20. Turning Torso, Malmo, Sweden

Height: 190 meters
Cost to build: US$80 million
Completion date: 2005
Fast fact: Tourists are not allowed in the building because it houses apartments and offices.

By crossing the boundaries of strict geometry and modern technologies in architecture, he came up with a masterpiece that has more than a twist in its tail. The spine-like skyscraper turns a full 90 degrees from top to bottom. In order to follow the rotation, the windows are leaning either inwards or outward zero to seven degrees. No other skyscraper has achieved anything as extreme. In line with Sweden’s low-emission promise, this tallest residential building in the country is also supplied with 100 percent locally produced renewable energy -- a true symbol of modern Sweden.

19. 30 St. Mary Axe, London, England

 

Height: 180 meters
Cost to build: US$212 million
Completion date: 2003
Fast fact: Despite its curvaceous body, the entire building only has one piece of curved glass in its construction, and that is the lens at the top of the building.

Some say it’s in an egg shape; others call it the London Bullet Building or the Cucumber Building. In any event, the Gherkin broke London’s tradition of building boring skyscrapers. Officially named 30 St. Mary Axe, the harlequin-patterned building bulges out slightly from its base to reach a maximum height of 180 meters. It stands at the center of London’s financial district. Together with its energy-efficient designs, its aerodynamic shape also minimizes wind loads and doesn’t deflect wind to the ground, improving wind conditions in the vicinity, winning London pedestrians' hearts.

18. Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Height: 828 meters
Cost to build: US$1.5 billion
Completion date: January 2009
Fast fact: Not only is this the world’s tallest building, it is also home of the world’s highest mosque, on the 158th floor. The tower is more than twice the height of the Empire State Building in New York.

 Size isn't everything -- that's what the little guys always say. Standing 828 meters high and weighing half a million tons, Burj Khalifa towers above its city like a giant redwood in a field of daisies. It has been been the world's tallest building since 2010. Gigantic doesn’t begin to describe it. This “desert flower” stands out comfortably among other skyscrapers and has become the symbol of Dubai’s bling, which often goes hand-in-hand with figures of per capita carbon footprints –- which Dubai also tops.

17. Torre Agbar, Barcelona, Spain

 

Height: 142 meters 

Cost to build: US$130 million 

Completion date: 2004 

Fast fact: The design is inspired by the power and lightness of a geyser shooting up, touching the skies of Barcelona.

 Torre Agbar may have the look a bullet, but it doesn’t have the metallic touch like other skyscrapers. Its design was inspired by the hills of Montserrat, letting it morph quietly into the most visible landmark of the city of blue and red. The 144-meter-high building has two cylindrical layers. One topped by polished aluminum and the second clear and translucent glass with 40 different colors. With a total of 4,500 yellow, blue, pink and red lights placed over the facade, the sensation of Barcelona’s skyline helps illuminate the city with floodlights at night, making it the most discernible figure for miles, after Lionel Messi.

16. Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan

 

Height: 508 meters
Cost to build: US$1.8 billion
Completion date: 2004
Fast fact: The building is designed to resemble a growing bamboo stalk, a symbol of everlasting strength in Chinese culture.

 It is the first skyscraper to soar past the half-kilometer mark and it sat at the pinnacle of the skyscraper world from 2004 to 2009. Taipei 101 can also claim the “world’s fastest passenger elevator” title. At an ear-popping 1,010 meters per minute, it takes merely 37 seconds to catapult passengers from the fifth floor to the highest point in Taiwan. Ritualistically, Taipei 101 is supported by the lucky number eight in many aspects of its design, including the number of sections and super columns. It also incorporates the form of a Chinese pagoda and evokes the shape of sprouting bamboo flowers.

15. Burj al Arab, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

 

Height: 321 meters
Cost to build: US$650 million
Completion date: December 1999
Fast fact: The hotel is the only seven-star hotel in the world, even though the hotel proclaimed itself so.  

Influenced by the shape of the dhow, Burj al Arab isn't only a popular computer monitor wallpaper; it has also established itself as the distinctive icon of extravagance in Dubai, housing the world’s only self-proclaimed seven-star hotel. Sitting on a manmade island, the “sailboat” has a private beach and a private curving bridge that connects it to the rest of the city. More notable, however, is Tiger Wood’s annual tee-off on the 24-meter-wide helipad, where Roger Federer and Andre Agassi also played a tennis match, 300 meters above ground.

14. Two International Finance Center, Hong Kong

 

Height: 415 meters
Cost to build: US$2.5 billion
Completion date: August 2008
Fast facts: In "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life," Lara Croft leaped off the building. In "The Dark Knight," Batman leaped from 2IFC to IFC.

 Two International Financial Center is the definitive point of Hong Kong’s awe-inspiring skyline and a symbol of its wealth. Located in the center of Hong Kong’s financial district, this shimmering 415-meter obelisk fits every criterion of a financial powerhouse. It houses some of the world’s largest financial institutes, it is situated on 8 Finance Street and has 88 floors -- the number eight is an auspicious digit in Hong Kong. The building is topped with a crown that some liken to a beard trimmer.