10 tallest buildings in Europe

In terms of the development of high-rise construction, North America and some Asian countries are currently leading. In Frankfurt am Main, London, Rotterdam, Madrid, Warsaw, Istanbul and other European cities, skyscrapers began to appear relatively recently. However, thanks to the rich experience of architects and cooperation with leading companies from the USA, Europe is confidently catching up with America in terms of the maximum height of structures.

10 Triumph Palace (Moscow) | 264,3 m

The capital’s skyscraper until 2007 was considered the tallest residential building in Europe. It is a modern interpretation of the buildings of the Stalin era, made at the junction of postmodernism and neoclassicism. Construction work from 2001 to 2006 was led by the famous architect Andrey Trofimov.

• the height of the building together with the spire is 264,3 m;
• facade decoration involved: porcelain stoneware, marble, travertine, ceramic tiles and natural stone.

“Triumph Palace” is located in the Northern administrative district of Moscow in the Khoroshevsky district. The design includes 9 sections with a different number of floors. The central section is the highest, and consists of 57 floors.

9. Tower on embankment C (Moscow) | 268,4 m

Tower C is the tallest building in the Naberezhnaya Tower complex, located in the Presnensky district of Moscow near the Mezhdunarodnaya and Vystavochnaya metro stations. Construction work on the construction of block C began in the winter of 2005 and was completed at the end of 2007.

• includes 59 floors, building height – 268,4 m;
• over 1000 m² in the building reserved for retail space, 108 m² occupy offices and other premises.

Under block C there are 5 floors of underground parking. The facades are finished with energy-saving soundproof panels made of low-emission tinted glass.

8. Commerzbank Tower (Frankfurt) | 300,1 m

Building Commerzbank Tower is located in the central part of Frankfurt am Main, its height together with the antenna is 300,1 m.

The weight of the building is 200 thousand tons, the well-known English architect Norman Foster worked on its project, according to the projects of which the “Palace of Peace and Reconciliation” in Astana, the hotel complex “Mriya Resort & SPA” in Opolznevoye (Crimea), as well as the island “Novaya Holland” (St. Petersburg, Admiralteisky district).

The building of the Commerzbank Tower is made in the form of an equilateral triangle and includes 53 floors. Glass panels that comply with international environmental standards were used to finish the external walls.

7. City of Capitals: Moscow | 301,6 m

Complex “City of Capitals” consists of two multi-storey buildings “St. Petersburg” (256,9 m, 65 floors) and “Moscow” (301,6 m, 73 floors) and is located on the ninth section of the MIBC Moscow-City. Construction work began in 2003, but was frozen and resumed only in 2005. The complex was put into operation in 2009, its total area exceeds 288 m².

City of Capitals is owned by Capital Group, Sberbank Capital LLC and Sberbank of Russia LLC, part of the office space is owned by the Turkish Garanti Bank. Offices and apartments are made in the form factor of panoramic glazing for the rational use of solar lighting.

6. Eurasia (Moscow) | 309 m

Skyscraper “Eurasia” is located on the twelfth section of the Moscow-City MIBC in the Presnensky district.

• construction height – 309 m;
• the tower includes 71 floors.

Construction work began in 2007 by renowned architectural firm SHCA, which designed London’s Merrill Lynch Financial Center and Trump Tower in New York. Due to the temporary suspension of financing by Sberbank of Russia, the construction of the facility was completed only by the beginning of 2014.

Today, “Eurasia” is considered the tallest tower in Europe, made on a metal frame. Inside the building are offices, retail space and premium apartments.

5. The Shard (London) | 309,7 m

Skyscraper The Shard made of steel and glass is considered the tallest building in London, its opening took place in March 2012 and was timed to coincide with the start of the Olympic Games. The building was designed by the famous Italian architect Renzo Piano, who worked on the Pompidou Center in Paris and the International City of Lyon. “The Shard” (translated from English – “Shard of glass”) is an irregular pyramid lined with glass.

• the height of the skyscraper together with the spire is 309,7 m;
• on 72 floors there are apartments, offices, retail space, front gardens and technical rooms.

The Shard is located on London Bridge Street in Southwark.

4. Mercury City Tower (Moscow) | 338,8 m

“Golden Tower” or “Mercury” is a multifunctional business complex, part of the Moscow-City MIBC (located on the 1st Krasnogvardeisky proezd).

• the height of the skyscraper together with the antenna is 338,8 m.
• the tower includes 5 underground and 75 above-ground floors;
• the first 4 dozen floors are reserved for A+ category office space, while the upper levels are occupied by premium-class apartments and several conference rooms.

The well-known Soviet and Russian architect Mikhail Posokhov and the outstanding American specialist Frank Williams worked on the project of the Golden Tower (after his death in 2010, the Dutch architect Eric van Egerat took his place). The construction of the complex began in 2005, the grand opening took place in 2013. Mercury City Tower is the first Russian facility that meets the international BOMA standard.

3. OKO South Tower (Moscow) | 354 m

south tower is the highest in the complex of buildings “OKO”, which is located on the sixteenth section of the MIBC “Moscow-City”, and the second highest in Europe among the fully completed facilities.

• the height of the tower is 354 m, its construction began in 2010 and was completed in 2015.
• The American company Skidmore, Owings & Merril worked on the project, proposing the concept of perfection of the simplest geometric shapes.

On 85 floors of the tower there are: a hotel with underground parking, office and technical premises, cafes, restaurants and premium apartments. The roof is reserved for an ice rink, which is considered the highest in Europe.

2. Federation: East Tower (Moscow) | 373,7 m

Eastern tower of the Federation complex, located on the thirteenth section of the Moscow-City MIBC, is a 95-storey structure with a monolithic frame. At the moment, the East Tower (373,7 m) is recognized as the tallest object in Europe after the Lakhta Center, among the main designers are the German architect Peter Schweger, who worked on the creation of the Mine Tower, as well as an honorary member of the BDA union and academician Sergey Choban.

Glazing and engineering work was completed in November 2017. At different levels of the East Tower there are offices, parking, an observation deck, apartments, swimming pools, gyms and a SPA complex.

1. Lakhta Center (St. Petersburg) | 462 m

Building Lahta-center in the Primorsky district of St. Petersburg began in 2012, the opening was announced at the end of 2019. The 462 m high public and business complex will house Gazprom’s headquarters. The skyscraper is considered the tallest in Europe and the northernmost in the world. The original concept was developed by the British company RMJM.

The tower is distinguished by smooth glazing without visible edges and joints. The multifunctional building is installed on piles with a length of 55 to 65 meters. Office space, conference rooms and cafes are located on 87 floors.