The world's most expensive buildings
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19. Burj Khalifa, Dubai
Total cost of construction: $1.5 billion
At 2,717 feet high, the Burj Khalifa is not only the world's tallest building, but is a full 1,046 feet higher than the world's previous record-holder, Taipei 101 in Taiwan. Back in 2014, a new viewing platform, located about 100m higher than the original observation deck, opened.
“It's easy to see just how arid Dubai really is, from the Palm Jumeirah hotel on the coast to the flat desert expanse beyond the city. Below, the skyscrapers around the Dubai Mall lake look like a toy town” said Will Gray, writing for Telegraph Travel, at the time.
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18. Yankee Stadium, New York
Total cost of construction: $1.5 billion
The historic home of the New York Yankees was first opened in 1923, when baseball legend Babe Ruth was making his name. The original stadium was demolished in 2010 and converted into a park, while a new stadium was completed in 2009 within a public parkland adjacent to the original structure.
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17. Wembley Stadium, London
Total cost of construction: $1.5 billion
Formerly known as Empire Stadium, the historic venue was first opened to the public by King George V in 1923 and has hosted a series of music and sporting events. While the original stadium was demolished, its replacement, designed by Norman Foster, was built over it in 2007, and features a retractable roof. It is topped by a 133-metre arch, seats 90,000 and spanning twice the area of the original building, making it the largest covered arena in the world.
Credit: Getty
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16. Seat of the ECB, Frankfurt
Total cost of construction: $1.57 billion
Set in the east end of the city, the twin buildings are connected by an atrium and a series of interchanging platforms served by lifts at four different levels. It houses nearly 2,900 work spaces.
Credit: Getty
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15. Bellagio, Las Vegas
Total cost of construction: $1.6 billion
The design of this luxury hotel and casino was inspired by the town of Bellagio on Lake Como, Italy.
“There's more to the Bellagio than its dancing fountains. And, despite its glitzy appearance in many a big-budget film, it is a sleek, well-run and well-presented hotel, " says Tim Jepson, writing for Telegraph Travel.
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14. Taipei 101, Taipei
Total cost of construction: £1.8 billion
Formerly the world’s tallest building, until usurped by the Burj Khalifa in 2009, Taipei 101 became the tallest and largest green building in the world, following its LEED (Leadership in Engergy and Environmental Design) platinum certification in 2011, the highest award given by the LEED rating system. The tower has been a symbol of modern Taiwan since it opened in 2004, marked by a mix of traditional design aesthetics and postmodernist elements.
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13. The Palazzo, Las Vegas
Total cost of construction: $1.8 billion
“Set in the northern Strip, but still in the thick of things, the Palazzo’s elegance is understated, with spritzing fountains and marble statues in the high-ceilinged lobby," says Telegraph Travel's Las Vegas expert Sara Benson.
"Rooms border on palatial, with more than 3,000 posh suites featuring high-thread count linens, sunken living rooms with rich furnishings, and marble baths with spa robes and slippers to cosy up in."
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12. Antilia, Mumbai
Total cost of construction: $2 billion
One of the largest newly built palaces is the 27-storey skyscraper Antilia, which provides 400,000 sq ft of space, including six storeys of parking lots, a lobby with nine elevators and several lounges, a ballroom with crystal chandeliers, swimming pool, bar, yoga studio, ice room, four-storey garden and private sleeping areas for a family of five.
Credit: Getty
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11. Princess Tower, Dubai
Total cost of construction: $2.17 billion
Standing 1,356 feet high with 101 storeys, the Princess Tower (pictured third from right) was the tallest residential building in the world until last year when it was overtaken by New York’s 432 Park Avenue.
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9. Venetian Macau, Macau
Total cost of construction: $2.4 billion
Located directly opposite the City of Dreams, this 39-storey casino hotel is the seventh largest building in the world according to floor area.
