CONSTRUCTION & TECHNOLOGY

You will find most high rise or tallest building in the commercial capital Mumbai - a city of west-central India on coastal Mumbai Island. It is India's main port and commercial center. No wonder both commercial and residenical space is a premium.

Over 150 key decision makers from the construction sector gathered to discuss tall building projects at the Tall Building India summit last month with a view to share state-of-the-art structural engineering, the role of constructing vertically, planning for a rapidly expanding population, sustainable solutions and best-practice project management strategies.

'The UAE is a region of superlatives and has played host to numerous global records – the tallest building, the first man-made island, the biggest mall, and the world’s biggest aquarium, to name a few. Keeping with the tradition of these unique feats, McCollins’ will be the first of its kind to attempt such a feat in the region,' she added.

Commissioned by SOM and EMAAR Properties, ‘World Voices' is explained by Plensa as such: "The residential lobby area of Burj Khalifa is a meeting place of diverse cultures and nationalities - a metaphor of the diversity of our global society. World Voices is homage to this diversity and a celebration of life."

Few things fit the bill better for competition between cities and countries than skyscrapers. And the newest and tallest kid on the block is the Burj Khalifa. At more than 2,700ft the dimensions of this particular cloud-piercing giant eclipse those of the previous record-holder by some 656ft.

Nikken Sekkei’s chainmail-style broadcasting, restaurant and observation tower in Sumida, Tokyo is hot on the heels of the Canton Tower (610m) on its journey to becoming the second tallest freestanding structure in the world. Now measuring an incredible 601m in height, the Tokyo Sky Tree (formerly known as the New Tokyo Tower) may soar above its neighbours in Japan but resides firmly in the shadow of SOM’s highly regarded Burj Khalifa (828m).

Emaar’s penchant for pushing the limits is personified by not only the Burj Khalifa, but in every project it conducts. The company logged a titanic 2010 with the completion of the Burj Khalifa and the Armani Hotel, posting an annual revenue of $3.3b, 44% higher than the 2009 figure of $2.29b.

The Shard, which is under construction on the south bank of the Thames, is offering the highest residences in the city. Apartments will occupy floors 53 to 65 in the tower, which will be western Europe's tallest building. While The Shard will be the tallest building in Europe, it is dwarfed by the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, which measures 828 metres. And Dubai will soon boast the two tallest pure residential towers in the world, the Pentominium, which will rise to 515 metres, and the Princess Tower at 414 metres.

Towering over the skyline, the Shanghai World Financial Center stands as an indomitable symbol of a city quickly reemerging as a global player. It became an instant icon when completed in 2008 and in the same year was recognized as the best tall building in the world by leading authority The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, which called it “nothing short of genius.”

Even with the limited amount we know about the project, it is impossible to conceive of how it could mirror the success of the Burj Khalifa, and thereby pay for itself. As anyone who has been to Jeddah will tell you, the idea of a Jeddah Mall, with starry-eyed tourists lining up to have their photos taken in front of the world’s tallest tower is not just implausible, it’s laughable.