World’s Most Impressive Skylines

Many of the world’s most famous skylines are more easily identifiable than the country’s flag and other national symbols. The skylines form uniquely structured compositions where the height of the buildings, their density and originality as well as the surroundings play a significant role in shaping impressive and beautiful cityscapes.

Have a look at some of the most stunning skylines of the world from the gallery put together by OpenTravel: 

Chicago. The USA. 

By Premshree Pillai

The third largest city in the USA, Chicago is the place where the modern skyscraper architecture was born. The city’s Home Insurance Building, completed in 1885, is regarded to be the world’s first steel-framed skyscraper. In turn, Willis Tower, a 108-storey building of 442 m/ 1,451 ft was the tallest building in the world at the time of its completion in 1973. It is still the tallest skyscraper in the USA. The city’s location on the shores of Lake Michigan, one of the world’s largest freshwater bodies, adds to the beauty of Chicago’s panorama. The collection of over 1,000 skyscrapers, lined up along the beaches, appears as one of the world’s largest and most impressive skylines.

Hong Kong. China. 

Hong Kong. By Stuck in Customs

Be it the Emporis skyline ranking or ‘World’s Best Skylines’ list by Egbert Gramsbergen and Paul Kazmierczak, Hong Kong occupies the top positions in various rankings of the world’s best skylines. The city, a major financial center and the business hub of Asia, is home to over 7,600 enormous buildings, of which 40 are 200-plus meter skyscrapers. The lack of space and the unique geography of steep hills, mountains, 200 off shore islands and irregular coastline forced the buildings to grow high and densely. The impressive panorama of Hong Kong’s ultramodern skyscrapers with the stunning mountain backdrop and glittering night light reflections make the city a truly breathtaking sight to behold.

Rio de Janeiro. Brazil. 

By cokada

Although the city’s skyline is comprised of only a few skyscrapers, Rio de Janeiro’s cityscape looks absolutely wonderful thanks to the beautiful natural setting of the metropolis. Located on a strip of the Atlantic coast, surrounded by hills and rocky mountains, the city’s panorama looks great from any angle. Among the most remarkable pieces of Rio’s cityscape is Christ the Redeemer, a giant statue of Jesus Christ, as well as the Copacabana Beach, from where the entire skyline can be observed - thousands of tourists come to the city every year to admire these outstanding iconic vistas of Rio.

 Shanghai. China.

By cuellar

The skyline of Shanghai, the largest city in China (20 million citizens), is truly remarkable. From a small fishing town, Shanghai grew rapidly in the 19th century and today it is one of the major business hubs in Asia. Its importance as a financial and commerce centre of China is reflected in the grandeur of the cityscape. At the end of 2004, Shanghai boasted around 6,700 buildings of 11 or more storeys, many of them exceeding 200 meters. Among the city’s iconic skyline jewels is Shanghai World Financial Center of 101 storeys (492 m tall), which has the highest observation deck in the world, and Oriental Pearl TV Tower, whose metallic spheres can be recognized from a distance.

 Sydney. Australia

Sydney. By Christopher Chan

It might not be the tallest and most dense skyline in the world, but it goes without saying that Sydney has one of the most recognizable silhouette on the globe. The largest city in Australia, often called ‘the Harbour City’, emerged on the hills surrounding Sydney Harbour, where the iconic Opera House and Harbour Bridge are located. The hundreds of modern skyscrapers and the flower shape of the Opera decorate the shores of the bay, making Sydney’s panorama rank among the most beautiful ones on Earth.

View even more amazing and famous skylines at OpenTravel.com…