Lakhta Centre

This collection brings together skyscrapers that showcase advances in modern engineering and architecture worldwide. These structures rise above metropolises and reshape city horizons, from the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab in Dubai to the CCTV headquarters in Beijing with its two linked towers. Each building reflects a unique architectural approach and technical innovations tailored to its environment. The selection spans all continents and features buildings with various functions. The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, 452 meters high and connected by a sky bridge, stand alongside New York’s One World Trade Center, which reaches 541 meters. The Lakhta Center in Saint Petersburg is notable for its twisted glass facade, while the Torre Costanera in Santiago offers panoramic views of the Andes. Whether residential buildings like the Eureka Tower in Melbourne or commercial structures such as the Kingdom Centre in Riyadh, these constructions demonstrate how contemporary architecture shapes 21st-century cities.

The world of skyscrapers reflects the technical and architectural developments of recent decades. From New York to Dubai and Shanghai, buildings have risen that now define their cities' skylines while combining different construction traditions and innovations. This collection includes towers across multiple continents, among them the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which at 2,717 feet (828 meters) stands as the world's tallest completed structure, and the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, which served for years as a reference point for modern Asian design. The buildings listed serve various functions: office complexes such as One World Trade Center in New York or Shanghai Tower combine workspaces with observation decks, while the Abraj Al-Bait Clock Tower in Mecca blends religious and commercial uses. In Europe, The Shard in London, Tour Montparnasse in Paris, and Commerzbank Tower in Frankfurt represent examples of high-rise buildings in historically developed cities. Other structures like Lakhta Center in Saint Petersburg or Gran Torre Santiago in Chile demonstrate that this building form has expanded well beyond traditional centers. Visiting these towers offers more than views from considerable heights. Many feature public areas, restaurants, or exhibitions that provide insight into urban development and the technical requirements of such projects. The towers exist in different urban contexts and show how architecture adapts to local conditions.

This collection brings together some of the most technically ambitious structures ever built, from record-breaking skyscrapers and suspension bridges to high-speed roller coasters that push the boundaries of what steel and concrete can achieve. These sites span continents and represent decades of engineering progress, offering visitors a chance to experience human innovation at heights and speeds that were once impossible. Whether you're standing on the observation deck of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, walking across the glass floor panels of the CN Tower in Toronto, or racing through the launch sequence of Kingda Ka in New Jersey, each structure tells a story of technical ambition and problem-solving. The collection includes landmarks like the 324-meter Eiffel Tower in Paris, completed for the 1889 World Exhibition, and modern marvels such as Tokyo Skytree, which rises 634 meters above the city. You'll find the Millau Viaduct spanning the Tarn River valley in France at a height of 336 meters (1,100 feet), the tilted medieval bell tower in Pisa leaning at a 3.97-degree angle, and Russia's SkyBridge suspended between mountain peaks at 2,320 meters (7,600 feet) elevation. These places attract millions of visitors each year, offering not just views and thrills but a firsthand understanding of what modern engineering can accomplish when designers set out to build something exceptional.