What’s that up in the sky? It’s probably a new skyscraper. This year has been the busiest on record for skyscraper construction.
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat based in Chicago recently released its 2017 Tall Building Year in Review. The report shows that more buildings of 200 meters in height or greater were completed in 2017 than in any year.
How many? According to the council’s report, there were a total of 144 tall-building completions this year. This makes 2017 the fourth consecutive record-breaking year for skyscraper construction.
The number of tall buildings going up this year is up an impressive 95 percent from 2013, when only 74 buildings of more than 200 meters were completed.
This year has been a geographically diverse year for tall buildings, too. The council reports that 69 cities across 23 countries were home to new tall buildings. That’s up from 54 cities in 18 countries in 2016. Even more impressive, 28 of these cities and eight countries completed their tallest buildings this year.
China led the way, with 76 completions of tall buildings, accounting for 53 percent of the total. This means that China remains the world leader in skyscraper construction.
“The data from 2017 shows a continuation of the trend toward a greater global proliferation of skyscraper construction,” said council executive director Antony Wood, in a statement. “High-rise construction is no longer confined to a select few financial and business centers, but rather is becoming the accepted global model for densification as more than 1 million people on our planet urbanize each week.”
The council reports that 13 cities saw their first 200-meter-plus high-rise completion in 2017.
