With the Nairobi skyline quickly changing shape, new skyscrapers are still coming up in every form. This city has a bedazzling view from above.
Most of Kenya’s tallest buildings are found in the capital. In Nairobi, 18 buildings stand taller than 80 meters (260 ft) and several spectacles are still under construction.
1. Britam Towers
It is currently the tallest in the city with a 32-storey building. The towers are 200 meters high, approximately 660 ft. It was officially opened to the public in July 2018 and overtook the UAP Old Mutual Towers, to claim the title.
Its architectural design mimics a glass prism. It is the widest at the bottom and slender as it goes higher. Its unique outlook makes it a sight to behold among futurists and aesthetic enthusiasts.
2. GTC Office Towers
The Nairobi GTC Office Tower is an 184-meter building with 43 stories. It is the tallest of the six towers of the Sh40 billion Global Trade Centre.
The GTC offices are the Africa headquarters for Avic, a Chinese firm. They are still setting up an extension for a continental hub on a 7.5-acre piece of land in Westlands, Nairobi.
The tower has been under construction for six years from July 2015, until its opening in December 2021.
3. Times Tower
Renamed New Central Bank Tower, the Times Tower building is located on Haile Selassie Avenue, Nairobi. It opened in 2000 and has a staggering height of 140 meters.
The skyscraper exclusively harbors the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA).
With 38 stories, it is designed to withstand powerful earthquakes with a concrete base raft ranging from 0.9 meters to 3.0 meters.
4. Prism Towers
The Kings Prism Tower, completed in 2018, is )located in Upper Hill, Nairobi.
The 133-meter building has 34 stories and appears as prisms stacked upon prisms.
As light passes through it, a spectrum of vivid colors emerges to the amazement of city dwellers. The illumination captures the creative productivity of Nairobi residents.
5. Le’Mac Towers
Le’mac Towers is estimated at KSh3.5 billion. It is a Dubai-styled mixed-use development neighborhood nestled in Westlands, Nairobi.
Situated along the busy Waiyaki Way, it targets wealthy buyers and renters seeking housing in exclusivity.
The 24-story building is of mixed uses and offers offices and high-end bedroom apartments from the 8th floor upwards.
Its unique features include the transparent glass floor skywalk on the 24th floor. It provides a stunning view of traffic, more than 100 meters below.
Tallest Building In The World
Burj Khalifa, Dubai, still remains the tallest building in the world, as of 2024. Construction began on 21 September 2004, with the exterior of the structure completed on 1 October 2009.
The neo-futurist-style Burj Khalifa was designed with a complex Y-shaped cross-section to reduce the effect of wind.
In modern times, the title has been held by several buildings including the Lincoln Cathedral in England, the original World Trade Center, and the Empire State Building, both in New York City.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Burj Khalifa has also broken several other records:
- The tallest elevator in a building (504 m; 1,654 ft)
- The most floors in a building (163)
- The highest restaurant from ground level (441.3 m; 1,447 ft 10 in)
The Jedda Towers
The Jeddah Tower, – formerly Kingdom Tower, is looking to rival Burj shortly. It’s currently under construction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
It is designed to reach 1,000 m (3,281 ft), the world’s first 1 km building. Jedda is expected to soar 170 m (550 ft) taller than the Burj Khalifa.
Designed by Adrian Smith, the same architect who designed the Burj.
