World's Most Expensive Buildings
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The Shard is the newest highlight of the London Skyline and it is dubbed as the tallest building in Europe. As a record-setting building, it goes without saying that the cost to put up this building is very steep. The final cost of the Shard and its neighboring building called the Place is an estimated 1.5 billion pounds. This covers the purchase price for the construction site and the debt interest. Many believe this is a sound investment considering that the net worth of the Shard is pegged now at 2.5 billion pounds or $3.9 billion.
Man-made as they may be, skyscrapers are a marvel to behold. Travelling enthusiasts should find the time to visit other hulking and towering monuments of human architecture besides The Shard of London.
Here's our list of the eleven most expensive buildings as of 2012:
11. Mandalay Bay
The Mandalay Bay resort in Las Vegas costs upward of $950 million. It has 43 stories and has remained as a five-star casino and resort since being built in 2007 by MGM Resorts International.
10. Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s Bank of China Tower comes with a price tag of $1 billion. It stretches to a length of 1,205.4 feet from the ground up, a marvelous feat considering that the main purpose of the building is to simply serve as the office of its namesake bank.
9. Shanghai World Financial Center
The Shanghai World Financial Center in China has a price tag of $1.2 billion and towers at 1,622 feet tall. It has 101 floors, a museum, offices and retail stores. It also houses Park Hyatt Shanghai which is the highest hotel in the world.
8. Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
The New Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York cost $1.5 billion when it was built in 2009. For this reason, a single game ticket for a Yankees game is priced at $2,500! In spite of this, the stadium is always filled and sells out all of its tickets with every baseball game.
7. Burj Khalifa, Dubai
The Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is the tallest structure in the world at an elevation of 2,717 feet and it also costs $1.5 billion. It is a prime real estate because office space costs $4,000 for every square foot. The Armani Residences housed inside the building is priced at $3,500 for every square foot.
6. Wembley Stadium, London
The Wembley Stadium in London, United Kingdom is said to cost $1.5 billion as well. The place has a capacity of 90,000 people and serves as the home court of England’s national soccer team.
5. Bellagio Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas
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The Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas has an impressive water fountain featured in the 2001 film Ocean’s 11 starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt. The casino complex costs $1.6 billion and it was built in 1998.
4. Taipei 101, Taiwan
The Taipei 101 has an elevation of 1,670.6 feet with 101 floors. This $1.8 billion building in Taiwan has a library, retail centers, restaurants and even a fitness center.
3. Antilla, Mumbai
The Antilla private residence has a stunning price tag of $2 billion in Mumbai, India. It was built for India's richest man Mukesh Ambani, the chairman of an enterprise that specializes in oil and gas exploration and production. The family occupies 400,000 square feet of the residence all for themselves. This is the first billion dollar residence in the world and it features a staff of 600 full-time employees tasked to maintain the estate. Antilla was named after a mythical island said to be located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
2. Wynn Las Vegas, Nevada
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The most expensive building as of today is another Las Vegas marvel called the Wynn Las Vegas. It was built in 2005 and carries with it a price tag of US$2.7 billion. Considered as the world’s most expensive resort, Wynn Las Vegas also has a Ferrari-Maserati dealership and showroom inside as well as the Tryst night club that has its own waterfall and lake. The technology of this casino is so sophisticated that is the first high rise building to be cleaned with an automatic window washing system.
1. The Shard, London
The Shard (Shard London Bridge) is the newest highlight of the London Skyline and it is dubbed as the tallest building in Europe. As a record-setting building, it goes without saying that the cost to put up this building is very steep. The final cost of the Shard and its neighboring building called the Place is an estimated 1.5 billion pounds. This covers the purchase price for the construction site and the debt interest. Many believe this is a sound investment considering that the net worth of the Shard is pegged now at 2.5 billion pounds or $3.9 billion.
