We've all read about the extreme construction delays of mega-skyscrapers, but it turns out that 50 buildings designed to be 1,650 feet or taller have been halted indefinitely. According to a new report by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, six of the towers would have ranked in the world's ten tallest structures, had they only been built. From Chicago to Moscow to Mumbai, dozens of the buildings that have their own PR firms sending out releases trumpeting their record-breaking heights have been placed on a permanent hold, with no indication that construction will ever resume. Unsurprisingly, Dubai has the largest number of skyscrapers in limbo.
The tallest skyscraper in history was supposed to be Dubai's Nakheel Tower. But the 3,280-foot building saw its construction halted in 2009, and now has a slim chance of resurrection, much like the five other unfinished projects in Dubai also mentioned in the report. The Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitats has produced a handy little infographic of 20 of the tallest skyscrapers on hold, and the chart is a fascinating survey of construction woes (and hubris) through the ages.
The report also tallies the 15 buildings with the longest construction times in history. From North Korea's notorious Ryugyong Hotel, which was supposed to be nearly 1,100 feet high but has instead been under construction for 27 years, to Kuala Lumpur's 79-story Plaza Rakyat tower, which was halted during the Asian financial crisis 21 years ago, it turns out that record-breaking buildings—surprise, surprise—are often more trouble than they're worth.
Larger, readable versions:
· Dream Deferred: Unfinished Tall Buildings [Council of Tall Buildings and Urban Habitats]
· 50 of the World's Tallest Skyscrapers Will 'Never Complete' [Dezeen]
· All Abandonment Issues posts [Curbed National]
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