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Luxury living has arrived on a new level, above the clouds. Globally, there are more than 2,000 buildings above 150 metres tall that include homes, most of them built in the past decade. At least 500 more are planned. This graphic shows residential and mixed-use skyscrapers completed since 2006, as developers vie to build ever-taller buildings in the US, United Arab Emirates, and China.
The trend is underpinned by the global shift of populations into cities. At 800 metres, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the world's tallest building, for now. The Y-shaped structure was inspired by the hymenocallis flower, a member of the amaryllis family. It provides stability and reduces the impact of wind.
The credit crunch stalled many other projects, but soon the race for height resumed. And billionaires have embraced sky-high living. 157 was the first of a series of super tall residential towers, built south of Central Park in New York, known as Billionaire's Row. In 2014 Michael Dell, founder of Dell computers, reportedly paid a then record $100m plus price for a penthouse apartment here. But there are concerns some developers are flying too close to the sun.
On Billionaires' Row, about 40 per cent of the homes remain unsold. 432 Park Avenue is one of the world's skinniest buildings in relation to its height. To counter swaying from the wind, two floors every 12 are left open.
The controversial Skyscraper Index theory suggests construction of record breaking towers can signal an economic downturn. But the developers of the new tallest tower in the world hope the opposite is true. The Burj will soon be eclipsed by the Jeddah tower, at a pioneering one kilometre tall. That's three times the height of New York's Chrysler building.
Its 59 elevators will travel at up to 10 metres a second in both directions. The tower aims to put the western Saudi city and its other mega construction projects on the map. Unlike New York or Shanghai, Jeddah is not yet a crowded metropolis with a crowded skyline. But the developers hope if they build it, then the people and the businesses will come.
