Moscow reclaiming bragging rights over London for having Europe’s tallest building
The Moscow City complex with the Mercury City tower, right, is being constructed in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012. Moscow is reclaiming bragging rights for having Europe’s tallest building after losing the distinction for a few months to London. The mixed office and residential tower called Mercury City has topped out at 338 meters (1,109 feet), officials of its development company said Thursday.
Associated Press
MOSCOW— Moscow is reclaiming bragging rights for having Europe’s tallest building after losing the distinction for a few months to London. The mixed office and residential tower called Mercury City has topped out at 338 meters (1,109 feet), officials of its development company said Thursday.
The tower, sheathed in copper-colored glass, actually became Europe’s tallest in September, while still under construction, when it exceeded London’s 310-meter (1,017-foot) Shard, according to the construction information company Emporis.
Mercury City’s reign is likely to be almost as short. It’s next-door to the under-construction Federation Tower, which is to reach 506 meters (1,660 feet) when it’s completed next year.
Both are in a sprawling development called Moscow City that also holds two other buildings that once were Europe’s tallest. The complex is an eye-catching demonstration of Moscow’s transformation from drab shabbiness to swaggering prosperity, driven largely by oil and natural gas revenues.
Mercury City “distinctly shows the activity of Russian business … it demonstrates that all of Russia is on a level with countries of the eurozone, continuing its planned development and moving forward,” Igor Kesayev, director of the Mercury company, was quoted as saying by the news agency Interfax. But competing with European countries for tallest building is playing in the minor leagues. There are nearly 60 buildings in North America, Asia and the Middle East that are taller, topped by Dubai’s Burj Khalifa — about 2.5 times taller than Mercury city at 828 meters (2,717 feet).
__________________________________________
Video: Moscow reclaims Europe’s tallest building
___________________________________________
Video: The Shard -London’s tallest building
72 floors, Antenna spire 309.6 m (1,016 ft)/Roof 304.1 m (998 ft)
_________________________________________
Video: The view from the Shard, London
_________________________________________
World’s existing tallest buildings
Atlanta, Georgia- Bank of America Plaza 55 floors, 317 m (1,040 ft)
Boston, Massachusetts– Hancock Place 60 floors, 240 m (790 ft)
Charlotte, North Carolina– Bank of America Corporate Center 60 floors, 265 m (871 ft)
Frankfurt, Germany– Commerzbank Tower 56 floors, 259 m (850 ft)
Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa– Carlton Centre 50 floors, 223 m (732 ft)
Istanbul, Turkey– Sapphire of Istanbul 54 floors, 261 m (856 ft)
Houston, Texas– JPMorgan Chase Tower 75 floors, 305 m (1,002.0 ft)
Los Angeles, California– U.S. Bank Tower 73 floors, 310 m (1,018 ft)
Madrid, Spain– Torre Caja Madrid 45 floors, 250 m (820 ft)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 91 floors, 297 m (975 ft)
Miami, Florida– Four Seasons Hotel Miami 64 floors 240 m (789 ft)
Milan, Italy– Garibaldi Tower 32 floors, 231 m (758 ft)
New York City, New York– One World Trade Center 104 floors, 541 m (1,776 ft) under construction
Paris, France– Tour First 56 floors, 231 m (758 ft)
Santiago, Chile– The Gran Torre Santiago 63 floors, 300 m (984 ft) under construction
São Paulo, Brazil– Company Business Towers floors, 189 m (620 ft) under construction
Seattle, Washington Columbia Center 76 floors, 284 m (933 ft)
Surfers Paradise, Australia– Q1 78 floors, 322.5 m (1,058 ft)
Dilemma X 
November 2, 2012
Did you know?, International