The World's Most Expensive Buildings
The classic look of a small town guy or girl who is new to the big
city, with their head tilted upwards with the neck craning to check out
all the tall buildings around is a classic among movies. You know you
have got it made once you become part of that maddening rush to and from
the workplace in these magnificent structures.
These structures
may cost a lot and is usually indicative of the affluence of the city
where it is located. So it comes as no surprise that the priciest
buildings are in some of the richest cities, including a couple that are
usually associated with gambling and casinos. Here now is a list of the
top 10 most expensive buildings in the world. Prices have been adjusted
for inflation based on 2012 numbers.
10. Antilla, Mumbai, India – $2.53 billion
Antilla is a building in Mumbai in India that has 27 floors and rises up
to 173 meters. It was designed by Perkins & Will and was built in
2010 at an original cost of $2 billion. Believe it or not, this is not a
commercial building. This is the house of Mukesh Ambani, the Chairman of Reliance Industries. The house has a full time staff of around 600 people serving the family around the clock.
9. City of Dreams, Macau, China – $2.75 billion
The City of Dreams is a casino located in Macau. Arquitectonica created
and design the building that has 37 floors and rises up to 164 meters.
Its original cost pre-inflation in 2009 was $2.4 billion. The building
is located at the Cotai Strip in the Cotai reclamation area that the
city had built. Melco Crown Entertainment owns the building, which is
its second mega property in Macau.
8. The Venetian Macau, Macau, China – $2.97 billion
The Venetian Macau is a luxury hotel and casino resort. Designed by
Aedas, the building has 39 floors and rises up to 225 meters. The
building was completed in 2005, with its cost running at that time to
$2.4 billion. It is owned by Las Vegas Sands and serves as the anchor of
the seven hotels in the Cotai Strip. It covers 10.5 million square feet
and is largely modeled after its sister casino in Las Vegas.
7. Wynn Resort, Las Vegas – $3.26 billion
Wynn Resort is a 45-story building that rises up to 187 meters high.
Designed by Butler Ashworth Architects and Jerde Partnership, the
building was completed in 2005, with its cost at that time running up to
$2.7 billion. The building is considered as the flagship property of
Wynn Resorts Limited. It is located on Las Vegas Boulevard directly
across the Las Vegas Strip from the Fashion Show Mall.
6. One World Trade Center, New York – $3.8 billion
One World Trade Center in New York is a 104-story building that rises up
to 541 meters up in the air. David Childs did the architecture while
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designed the building that was completed
in 2012 at a cost of $3.8 billion. It is the primary building of the new
World Trade Center Complex in lower Manhattan. It is currently the
tallest building in New York City, surpassing the height of the Empire
State Building.
5. The Shard, London, England – $3.9 billion
The Shard is an 87-story building in London that rises up to a height of
310 meters. The building forms part of the London Bridge Quarter
development. It was completed in 2012, with the observation deck being
opened to the public in February 2013. It is the tallest building in the
European Union and the second tallest freestanding structure in the
United Kingdom. Designed by the renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano,
the building is jointly owned by Sellar Property and the state of Qatar.
4. The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas – $4.16 billion
The Cosmopolitan is a 52-story building that rises up to 184 meters. The
Friedmutter Group designed the building together with Arquitectonica.
The building was completed in 2010 at a cost of $3.9 billion. This
luxury casino and resort hotel at the west side of the Las Vegas Strip
actually consists of two high-rise towers. The acclaimed building has
been awarded as the best hotel in the world in 2013.
3. Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi – $4.46 billion
The Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi has only six floors and rises up to
72.6 meters. John Elliott did the design and architecture. The building
was completed in 2005 at a cost of $3 billion at that time. It is
considered a seven-star luxury hotel, with its own marina and helipad.
It covers 850,000 square meters of floor space. The hotel is located on
1.3 kilometers of private beach and surrounded by 85 hectares of
gardens, with 114 domes approximately 80 meters high.
2. Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore – $5.38 billion
Resorts World Sentosa was completed in 2010 at a cost at that time of
$4.93 billion. It has 10 floors and rises up to 50 meters high. Michael
Graves designed the building. It is basically an integrated resort in
Sentosa Island off the southern coast of Singapore. It has a casino, a
Marine Life Park, the largest oceanarium in the world, and Universal
Studios. Genting Singapore developed the property and is considered as
one of the most expensive casino properties in the world.
1. Marina Bay Sands, Singapore – $6 billion
Marina Bay Sands is a 57-storey building that rises 194 meters into the
air. Moshe Safdie designed the building that was completed in 2010 at a
cost of $5.5 billion at the time. It is actually an integrated resort
that fronts Marina Bay in Singapore, covering 20 hectares of property.
It has the world’s largest atrium casino, a 340-meter long SkyPark, and a
150-meter infinity swimming pool on top of the largest public
cantilevered platform in the world. It features a mall, museum, two
large theaters, seven celebrity chef restaurants, two floating Crystal
Pavilions and an ice skating rink.
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