Hong Kong or Seoul – which is the world’s most vertical city?
Some architects and urban designers foresee a future where we live in interconnected megatowers that each contain all the components of a city in one building
Looking out from sky100, Hong Kong’s highest observation deck on the 100th floor of the city’s tallest building, the 494-metre-high International Commerce Centre, you get a 360-degree view of one of the world’s most famous skylines – an urban jungle framed by mountains and the gleaming Victoria Harbour, with endless clusters of high-rise buildings packed so closely together they resemble a game of Tetris.
It’s little wonder a city of such visible density has more skyscrapers than anywhere else in the world. According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), Hong Kong has 355 buildings over 150 metres in height.
But having that accolade does not necessarily make Hong Kong the most vertical city. By different measures, other cities come out on top.
But having that accolade does not necessarily make Hong Kong the most vertical city. By different measures, other cities come out on top
According to building data research company Emporis, Seoul in South Korea has more high-rise buildings, with 16,359. Emporis defines a high-rise as a building at least 35 metres, or 12 storeys. In second place is Moscow, Russia, with 12,317 high-rises, followed by Hong Kong in third place, with 7,913.
When it comes to the world’s tallest buildings, Hong Kong doesn’t even make the top 10. Dubai’s Burj Khalifa takes top spot, at 828 metres. Dubai has 50 skyscrapers under construction, more than any other city. These include the 1,300m-tall Dubai Creek Tower, expected to be completed in 2020 and will be the tallest structure ever built.
Meanwhile, the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen is the world leader in completing new skyscrapers. Last year it managed 14, ahead of Dubai’s 10. This was the third straight year that Shenzhen completed the world’s largest number of 200 metres-plus buildings, representing nearly 10 per cent of the global total.
The sky’s the limit