Top 10 construction world record holders

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Achieving world records in construction is something that rarely occurs. Whether by chance, coincidence, good luck or by sheer tenacity, aligning design, developer and localised ambition with adequate funding, expertise and manpower is something that comes along once in a lifetime for a select few developers and contractors.

The criteria for inclusion in this list was simple: projects need to have been completed, or be close to completion and functional in some way. We’ve not bothered with projects still on the drawing board, or those that are being built – we’ve just dealt with those that exist, and those that are recognised as leading the world in their categories. We've also listed current record holders, not those that are set to surpass them. The tallest all residential tower, for example, is Australia's Q1 Tower but it's set to be superceeded by several projects fairly soon - but as they have not been finished, the Q1 Tower retains the title as world's tallest.

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FEATURED COMMENT complex design but was made in reality. great feat and team work. congrats.   3 Comments Read more comments »

We didn’t have to look far for inspiration for this collection of world toppers. Dubai still ranks as one of the world’s tallest cities – with 51 skyscrapers all standing over 200m high, matching New York’s tally. Hong Kong has 52 but Dubai has the Burj Khalifa, and six others that stretch to over 300m – including the world’s tallest hotel (building used exclusively as a hotel), the Rose Tower, at 333m and 72-storeys.

The Middle East is home to some of the largest and most ambitious projects ever undertaken, but China’s sheer size and ambition to dominate industry means it too has embarked on some deeply impressive construction projects. With the eyes of the world on it, China’s rush to create enough power to fuel its industry while cutting greenhouse emissions has been impressive. It consumes more power than the US but, per capita, produces far fewer emissions.

The List
World’s tallest building
World’s furthest leaning tower
World’s largest mall
World’s longest suspension bridge
World's tallest all residential tower
Building with largest usable space
Building with largest floor space
World’s tallest bridge
World's largest power plant
World’s largest manmade island

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