The world’s largest construction projects in 2022

Humankind has been tackling ever bigger and more elegant construction projects for centuries. Since the late 1800s, buildings have reached new heights and humankind has never looked back.

The first skyscraper was erected in Chicago in 1885. The building was supported by a revolutionary steel frame, thanks to which the building could reach increased height and greater stability, and it also was able to carry more weight. However, the building only had a height of a little more than 42 m and consisted of a mere ten storeys. In 1890 it was decided to add another two storeys, and the highest point of the building then was 55 m above ground level.

132 years later, the top of the tallest building is a towering 828 m above the surrounding area. The Burj Khalifa in Dubai comprises 160 storeys. This exceptional building was designed by an American engineering architect firm, Skidmore, Owings & Merill, and construction took six years. During construction, 330 000 cubic metres of concrete was used – comparable to the weight of 100 000 elephants.