11. CapitaGreen, Singapore: $1.4 billion
This office building designed by prize-winning architect Toyo Ito was completed in 2014 and is one of the tallest buildings in Singapore. This 1.4 Billion USD skyscraper features integrated gardens and a triple-height entrance lobby, and almost half of its façade is covered in vegetation. Situated in Singapore’s Central Business District, the structure stands tall at 245-meters.
12. Seat of the European Central Bank, Frankfurt: $1.6 billion
Designed by Coop Himmelb(l)au architects, the ECB building is distinct and a unique building in Frankfurt. With its characteristic hyperboloid cut, the skyscraper was constructed at the cost of 1.6 Billion USD.
Integrating the existing Grossmarkthalle (Frankfurt’s former wholesale market hall) with the Skyscraper, it combines both historic and modern elements, creating a lasting landmark in the city. The structure is a union of the North Tower (185 meters tall) and the South Tower (165 meters tall).
13. Chifley Tower, Sydney: $1.6 billion
Architectural firm Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners collaborated with Sydney office Lippmann Partnership to design the Chifley tower for Australian real estate company Mirvac. Built at the cost of 1.6 Billion USD, the skyscraper is located in the business district of Sydney and has been designed to make the most of its prominent, north-facing site.
The most unique feature of the building is the six-storey entrance lobby at the street level that activates Chifley Square.
14. The Shard, London: $1.9 billion
Renzo Piano’s masterpiece, The Shard stands 310 meters tall and was completed in 2012. It was the tallest building until the UK left the European Union. The cost of its construction along with the redevelopment of the surrounding area totalled around 1.9 Billion USD.
The Shard houses some of the best offices, hotel rooms, and restaurants in London and offers some of the best views of the city.
15. SunTrust Financial Center, Tampa: $1.9 billion
Topped by a characteristic Ziggurat or a multi-stepped pyramid, this iconic tower in Tampa, Florida was completed in 1992 for the cost of 1 Billion USD (equalling 1.9 billion USD today). Designed by Architect Cooper Carry, the 160-meter tall skyscraper contains over 30,582 cubic meters of concrete and over 44,000 tons of steel. The ziggurat on top is illuminated by 300 LED lights which illuminate in different colours throughout the year.
16. Burj Khalifa, Dubai: $1.9 billion
The tallest structure in the world, the Burj Khalifa stands at the stomach-churning height of 830 meters. Designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), the iconic skyscraper was completed in 2009 at the cost of 1.9 billion USD.
The Burj Khalifa holds the record in all three categories as recognized by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (i.e., highest architectural top, highest occupied floor, and highest tip).
17. Antilia, Mumbai: $2 billion
One of the most expensive residences in the world, designed by Perkins and Will, the skyscraper was completed in 2009 for the cost of 2 billion USD. The structure features a six-storey car park, a mega temple, several guest suites, a private movie theatre, a salon, and an ice cream parlour.
18. Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong: $2 billion
This I.M Pei marvel was completed in 1989 and the cost of its construction was 2 billion USD. The tallest building in the world for a few years, the skyscraper stands tall at 367 meters and has a distinctive three-dimensional triangular shape. It houses the Hong Kong headquarters of the Beijing-based Central Bank of China, together with other tenants.
19. 200 West Street, New York: $2.1 billion
The headquarters of the Investment Bank Goldman Sach’s, the 200 West Street construction was a costly affair of 2.1 Billion USD. An exercise in rigor, the construction embodies the energy and spirit of cooperation of Goldman Sachs.
The architecture was designed with sensitivity to the nearby buildings and the planning needs of Battery Park City. The height of the podium, the geometry of the bustle and the slope of the west face retain the lines of the site to the west, best known as the “view corridor” a prerequisite for construction in this location.
20. Princess Tower, Dubai: $2.2 billion
The Princess tower is Dubai’s costliest building and it’s tallest structure after Burj Khalifa. It is also the tallest residential building in the world. The 2.2 billion USD structure was completed in 2012. Designed by Eng. Adnan Saffarini, the buildings stands at 413.4 meters tall.
