Emporis, a real estate data mining company, just announced the winners of its 2015 Skyscraper Awards, which judges new skyscrapers based on design and functionality.
The Shanghai Tower, located in the Chinese city center, came out on top. Completed in 2015, the 127-story glass skyscraper appears to rotate around an axis, twisting up toward the sky. The jury said in a statement that the tower won for its architectural excellence, both in design and function.
To qualify for the awards, buildings must be at least 328 feet tall. The Shanghai Tower stretches 2,073 feet, making it the world's second tallest building behind the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai. The tower took nearly seven years to complete and had an estimated construction cost of $2.4 billion.
Height isn't the only impressive characteristic of the Tower, which was designed by the American architectural firmGensler and Chinese architect Jun Xia. It also features the world’s fastest elevators, the world’s highest restaurant, an observation deck, and a swimming pool with a view. Inside, there are offices, shops, and restaurants.
The second place winner, Moscow's Evolution Tower, has a twisted glass facade that's similar to the Shanghai Tower.
Gaining popularity especially in the Middle East and Asia, twisted towers are fast becoming an architectural trend for megatall skyscrapers. As Dezeen points out, technological advancements in engineering and construction have encouraged the profileration of twisted skyscrapers, which rethink the traditional, linear tower.
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