Is KCR’s dream taller than the Burj Khalifa?

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao sent the people of the State and the world into a tizzy by directing officials to construct the world’s tallest tower in the city a week ago. Reportedly the structure would be coming up at Sanjeevaiah Park. At present, the world's tallest building is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (which stands 828 metres tall). Here is a glimpse of other gigantic skyscrapers of the world

Burj Khalifa: It is the tallest man-made structure in the world, standing at 829.8 m (2,722 ft). Construction began on September 21, 2004, with the exterior of the structure reaching completion on October 1, 2009. The building officially opened on January 4, 2010, and is part of the new 2 sq. km (490 acre) development called Downtown Dubai at the 'First Interchange' along Sheikh Zayed Road, near Dubai's main business district. The tower's architecture and engineering were performed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill of Chicago, with Adrian Smith as chief architect, and Bill Baker as chief structural engineer. The primary contractor was Samsung C&T of South Korea. The tower's construction was done by the construction division of Al Ghurair Investment group.

Taipei 101: Formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, it is a landmark super tall skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building ranked officially as the world's tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010. In July 2011, the building was awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification, the highest award in the LEED rating system and became the tallest and largest green building in the world. Taipei 101 was designed by CY Lee and partners and constructed primarily by KTRT Joint Venture. The construction was finished in 2004.

Shanghai World Financial Centre: It is another super tall skyscraper located in the Pudong district of Shanghai, China. It was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox and developed by the Mori Building Company, with Leslie E Robertson Associates as its structural engineer and China State Construction Engineering Corp and Shanghai Construction (Group) General Co. as its main contractor.

International Commerce Centre: The Hong Kong International Commerce Centre is a 118-storey , 484 m (1,588 ft) commercial skyscraper completed in 2010 in West Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is a part of the Union Square project built on top of Kowloon Station. As of 2014, it is the world's eighth tallest building by height, world's fourth tallest building by number of floors, as well as the tallest building in Hong Kong.

Petronas Towers: The Petronas Towers, also known as the Petronas Twins, are twin skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat's (CTBUH) official definition and ranking, they were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004 and remain the tallest twin towers in the world replacing World Trade Centre in New York. The buildings are a landmark of Kuala Lumpur, along with nearby Kuala Lumpur Tower

Nanjing Greenland Financial Centre: Zifeng Tower, formerly Nanjing Greenland Financial Centre, is a 450 m (1,480 ft) skyscraper completed in 2010 in Nanjing, China. The 89-story building comprises retail and office space in the lower section, and restaurants, a hotel, and a public observatory near the top. The tower’s stepping is functional, helping separate these sections. Architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill designed the building, led by Adrian Smith.

Willis Tower: Willis Tower, formerly named and still commonly referred to as Sears Tower, is a 108-storey, 442 m (1,451ft) skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois, United States. At the time of its completion in 1973, it was the tallest building in the world, surpassing the World Trade Centre towers in New York, and it held this rank for nearly 25 years. The Willis Tower is the second-tallest building in the United States.

Trump International Hotel & Tower: The Trump International Hotel and Tower, also known as Trump Tower Chicago and Trump Tower, is a skyscraper condo-hotel in downtown Chicago, Illinois. The building, named after billionaire real estate developer Donald Trump, was designed by architect Adrian Smith of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. Bovis Lend Lease built the 98-storey structure, which reached a height of 423 m (1,389 ft) including its spire, its roof topping out at 360 m (1,170 feet). It is adjacent to the main branch of the Chicago River, with a view of the entry to Lake Michigan beyond a series of bridges over the river.

Jin Mao Tower: The Jin Mao Tower is an 88-storey landmark skyscraper in the Lujiazui area of the Pudong district of Shanghai, China. It contains offices and the Grand Hyatt Shanghai hotel. Until 2007 it was the tallest building in the PRC, the fifth tallest in the world by roof height. Along with the Oriental Pearl Tower, it is part of the Pudong skyline. Its height was surpassed on September 14, 2007, by the Shanghai World Financial Centre, which is right next to the building.