Going up in the world: the rise and rise of supertall skyscrapers

More “supertall” skyscrapers were built around the world last year than ever before and the record is likely to be broken again this year.

Eighteen new “supertalls”, buildings more than 300m (984ft), were finished last year and a further 30 are expected by the end of this year.

China built 11 supertalls last year, including the highest, the 528m Citic Tower in Beijing, and the China Resources Headquarters in Shenzen, which reaches almost 400m.

Last year the US built three but is expected to finish five in New York this year. Europe built one, the 462m Lakhta Centre in St Petersburg, which is now the continent’s tallest and was largely designed by Tony Kettle, a Scot.

According to research published by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), a think tank based in Chicago, 19 more supertalls will be finished in China by the end of this year. Antony Wood, head of the CTBUH, said that “thanks to improved construction techniques and materials, it’s actually getting easier to build ever higher”.

There are now 144 supertalls, but in 2000 only 26 buildings were taller than 300m.

No skyscrapers — defined as more than 200m tall — were finished in Britain last year but next month 22 Bishopsgate, a 278m building in the City of London, will open. It will be tallest in the City until the 305m Tulip viewing platform opens in 2025. In Manchester the South Tower of Deansgate Square will be 201m high.