National Skyscraper Day – 3 September 2022
Skyscrapers have become pretty commonplace in modern times, and National Skyscraper Day is our golden opportunity to appreciate these architectural marvels and feats of engineering. Skyscrapers grace our big cities with their bold presence and define our skylines with mighty buildings that literally seem to scrape the sky. But skyscrapers have only been around for about 130 years.
The world’s first skyscraper was completed in 1885 in Chicago and it stood only 138 feet tall, a mere 10 stories that would not even count as a skyscraper today. But the name stuck, and initially any building that towered high over the surrounding structures was dubbed a skyscraper. Over time, our ability to engineer and construct skyscrapers improved drastically, and now a building must have at least 40 floors to be classified as a skyscraper at all.
In crowded urban areas where land space is at a premium, skyscrapers allow us to build upwards rather than outwards, converting a single allotment of land area into 40 or more floors of potential living space. For National Skyscraper Day on September 3, we invite you to join us in taking a long look up.
12 tallest skyscrapers in Singapore on Skyscraper Day (Sept 3)
Ever wondered why, in movies and TV shows, Godzilla never attacked Singapore? In 2021’s Godzilla vs. Kong, the 120-metre-tall monster attacked Hong Kong instead. Maybe one reason is that Hong Kong, like many cities in the Southeast Asian region, have taller buildings than us.
The reason is far simpler: For safety reasons, due to air traffic control restrictions, Singapore’s maximum height limit for buildings is 280 metres (with maybe some exceptions for buildings in the Marina Bay district).
Since today’s Skyscraper Day (September 3), where architects, planners, developers, engineers, historians and contractors commemorate the birth anniversary of Louis H. Sullivan (“father of modern skyscrapers”), 99.co thought it would be good to expand on our previous Singapore skyline skyscraper article a bit more – particularly our 12 tallest buildings, and several taller ones around our region:
- 1 - Guoco Tower
- Joint 2 - UOB Plaza One and the upcoming CapitaSpring
- 4 - One Raffles Place (former OUB Centre)
- 5 - Republic Plaza
- 6 - Capital Tower
- Joint 7 - Altez and Skysuites @ Anson
- Joint 9 - One Raffles Quay North Tower, The Sail @ Marina Bay Tower 1, Marina Bay Financial Centre Tower 2 & Ocean Financial Centre
TOP 10 TALLEST BUILDINGS IN SINGAPORE!
Singapore is the land of the ultra-wealthy. If you’ve seen the movie Crazy Rich Asians, I’m sure you can’t help but gawk at the grandeur and luxury of the Singapore setting. Of course, from Architecture, Technology, Infrastructure, and Business, Singapore has it all.
I know you’re amazed by all these striking features that Singapore has but let’s tune up your amazement a little bit more. If you’ve lived here for a while or planning to visit the country just yet, you already know that Singapore is the home of towering skyscrapers. In fact, it has the greatest number of buildings that rise above 150m among all the countries in Southeast Asia.
You’ve seen all these tall buildings but do you know what’s the tallest? In this blog, we’ve compiled the top 10 tallest buildings in Singapore! Let’s get right into it:
- 1 Tanjong Pagar Centre – The highest building in Singapore.
- 2 One Raffles Place
- 3 Capital Tower
- 4 The Sail at Marina Bay Tower 1
- 5 Marina Bay Financial Center Tower 2
- 6 Ocean Financial Center
- 7 Asia Square Tower 1
- 8 Marina Bay Suites
- 9 Swissotel The Stamford
- 10 Millenia Tower
Top 10 Super Cool & Iconic Must-See Buildings Of Singapore
From magnificent skyscrapers to super cool architectural styles, Singapore has it all. However, there's a height restriction for every building constructed, i.e. 280m which the owners, as well as the architects, have to abide by due to the proximity of Singapore Changi Airport. This listicle describes some of the iconic, must visit buildings that Singapore has in the bag for its every guest:
- 1 Tanjong Pagar Centre
- 2 Marina Bay Sands
- 3 8 Shenton Way - AXA Tower
- 4 Capital Tower
- 5 Ocean Financial Centre
- 6 Pearl Bank
- 7 The Interlace
- 8 Tree House, Bukit Timah
- 9 Golden Mile Complex
- 10 Esplanade- Theatres on the Bay
The new tallest building in Singapore!
Standing at a height of 290 metres, Guoco Tower is a mixed-use development skyscraper and it is also Singapore’s tallest building! Yes, it’s the building that’s piercing towards the sky
Guoco Tower is an integrated development, where you can find a good mix of commercial, office, retail and residential spaces within the 64-storey building. The construction of the tower forms part of the effort to rejuvenate and revitalise the Tanjong Pagar district. The towering skyscraper also adds a hint of modernity amongst the heritage shophouses you can find in the area. Guoco Tower has also received international recognition for its design, architecture as well as its commitment to environmental sustainability. Its eco-friendly features include energy-efficient lighting and water systems and glass facade to minimise solar heat gain.
