The Top 10 Most Impactful Skylines

Emporis, a German company that collects and distributes information on construction and the built environment, has released a ranking of the world’s 100 most visually impactful skylines, using statistical analysis to address a topic often made frustratingly subjective by civic pride.

To create the rankings, Emporis used data from its archives to determine the number of high-rise buildings in the cities it studied, and applied a points system that gave each building a numerical value determined by the number of floors it has. To standardize their ranking process, the points system ignores spires and other ornament, and does not include television or antenna towers, masts, bridges, or similar architecture.

Of the top 10 most impactful skylines, seven are in Asia, while North and South America combined have the other three. Notably, cities filled with rich architectural history fail to make the list, or fall surprisingly low in the rankings; London is number 44, Paris is ranked 66, and Rome does not make the cut. 

To see the top ten skylines, read on after the break, and click here to see Emporis' complete list.

1. Hong Kong

Hong Kong Skyline. Image © Flickr CC user Kevin Jaako
Hong Kong Skyline. Image © Flickr CC user Mariusz Kluzniak

2. New York City

New York Skyline. Image © Flickr CC user Peter McConnochie
New York Skyline. Image © Flickr CC user Mark Chang

3. Singapore

Singapore Skyline, with the Marina Bay Sands Hotel in the foreground. Image © Flickr CC user Nicolas Lannuzel
Singapore. Image © Flickr CC user Eustaquio Santimano
Singapore Central Business District. Image © Flickr CC user Erwin Soo

4. Moscow

Moscow International Business Center Skyline. Image © Flickr CC user Oscar Rasson
Part of the Moscow Skyline. Image © Flickr CC user Gennady Grachev

5. Seoul

Seoul Skyline. Image © Flickr CC user travel oriented
Seoul Skyline. Image © Flickr CC user Mariusz Kluzniak

6. Dubai

Dubai Skyline. Image © Flickr CC user Mr. Jason Hayes
Dubai Skyline. Image © Flickr CC user Darla دارلا Hueske
Dubai Skyline. Image © Flickr CC user Paolo Margari

7. Chicago

Chicago Skyline. Image © Flickr CC user Tom Gill
Chicago Skyline. Image © Flickr CC user Don Burkett

8. Shanghai

Shanghai Skyline. Image © Flickr CC user David Almeida
Shanghai Skyline. Image © Flickr CC user Bernd Thaller

9. São Paulo

São Paulo. Image © Flickr CC user Júlio Boaro
São Paulo Skyline. Image © Flickr CC user Roger W
São Paulo Skyline. Image © Flickr CC user Jimmy Baikovicius

10. Bangkok

Bangkok. Image © Flickr CC user Efendi Kwok
Bangkok Skyline. Image © Flickr CC user Anton Strogonoff
Bangkok. Image © Flickr CC user Eustaquio Santimano

Image gallery

See allShow less
About this author
Cite: Patrick Kunkel. "The Top 10 Most Impactful Skylines" 08 Jul 2015. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/769806/the-top-10-most-impactful-skylines> ISSN 0719-8884

You've started following your first account!

Did you know?

You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.