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Doha finds a place among tallest skyscrapers list

The City of Doha became the fourth in the world, and second in the Middle East, among the list of skyscrapers completed in 2011, according to annual report released by the Chicago-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH).

The Doha skyline will add several more skyscrapers to the list in the coming years, including the second tallest buildings in the world, the 551m Doha Convention Centre and Tower, to be constructed in West Bay.

Among the total of 88 tall buildings, over the height of 200 meters, and above, completed across the world in 2011, Doha accounts for eight buildings, followed by Abu Dhabi, with nine skyscrapers completed during the year. Doha is followed by Dubai, the third in the Middle East and fifth in the world with seven buildings.

Among the eleven countries featured in the list, Qatar came fifth and second in the Middle East, while UAE was placed foremost in the region and second in the world. China tops the list of skyscrapers, followed by UAE with 16, South Korea with 11, Panama with 10, and Qatar with 8.

Among the eight tallest buildings in Doha, featured in the global report are Palm Tower -1, Palm Tower -2, Burj Qatar, Courtyard, Renaissance Hotel, Merweb Hotel, Rotana Hotel, and Shangri-La Hotel (each 200m).

The Executive Director of CTBUH Production Co-ordinator and Antony Wood, Nathaniel Hollister, said that the skyscraper completions are likely to decline sharply from this year, owing to global financial crisis in 2008, and the large number of projects put on hold.

However, at present, due to continued activity of skyscraper design and constructions in China, and development of comparatively new markets, this global dip is no-longer expected, and the impact that it will have on skylines of the world will be tremendous, the report said.

Another trend noticed was that the number of office buildings in the list of tallest 100 has diminished to 50percent mark for the first time, while mixed-use buildings continued to grow from 23 to 31. Speaking in terms of location, Asia, now with 46 out of 100, continues to edge forward containing half of the world’s tallest buildings. The Middle East saw an increase by three, while Europe diminished to just one building in the tallest 100, the report said.

Posted on 11/2/2012