VietNamNet Bridge - Bitexco, the 262-meter building in HCM City, has been listed among 20 of the world's most iconic skyscrapers, selected by CNNGO (of CNN).


CNNGO selected the 20 iconic skyscrapers of the world based on the following principle “Buildings that are great, not because they're tall, but because of what they represent”.

According to CNNGO, the Bitexco Financial Tower may no longer be the tallest building in Vietnam, but it still defines HCM City’s skyline. Designed to represent Vietnam’s national flower, the lotus, this 262-meter skyscraper is meant to characterize the beauty and growth of the city below. It's ambitious, and it's in your face, much like its host city.
The building was completed on October 31, 2010, after more than five years under construction, at the cost of US$220 million. With speeds of seven meters per second, the elevators in the building are the third-fastest in the world.

There's an observation deck on the 47th floor, where visitors get a 360-degree view of HCM City, and a helipad on the 50th level, creating one of the structures most salient features.
Other buildings include: the Empire State tower in New York (1st), China Central Television Headquarters in China’s Beijing (2nd), the headquarters of Commerzbank in Germany’s Frankfurt (3rd), the Elephant Tower in Bangkok (4th), the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco (6th), Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong (7th), Kingdom Center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (8th), Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (9th), Tokyo Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower in Tokyo, Japan (10th), Shanghai World financial center in Hong Kong (11th), Hotel & Casino Grand in Lisboa, Macau (12th), Bahrain World Trade Center of Bahrain (13th), Two International Finance Center, Hong Kong (14th), Burj al Arab in Dubai of the UAE (15th), Taipei 101 in Taiwan (16th), Torre Agbar in Barcelona, Spain (17th), Burj Khalifa in the UAE’s Dubai (18th), 30 St. Mary Axe, London, the UK (19th), and Turning Torso in Sweden’s Malmo (20th).

PV