Argentina builds South America’s tallest tower

Buenos Aires will soon boast the tallest tower in South America.

With a height of 235 meters and a cost of $130 million, the Alvear Tower Puerto Madero will displace a Caracas building for the top spot.

The tower, built by the Alvear group, will rise in Puerto Madero, one of the richest areas of the Argentine capital.

The city's tallest building currently stands at 170 meters. The new tower is supposed to open in the first few months of 2012, reports La Nacion.

Of course, Latin America's skyscrapers are dwarfed by those elsewhere. Of the world’s 50 tallest buildings, half now tower over cities in Asia:

Beginning in 1901, nine American towers took turns sharing the “world’s tallest” superlative throughout the 20th century. The best known include the Empire State Building, Chicago’s Sears Tower (now called the Willis Tower) and the World Trade Center. Prior to America’s skyscraper dominance, the world’s tallest building was a Gothic church in Germany.

This competition has since shifted eastward. Rising Middle Eastern and Asian economies are now waging the battle to build the world’s tallest tower. The titleholder seems to change countries every to six to seven years.

The race is on to reach a new peak: the world’s first kilometer-high tower. For now, Saudi Arabia’s proposed “Kingdom Tower” is best positioned to be erected first.  

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