A record number of “supertalls”—buildings taller than 300 meters (984.252 feet)—were constructed around the world last year, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.
The most height-defying among the 11 skyscrapers completed in 2014 is One World Trade Center in New York, which at 1,776 feet, is the tallest building in the U.S. and the third tallest in the world.
In addition, a record number of buildings taller than 200 meters (656.168 feet) were finished last year. Among those towers, China built five; United Arab Emirates and Qatar built four each; and the U.S., Japan, Indonesia, and Canada built three each.
The sky-high surge could be a response to a pent-up demand for commercial and office space that collected during the lean years of global recession. Also, the use of steel framing, which allows for longer spans, has made a comeback in high-rise construction, making buildings more structurally able to climb into the clouds. Finally, China continues to urbanize, creating a market for denser building in cities to accommodate as many as 250 million residents and workers who are moving into them.