Guoco Tower has a range of options for dining and socialising with co-workers, friends and family. Immerse yourself and be spoilt for choice within its 100,000 square foot of retail and dining options that spans across 6 storeys. For our foodies, they have a dynamic mix of food options to choose from, and you can find most of them in the basement floor of the building, which is also conveniently connected to Tanjong Pagar MRT Station.
Kick off your shoes, relax and unwind at its 150,000 square foot Urban Park. It has a green lawn, rooftop gardens, and a wide open space sheltered by a glass canopy for recreational and lifestyle events such as pop-up stores, Zumba classes or just enjoy their lunchtime pop-up shows. Stay updated with their latest happenings by following their Facebook or Instagram accounts so as to not miss anything that peaks your interest!
List of tallest buildings in Singapore
The city-state of Singapore has over 9,000 completed high-rises, the majority located in the Downtown Core, the city centre of Singapore. In the city, there are 96 skyscrapers. The Guoco Tower currently holds the title of tallest building in Singapore. It stands at 283.7m (931 ft), exempted from the height restriction of 280m in the Central Business District.
Singapore's history of skyscrapers began with the 1939 completion of the 17-storey Cathay Building. The 70-metre (230 ft) structure was, at the time of its completion, the tallest building in Southeast Asia; it was superseded by the 87-metre (285 ft) Asia Insurance Building in 1954, which remained the tallest in Singapore for more than a decade. Singapore went through a major building boom in the 1970s and 1980s that resulted from the city's rapid industrialisation. During this time UOB Plaza became the tallest building in the city-state; the 280 m (919 ft) structure was also the tallest building in the world outside of North America from its 1986 completion until 1989, when the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong was completed. The skyscraper-building boom continued during the 1990s and 2000s, with 30 skyscrapers at least 140 m (459 ft) tall, many of them residential towers, constructed from 1990 through 2008.
Since 2000, there has been a sharp increase in the number of skyscrapers under construction in the city area, particularly in the Marina Bay district. One project completed in Marina Centre is the Marina Bay Financial Centre, which includes 3 office towers offering 280,000 square metres (3,000,000 sq ft) of office space, 2 residential developments offering 649 apartments and a 16,400-square-metre (176,000 sq ft) retail mall, named Marina Bay Link Mall.[6] There are also several new developments in the city's shopping hub, Orchard Road. The Orchard Residences is a 218 m (715 ft), 52-floor tower built in conjunction with ION Orchard, a shopping centre just beside Orchard MRT station.[7] In addition, the 245 m (804 ft) Ocean Financial Centre, a 43-floor skyscraper, is built in Raffles Place. With Jurong Lake District envisioned as Singapore's second central business district, more skyscrapers are shaping the skyline there. However, its close proximity to Tengah Air Base meant that height restrictions apply there as well. The JTC Summit, a 142 m (466 ft) office tower built in 2000, stands as the tallest building outside the Central Region.
World’s Tallest Buildings 2022
The top 10 tallest buildings in the world that are indeed a great work of architecture
Skyscrapers touching the sky is the symbol of urban style and might. Drastic improvement in engineering capabilities over the years combined with technology is making countries build higher and higher buildings pushing the boundaries.
As a kid, I was very fascinated by looking at these buildings and I’m sure you were too as these structures are one of the great inventions of mankind. Even though the concept of Skyscrapers started more than a century ago in the United States, the global skyscraper construction boom has been slowly shifting towards the Middle East and China in the last couple of decades and China is leaving no stone unturned to make its presence felt. Five out of ten world’s tallest buildings are in China.
List of the top 10 tallest buildings in the world as of 2022, ranked in descending order from the tallest to the shortest:
- Burj Khalifa (Height: 828 Metres) is the world’s tallest building and also the tallest building in Dubai for more than a decade now. Burj Khalifa is 828 Metres in height and has 163 floors that can accommodate 30,000 people.
- Merdeka 118 (Height: 678.9 Metres) takes the second spot on the list of the world’s tallest buildings. The skyscraper reached its full heights as the pointed spire of it has been completed. With this, Merdeka 118 dethroned China’s Shanghai Tower to become the world’s second-tallest building.
- Shanghai Tower (Height: 632 Metres) is the world’s third tallest building. It was inaugurated in the year 2014 that took more than 8 years to complete. The construction cost of this twisted building is a whopping 4.2 billion dollars.
- Abraj Al-Bait (Height: 601 Metres) Mecca based – Abraj Al-Bait is a complex of seven skyscrapers owned by the government of Saudi Arabia. These towers were constructed to develop tourism and cater to the pilgrims visiting the city as part of the King Abdulaziz Endowment Project.
