081 TAIWAN - Taipei 101

Taipei 101, formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Republic of China (ROC). The building ranked officially as the world's tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010. In July 2011, the building was awarded LEED Platinum certification, the highest award in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system and became the tallest and largest green building in the world. Taipei 101 was designed byC.Y. Lee & partners and constructed primarily by KTRT Joint Venture. The construction was finished in 2004. The tower has served as an icon of modern Taiwan ever since its opening. Fireworks launched from Taipei 101 feature prominently in international New Year's Eve broadcasts and the structure appears frequently in travel literature and international media. Taipei 101 comprises 101 floors above ground and 5 floors underground. The building was architecturally created as a symbol of the evolution of technology and Asian tradition. Its postmodernist approach to style incorporates traditional design elements and gives them modern treatments. The tower is designed to withstand typhoons and earthquakes. A multi-level shopping mall adjoining the tower houses hundreds of fashionable stores, restaurants and clubs. Taipei 101 is owned by the TFCC and managed by the International division of Urban Retail Properties Corporation based in Chicago. The name originally planned for the building, Taipei World Financial Center, until 2003, was derived from the name of the owner. The original name in Chinese was literally, Taipei International Financial Center.

The Taipei 101 tower has 101 stories above ground and five underground. Upon its completion Taipei 101 claimed the official records for:

• Ground to highest architectural structure (spire): 508 m (1,667 ft). Previously held by the Petronas Towers 451.9 m (1,483 ft).
• Ground to roof: 449.2 m (1,474 ft). Formerly held by the Willis Tower 442 m (1,450 ft).
• Ground to highest occupied floor: 438 m (1,437 ft). Formerly held by the Willis Tower 412.4 m (1,353 ft).
• Fastest ascending elevator speed: designed to be 1,010 meters per minute, which is 16.83 m/s (55.22 ft/s) (60.6 kilometres per hour (37.7 mph)).
• Largest countdown clock: Displayed on New Year's Eve.
• Tallest sundia

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amychen (postcrossing) sent from Taichung City (Taiwan) on 04.08.2013.

035 UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - Dubai

Dubai is a city located in the United Arab Emirates. The emirate of Dubai is located on the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf and is one of the seven emirates that make up the country. It has the largest population in the UAE and the second-largest land terriotory after Abu Dhabi. The earliest mention of Dubai is in 1095 AD and the earliest recorded settlement in the region dates from 1799. The Seikhdom of Dubai was formally established in 1833 by Sheikh Maktoum bin Butti Al-Maktoum when he persuaded around 800 members of his tribe of the Bani Yas, living in what was then the Second Saudi State and now part of Saudi-Arabia. Today, Dubai has emerged as a cosmopolitan metropolis that has grown steadily to become a global city and a business and cultural hub of the Middle East and the Persian Guld Region.

Atlantis is a resort located on Dubai's reclaimed artificial island The Palm. It was the first resort to be built on the island and is based on the myth of Atlantis includes distinct Arabian elements. The resort opened in September 2008. The hotel has 23 floors and 1539 rooms. Burj Al Arab is a luxury hotel in Dubai. At 321 m, it is the fourth tallest hotel in the world, however 39% of its total height is made up of non-occupiable space. Burj Al Arab stands on an artificial island 280 m from Jumeirah beach and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. The shape of the structure is designed to mimic the sail of a ship. Sometimes referred to as "the world's only 7-star hotel", its star rating is disputed. Burj Khalifa is a skyscraper and the tallest man-made structure in the world, at 829,8 m. Constructions began on 21 September 2004 with the exterior of the structure completed on 1 October 2009. The building officially opened on 4 January 2010 and is part of the new 490 acre development called Downtown Dubai.

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Nastya (postcrossing) sent from Dubai (UAE) on 30.03.2013

028 MALAYSIA - Petronas Towers

The Petronas Towers, also known as the Petronas Twin Towers are twin skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. According to the CTBUH's official definition and ranking, they were the tallest building the the world from 1998 to 2004 until surpassed by Taipei 101, but they remain the tallest twin building in the world. The buildings are the landmark of Kuala Lumpur with nearby Kuala Lumpur Towers. The height of the towers is measured to the top of their structural components such as spire, but don't include antennas. Spires are considered actual integral parts of the architectural design of building to which changes would substantially change the appearance and design of the builing, whereas antennas may be added or removed without such consequences. The building is 452 m (1483 ft) high and the top floor is at 375 m (1230 ft).

The towers were designed by Argentine architect César Pelli. They chose a distinctive postmodern style to create a 21st-century icon for Kuala Lumpur. Planning of the Petronas Towers started on 1 January 1992 and included rigrous tests and simulations of wind and structural loads of the design. Seven years of construction followed, beginning on 1 March 1993 with the excavation which envolved moving 500 truckloads of earth every night to dig down 30 metres (98 ft) below the surface. The construction of the superstructure commenced on 1 April 1994. Interiors with furniture were completed on 1 January 1996, the spires of Tower 1 and 2 were completed on 1 March 1996 and the first batch of PETRONAS personal moved into the building on 1 January 1997. The building was officially opened by the Prime Minister of Malaysia's Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad on 1 August 1999.

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Geok Chu (postcrossing) sent from Perling (Malaysia) on 29.08.2013