also surprising developments in building…
A New Skyline Vision: CTF Towers in Guangzhou and Tianjin
16 Sep 2014 – CTBUH 2014 Shanghai Conference Proceedings; Wing Ip (David) Ho, Chung (Eddie) Yuk Fai, Hung (Annie) Lo & De Ming (Derry) Yu, New World Development
This paper presents the thinking behind the design of the two supertall towers of Chow Tai Fook Enterprise– the Guangzhou CTF Finance Center and the Tianjin CTF Finance…
Design Challenges of the 3 Tallest Buildings in North/ East/ South China
16 Sep 2014 – CTBUH 2014 Shanghai Conference Proceedings; Kam Chuen (Vincent) Tse, Lung Wai (Herbert) Lam, Sheung Lai (Eddie) Leung & Leung Wing (Daniel) Ho, Parsons Brinckerhoff
This paper describes the MEP and VTS design challenges of the tallest buildings in three major cities in China; namely, Beijing, Suzhou and Guangzhou. The 530m Guangzhou…
Towards Sustainable Vertical Urbanism
Sep 2014 – CTBUH Journal, 2014 Issue III; Daniel Safarik, CTBUH
The survival of humanity on this planet relies on a radical repositioning of our cities. In the face of unprecedented global population growth, urbanization, pollution…
Highest Helipads
Jun 2014 – CTBUH Journal, 2014 Issue II; CTBUH Research
In this installment of Tall Buildings in Numbers, CTBUH considers how helipads are used on skyscrapers, and which are the highest in the world. The results were somewhat…
Case Study: Pearl River Tower, Guangzhou
Jun 2014 – CTBUH Journal, 2014 Issue II; Richard Tomlinson II, William Baker, Luke Leung, et al. Skidmore Owings & Merrill
SOM’s design for the 71-story Pearl River Tower in Guangzhou, China, was selected in a 2005 competition. The 309-meter-tall high-performance building was designed with…
Pearl River Tower Guangzhou, China
13 Jan 2013 – Corporate Publication
Acknowledged as the world’s most energyefficient ‘green’ building, the gently curved Pearl River Tower is constantly in the public spotlight and media. Architects…
Guangzhou International Finance Center, China
13 Jan 2013 – Corporate Publication
The Guangzhou International Finance Center is not only recognised as the tallest building in Guangzhou, but one of the most beautiful. A triangular base supports the…
Year in Review: Tall Trends of 2012
Dec 2012 – CTBUH Journal, 2013 Issue I; Kevin Brass, Antony Wood & Marty Carver, CTBUH
For the first time in six years the number of tall buildings completed annually around the world declined as the effects of the global financial crisis became evident.
The Tallest 15 Cities in China
Sep 2012 – CTBUH Journal, 2012 Issue III; CTBUH Research
With over 1.3 billion citizens and a rapidly urbanizing population, China is developing tall buildings more than any other country globally. Currently it has 239…
A New Approach to Green Urban Development in Asia
Sep 2012 – CTBUH 2012 9th World Congress, Shanghai; Jeffrey Heller, Heller Manus Architects
Development in China has presented an opportunity for a new paradigm in the creation of large-scale, low-carbon /carbon-neutral high-rise, mixed-use urban centers. Two…
Guangzhou Finance Centre: An Elegant Simplicity of Form
Sep 2012 – CTBUH 2012 9th World Congress, Shanghai; Chris Wilkinson, Wilkinson Eyre Architects Ltd
The design for the Guangzhou International Finance Centre makes the case for a high rise aesthetic that aims for an elegant simplicity, but expresses the function,…
A New Leader for Telecom Towers
Jun 2012 – CTBUH Journal, 2012 Issue II; CTBUH Research
With the recent completion of two megatall telecommunication/observation towers it is perhaps time to review these structures and also explain why they are distinguished…
The Tallest 20 in 2020: Entering the Era of the Megatall
18 Jan 2012 – CTBUH Journal, 2012 Issue I; Nathaniel Hollister & Antony Wood, CTBUH
Within this decade we will likely witness not only the world’s first kilometer-tall building, but also the completion of a significant number of buildings over 600 meters…
World’s Tallest Steel Shear Walled Building
Feb 2011 – CTBUH Journal, 2011 Issue I; Mark Sarkisian & Neville Mathias, SOM; Dasui Wang, ECADI; Sam Lee, Guangzhou Scientific Computing Consultants
Because of its iconic slender form, a key design challenge was to develop an efficient lateral system capable of resisting wind and seismic lateral load; the article…
Tallest Buildings Completed in 2010
Dec 2010 – CTBUH Journal, 2011 Issue I; CTBUH Research
In a year dominated by news coverage of the new “World’s Tallest Building” – Burj Khalifa, Dubai – one may be surprised to learn that, besides being the year in which a…
Fire Protection Strategies for an Energy Efficient High- Rise Building
Mar 2008 – CTBUH 2008 8th World Congress, Dubai; Fang Li, James Antell & Martin Reiss, RJA
The Pearl River Tower in Guangzhou, China features numerous design strategies to reduce energy demand, which include among others vertical axis wind turbine and radiant…
Case Study: Pearl River Tower, Guangzhou, China
Mar 2008 – CTBUH 2008 8th World Congress, Dubai; Roger E. Frechette III & Russell Gilchrist, SOM
This paper will attempt to both define what is meant by ‘carbon neutral’ in the context of building design as well as using the case study to demonstrate how such an…
Tallest Buildings Completed in 2007
Dec 2007 – CTBUH Research
333 meters high with 72 stories and 480 suites, Rose Rotana Tower in Dubai leads the list of the 10 tallest buildings completed in 2007. The tower, which is developed by…
Tallest Buildings Completed in 2006
Dec 2006 – CTBUH Research
Nina Tower 1 in Hong Kong, at 319 meters high, leads the list of the ten tallest buildings completed in 2006. The Sports City Tower/Aspire Tower (Doha, United Arab…
Jin Mao Tower’s Influence on China’s New Innovative Tall Buildings
May 2006 – 2006 International Seminar of Design and Construction Technologies of Super High-Rise Buildings; Mark Sarkisian, Neville Mathias, Eric Long & Aaron Mazeika, SOM
The 56 story, 232 m tall Jinao Tower in Nanjing, China, is a next-generation tower which maximizes performance, efficiency, and occupant experience. Its faceted form is…

Browse hundreds of other papers published by CTBUH members on a range of multi-disciplinary subjects in the Research Papers Library