Since its completion in 2010, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai has been the tallest building in the world. In a city known for its excess, the 2,716 foot tower has become a glamorous tourist destination and a symbol of Dubai’s status as a global center for innovation and commerce.
Skyscrapers are signs of economic prosperity. They place cities on the global stage and serve as landmarks for investors and tourists, signifying that the city is poised to support economic growth. They maximize space in over-crowded areas and allow for thousands of people and businesses to flourish in the same locale.
Although supertall skyscrapers exist all over the world, several countries in Asia have been racing to build these behemoths in their business districts. With the exception of One World Trade Center in New York City, 9 of the 10 tallest buildings in the world are in Asia, including the Middle East.
Many more are being planned and built every year. 24/7 Tempo has compiled the tallest proposed buildings in the world. Of the 14 tallest proposed buildings, all are in Asia and 6 are in China.
China-already home to 44 of the world’s 100 tallest buildings-has seemingly put the brakes on its country’s skyscraper-mania with a 2020 government directive prohibiting new buildings from exceeding 1,640 feet. With all 6 of the proposed Chinese buildings on this list exceeding that height, they may just have to be cut down to size.
For a look closer to home, these are the tallest buildings in every state.
Click here to see the tallest proposed buildings in the world
14. Shimao Fuzhou Tower, Fuzhou, China
> Proposed height: 1,699 ft
> Population of Fuzhou in 2020: 5,245,000
This riverfront skyscraper designed by EID Architecture will house offices, a hotel, a museum, and seven levels of retail space. The conceptual architecture will feature a column that twists in the middle and tapers toward the top of the building.
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13. Wanda One, Xi’an, China
> Proposed height: 1,703 ft
> Population of Xi’an in 2020: 7,135,000
This office tower proposed by real estate developer Dalian Wanda Group would be the tallest building in Xi’an, rising 555 feet over the current tallest building, the Xi’an Glory Financial Center, and 69 feet over the Greenland Center, which is currently under construction and set to be completed in 2024.
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12. Guizhou Culture Plaza Tower, Guiyang, China
> Proposed height: 1,709 ft
> Population of Guiyang in 2020: 4,365,000
This ultra-modern tower, nicknamed the Future Ark, will feature an external metal frame with diagonal bracing designed to withstand earthquakes and heavy winds. It will be the centerpiece of a mixed use riverfront development that will also house a theater, a mall, and residential towers.
11. Burj Jumeira, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
> Proposed height: 1,804 ft
> Population of Dubai in 2020: 2,502,715
Rising from an oval-shaped lake modeled after a fingerprint, this split-volume skyscraper features two vertical disks with open space and connecting halls between them. The building will contain multiple observation decks including one with a 360 view of Dubai.
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10. Thai Boon Roong Twin Tower World Trade Center 1, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
> Proposed height: 1,843 ft
> Population of Phnom Penh in 2020: 2,129,371
Ground construction on this doubled towered, 133 story building began in 2018. The plans feature luxury apartments, offices, a hotel, and a mall. The trade centers will soar over Phnom Penh’s current tallest building, the 606 foot Vattanac Capital building.
9. Thai Boon Roong Twin Tower World Trade Center 2, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
> Proposed height: 1,843 ft
> Population of Phnom Penh in 2020: 2,129,371
The twin towers of Phnom Penh’s new World Trade Center are symbols of Cambodia’s bid to become a modern multinational business center. They will be the first world-class office buildings in the capital.
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8. Hyundai Global Business Center, Seoul, Korea, South
> Proposed height: 1,867 ft
> Population of Seoul in 2020: 21,794,000
This proposed landmark building in Seoul will feature a concert hall, hotel, international offices, and a convention center. Although Hyundai originally aimed for 115 stories, the building is now slated to be 105 stories and will be South Korea’s tallest building.
7. Baoneng Binhu Center T1, Hefei, China
> Proposed height: 1,929 ft
> Population of Hefei in 2020: 7,457,027
Baoneng Binhu Center T1 will be the tallest in a set of seven adjacent, nearly identical buildings of increasing height, the shortest of which began construction in 2016. Dubbed the Magnificent Seven, the towers will be arranged in a semi-circle around a lake.
6. Nexus Tower, Shenzhen, China
> Proposed height: 1,952 ft
> Population of Shenzhen in 2020: 15,929,000
Designed by PLP Architecture, the Nexus Tower will feature three interlocking structures that are rotated to give the appearance of a propeller. The center will house a performing arts complex as well as retail spaces, a hotel, and multiple bridges and observation decks.
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5. Tradewinds Square Tower A, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
> Proposed height: 1,995 ft
> Population of Kuala Lumpur in 2020: 8,285,000
This proposed office building in Malaysia’s capital, originally announced in 2011, would reach nearly 2,000 feet, adding to a growing skyline that consists of 5 other buildings over 1,000 feet with even more under construction.
4. Signature Tower Jakarta, Jakarta, Indonesia
> Proposed height: 2,093 ft
> Population of Jakarta in 2020: 34,540,000
Slated for completion in 2025, Signature Tower will be the tallest building in Indonesia. Because Jakarta is an active seismic zone, Signature Tower’s design features an exterior steel mega-frame and composite super columns. The top floor of the tower will contain an observatory.
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3. Shenzhen Tower, Shenzhen, China
> Proposed height: 2,106 ft
> Population of Shenzhen in 2020: 15,929,000
Shenzhen Tower, also called H700, is set to be built in Shenzhen’s Luohu business district, which serves as the city’s gateway to Hong Kong. Plans for the tower feature a rooftop public garden as well as a rainwater capture system that will run along the full exterior of the building.
2. Tower M, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
> Proposed height: 2,297 ft
> Population of Kuala Lumpur in 2020: 8,285,000
After the proposed Merdeka PNB118 tower boasted a height of 2,113 feet, KLCC Holdings-the owner of the current tallest towers in Malaysia, the Petronas Twin Towers-announced a proposal for an even taller building: Tower M. Completion of Tower M would give the title of tallest tower in Malaysia back to the Petronas Towers developer.
1. Uptown Dubai Tower 1, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
> Proposed height: 2,333 ft
> Population of Dubai in 2020: 2,502,715
The Burj Khalifa may be getting a new neighbor. The proposed Uptown Dubai Tower 1 would stand 389 feet lower than the current tallest building in the world, adding to a diverse skyline and providing a new venue for hotels, offices, and retail outlets.
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