“Set at the northern end of the Cotai Strip, separated from the main road by a man-made lake, and built in homage to the famous Italian city, the resort is amazing, overwhelming, diverting – and only very slightly risible," says Ed Peters, writing for Telegraph Travel.
Credit: Getty
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8. Wynn Resort, Las Vegas
Total cost of construction: $2.7 billion
“It's not easy to make an American casino seem elegant, but impresario Steve Wynn has done it at his eponymous Strip hotel. This curvaceous copper-toned high-rise was built on the imploded ashes of the vintage Sands casino, where stars like the Rat Pack once played. Marble walkways inlaid with floral mosaics, jewel-toned carpeting, and windows letting in natural light all add to Wynn's genteel allure, " says Telegraph Travel's Las Vegas expert Sara Benson.
“This is one of the most elegant casino-hotels on the Las Vegas strip, in terms of both interiors and service, and the clientele, from jet-setting celebrities to royalty, reflects that.”
Credit: Getty
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7. Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi
Total cost of construction: $3 billion
“This landmark Abu Dhabi hotel draws tourists as well as guests to its extensive grounds, private beach and opulent interiors on the far western end of the Corniche," says Rosemary Behan, writing for Telegraph Travel.
"Grandiose and slightly formidable from the outside, the hotel also functions as something of a tourist attraction and showcase for local art, theatre and film."
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6. One World Trade Center, New York
Total cost of construction: $3.8 billion
One World Trade Center, or the "Freedom Tower" as it used to be known, is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, standing 1,776 feet high. It was erected close to the site of the original World Trade Center complex which was destroyed in the terrorist attacks of September 11 2001. In 2014, it also opened the One World Observatory showcase on floors 100 to 102, with features including a virtual time-lapse viewed from the Sky Pod Elevator which can recreate New York City’s skyline from the 1600s to the present day.
Credit: Getty
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5. The Cosmopolitan, Las Vegas
Total cost of construction: $3.9 billion
“Cosmo breaks the casino hotel archetype, its cutting-edge contemporary decor (notice the digital new-media art collection on the walls) mixed with vintage touches like champagne-pink chandeliers,” says Telegraph Travel's Las Vegas expert Sara Benson.
“The hotel is popular with Vegas fanatics, high rollers, foodies, fashionistas, and anyone who craves pampering and an arty atmosphere.”
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4. Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Total cost of construction: $5.5 billion
“The triple-towered, 55-storey Moshe Safdie-designed mega property fronting the Marina Bay is reportedly the most expensive stand-alone integrated resort ever built," says Telegraph Travel's Evelyn Chen.
“Befitting the sheer scale of this mammoth development, the 23 storey-high hotel atrium lobby is expansive…while the soaring ceiling and generous use of glass gives the day lit lobby a breezy feel.”
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3. Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore
Total cost of construction: $6.59 billion
This resort and entertainment complex on the island of Sentosa, just off the south coast of Singapore, features a host of facilities including a casino, a Universal Studios theme park, a water park, and the S.E.A. Aquarium which is home to the world’s largest oceanarium.
Credit: Getty
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2. Abraj Al Bait, Mecca
Total cost of construction: $15 billion
Abraj Al Bait Towers in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, holds the records for the world's tallest clock tower and the world's tallest hotel. The clock face is also the world's largest, at 43 metres in diameter. When finished, it will be the third tallest building in the world, standing 1,972 feet high.
Credit: Getty
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1. Masjid al-Haram, Mecca
Total cost of construction: $100 billion
The Sacred Mosque, or Great Mosque of Mecca, can accommodate up to four million people, and surrounds the Ka'aba – a cuboid building that is the holiest place in Islam. It covers 400,800 square metres (99 acres), and has outdoor and indoor praying spaces. The mosque is also home to the Black Stone, set into the Ka'aba's wall by Muhammad before his first revelation, and the Maqām Ibrahim (Abraham's place of standing). Non-Muslims are not permitted to enter Mecca.