Skyscrapers in China

China has 6 of the world's 15 tallest buildings. Compared to the United States who has 3, China is leading a wave of skyscrapers that are being built away from the U.S. and Europe. By 2012 China will have 34% of the 100 tallest buildings  in the world. Other cities also building skyscrapers at a rapid pace are India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia. Part of the reason for this boom in construction of skyscrapers, is to keep up with the demand for space in overcrowded cities, and economic growth. In China, the government is encouraging midsize towns to build these huge towers, to show off to the world their success. The interesting part of these skyscrapers is that they are not just being built as office space or apartment building, rather the are being constructed to be a combination of office space, hotel, shopping mall, and luxury apartments. The government of China has also placed the pressure on developers to build environmentally friendly skyscrapers, and as such the Shanghai Tower is being built with a double layer glass exterior to insulate it and cut heating and cooling costs.
The picture below is of the 121 story Shanghai Tower: