If you’ve ever wondered where the most expensive buildings in the world are – and more importantly, how much they cost – read on:
Palace of the Parliament, Bucharest, Romania, 3 million USD (1.85 million GBP)
The Romanian parliament is based at the largest and most expensive building in the world – ‘Palatul Parlamentului’, aka Palace of the Parliament. Located in the heart of the capital city of Bucharest, the palace has just 12 floors (above ground) and rises to just 84 meters. The construction is thought to have cost around 3 million USD. The structure was conceived during the Ceauşescu government and was started in 1983. Completed thirteen years later, the palace is built in a neo-classical architectural style.
Today the structure is also known as Palace of the People and the large cost attached to the construction is attributed to the underground level, which extends to 92 meters beneath the ground. This comprises four storeys of space, with another four awaiting completion. By total volume (2.55 billion cubic meters) the Palace is the third largest structure on earth, behind Cape Canaveral in Florida and the Mexican Quetzalcoatl Pyramid in Mexico. And if measured by the total surface area, the palace is the second biggest building on earth, behind the Pentagon building in Washington DC.
The Palazzo Casino Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, 1.9 million USD (1.17 million GBP)
The megastructure that is The Palazzo Casino Resort is the largest building within Las Vegas, at an impressive 53 storeys high. Located on Las Vegas Boulevard South, the Palazzo is actually phase 2 of the Venetian Resort complex. Rising to a total height of 195.68 meters, the palazzo also features four floors below ground. At a cost of 1.9 million dollars, the Palazzo took four years to complete and today contains a mega casino, nightclubs, shopping center, theatre and gondola rides. The hotel complex also offers a packed entertainment schedule, all year round.
The Palazzo is connected to The Venetian via a towering octagonal structure which features an elaborate glass and iron domed roof.
Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan, 1.76 million USD (1.087 million GBP)
Ten years ago the Taipei 101, aka the Taipei Financial Center, was the tallest building in the world. Rising to 509.20 meters tall, this glass-fronted skyscraper is technically constructed in the oriental revivalism architectural style. Rising to 101 floors (hence the name), the skyscraper took five years to build and was finished in 2004. The impressive structure contains a total of 50 escalators and 61 elevators, and is also home to the highest outdoor observation deck in the world.
Taipei 101 reigned as the tallest skyscraper in the world until the completion of the mighty Burj Khalifa (828m/2,717ft) in 2010. In fact the 101 is now the fifth tallest skyscraper. Its primary use is as a commercial office although the complex is also home to restaurants, a club house and the vast Taipei 101 shopping mall. The design and planning were approved by a Feng Shui master and the design specification of the tower is based around the number eight, which is regarded as lucky within traditional Chinese cultures.
Image credit: CARPATHIANLAND
