10. 101 Taipei
Place: Taiwan
Completed Cost: $1.9 Billion*; Year Completed: 2003
When Taipei 101 was completed in 2004 and stood 1667 feet tall, it was the highest building in the world. This position was held until 2010. The building of Taipei 101, the idea of architects C.Y. Lee and C.P. Wang, started in 1999, two years after it was initially conceived.
Taipei 101 © Shutterstock/JJeffrey Liao
The 2002 Taipei earthquake caused a week-long delay in the project. Five workers were murdered when a crane fell from the 47th level, but the structure was unharmed structurally, and construction went on as scheduled.
The complex’s mall opened for business in November 2003 after four arduous years of setbacks, and on New Year’s Eve 2004, the remaining tower was finished and accessible to the public. After $1.9 billion and five years of development, the event was marked with the first of many New Year’s fireworks displays.
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