- Ping An Finance Tower (Height: 599 Metres) is the world’s fifth tallest and the second tallest building in China. It is located in the city of Shenzhen and is 599 Metres tall. It is built exclusively for Ping An Insurance company. Even though the building was inaugurated in 2015 but extended construction went on for a couple of years more till 2017.
- Lotte World Tower (Height: 555 Metres) is South Korea’s tallest building that took 13 years to complete. It was inaugurated 4 years back in 2017 that is located alongside the banks of the Han River.
- One World Trade Center (Height: 541 Metres) is the seventh tallest building in the world and the tallest building in the US located in the city of New york. The skyscraper has the same name as the original World Trade Center’s north tower that was wrecked in the deadly terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
- Guangzhou Chow Tai Fook Finance Centre (Height: 530 Metres) also known as Guangzhou CTF Tower is located in the suburban area of Guangzhou, China. There are 111 floors in this building with 5 underground floors. It was inaugurated in 2016. CTF tower has 95 elevators that move at a rate of 44 miles per hour.
- Tianjin Chow Tai Fook Finance Centre (Height: 530 Metres) is China’s fourth-tallest building and the world’s ninth tallest building. It is almost the same height as Guangzhou CTF Tower however it was constructed after the Guangzhou Tower which is why it is ranked lower. The construction of this building was completed in 2018.
- China Zun (Height: 527.7 Metres) also known as CITIC Plaza is the world’s tenth tallest building It is named after an ancient vessel. This 108 floors building was constructed in two phases first in 2017 and then again in 2018. China Zun, the tallest building of Beijing was inaugurated in March 2019.
Singapore's Iconic Buildings & Landmarks
Capitol Theatre
Capitol Theatre, briefly Kyo-Ei Gekijo, is a historic cinema and theatre located in Singapore. It was adjoined to four-storey building known as the Capitol Building. The Capitol Theatre was considered one of Singapore's finest theatres in the 1930s during that time.
In 1929, Mirza Mohamed Ali Namazie, a Persian businessman of the Namazie family, commissioned the theatre to be built in Singapore, with S. A. H. Shirazee, an Indian-Muslim merchant and community leader, and the South African brothers Joe and Julius Fisher from First National Pictures, joined in to form Capitol Theatres Ltd as its operator. Namazie would serve as the theatre company's chairman with Shirazee as director, Joe Fisher as managing director and his brother Julius Fisher as the publicity manager. Architecture and equipments
Joe Fisher travelled overseas to acquire the materials for the theatre's furnishings, decorations and design. The Capitol Theatre was designed neoclassical architecture by British architects Keys and Dowdeswell, with its general plan, seating arrangements and lighting inspired from the Roxy Theatre in New York, United States. Builders Messrs Brossard and Mopin began construction of the foundation around July 1929. Messrs Sherwin-Williams Paint Co. in collaboration with local partner Messrs Lohmann and Co., designed the theatre's walls' and ceilings' detailing. Although installed with ventilation system, the theatre's roof was able to slide open which leave a 40-foot aperture for more ventilation.
The first layout of the theatre could accommodate at least 1,600 people, with 1,100 seated on the ground floor. Another 500 seats were available at the circle that could be accessed via lifts or staircases. The seats were a few inches wider than normal British cinema seats, and the upholstery was supplied by a New York company. The theatre had a large projection room located below the balcony and ran the length of the building instead of being traditionally sited in the rear. It housed the latest Simplex projector installed with fireproof protection shutters. The theatre's acoustics and soundproofing were said to be exceptional at that time. Special expensive sound installations costing at least 40,000 Straits dollars were imported from Western Electric Company. The theatre's stage was also designed for stage productions, with changing rooms and organ chambers built into the theatre. It was also the first to equip multihued lighting system using concealed lamps with a dimmer function, which was never used in other existing theatres in Singapore at that time. Besides having the floodlit main entrance at the junction of Stamford Road and North Bridge Road, there are also two side entrances from Stamford Road and North Bridge Road, with a parking lot to accommodate at least 200 cars. There were several food outlets at the theatre. The main café on the first floor had a dance floor where cabaret was held at the selected nights, and adjoining the café was a restaurant known as the Capitol Restaurant. A café lounge was located at the circle. A special cooling room for making French pastries was built in the kitchen on the ground floor. Its adjoined building known as Namazie Mansions, which was named after the Chairman Namazie, was completed in the early 1930.
Closure of Singapore's Iconic Buildings & Landmarks
First established in the 1930s on the banks of the Rochor River, Sungei Road Market quickly became the biggest flea market where you could find cheap, old and strange items at a “steal”, giving it its nickname, the “Thieves’ Market.
Three years after filming its last days before the market was demolished to make way for redevelopment, documentary-maker OKJ hunts down the old vendors and discovers a tale of struggle to find a new home.
Can they pick up the pieces of the past and keep the memories and spirit of Singapore’s oldest and most infamous flea market alive?
