The World's Skyscrapers by Drone

Drones are capable of flying up-close to the tallest skyscrapers in the world and filming them in ways that are unreachable by other cameras. Check out this aerial compilation that AirVuz put together of the best drone videos of these massive buildings. Camera drone pilots and FPV pilots are included in this curated collection of drone videos of skyscrapers. You’ll see skyscrapers ranging from Burj Khalif in Dubai to Lakhta Center in St. Petersburg to the new Salesforce Tower in San Francisco.

What happens when the world's best freestyle first-person view (FPV) pilot takes on the planet's tallest building?  Find out in this epic piece by johnnyfpv, who managed to dive the Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest skyscraper.  Completed in 2010, the 154 story behemoth rises nearly a kilometer (over a half a mile) into the sky - it's architectural height is 828 meters, or just over 2.7k feet. This video earned a nomination in the Cityscape category at the 6th Annual New York City Drone Film Festival.

Take in these fantastic aerial views of the tallest building in the world under construction as of mid-2020, compliments of AirVuz contributor and pilot Styfly | Studio.  It's called the PNB 118 building, and it's in the Malaysian capital city of Kuala Lumpur.  The 118 story multi-use tower on Petaling Hill is expected to be completed in 2021, following a seven year construction period.  With a roof height of 644 meters (just over 2.1k ft.), it will be the second-tallest skyscraper in the world after Dubai's Burj Khalifa.  

Contributor Alexaroundtheworld created this magnificent drone video of Shanghai, China.  The highlight of the video is a climb up to the top of the city's three tallest buildings, located right next to each other in the Pudong District: the 128 story, 632 meter (just under 2.1k) Shanghai Tower, opened in 2015; the Shanghai World Financial Center (2008, 492 m/1.6k ft.), and Jin Mao Tower (1999, 421 m/1.4k ft.).   The last was the filming location for a famous jump scene by Tom Cruise in  Mission: Impossible III (2006).

For an incredible view of the top of one of the world's tallest skyscrapers, you can't beat this drone video of Shenzen, China by former DVOW Finalist Caldina3188. This gigantic (although not the largest) city in China's Guangzhou Province lies at the head of Shenzen Bay, an inlet of the Pearl River estuary.  Much of the video is shot around (and over) the city's Ping An Center; completed in 2017, the 115 megatall stands 555 meters at the roof (just over 1.8k ft.) and is the world's fourth-tallest as of mid-2019.

Former Drone Video of the Week Finalist ViDeo Creator jP brings us this fantastic drone video from the tallest skyscraper in South Korea.  Completed in 2016, the 123 story Lotte World Tower stands almost 555 meters tall (just over 1.8k ft.) above the streets of Seoul.  Nearly twice as tall as the next tallest building in the capital city, it's the fifth tallest in the world as of early 2019.  The buildings's top seven floors are occupied by Seoul Sky, an observation deck and restaurant complex.  

AirVuz contributor and drone pilot Onewheeldrone brings us this aerial video of New York's One World Trade Center, otherwise known as Freedom Tower.  The main building of the World Trade Center complex which was rebuilt in the years following the 9/11/01 terrorist attacks, the 94 story skyscraper has an architectural height of 540 meters (a symbolic 1,776 ft.).  Opened in 2014 following a five year construction period, this architectural marvel is the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.  

Top contributor Haussmannvisuals created this memorable 60 second aerial tour of Guangzhou in southern China.  It's the capital of the province of the same name, the largest in the country by population and in many respects its economic dynamo.  It's also home to some of the world's tallest buildings.  In the video you'll see some epic footage of the 111 floor, 530 meter (about 1.7k ft.) CTC Financial Center (#6 in the world at year-end 2018), the Guangzhou IFC (439 meter, 1.45k ft.), and more.

First person view (FPV) racing drones have opened up new ways of looking at the world, and that includes our tallest skyscrapers.  In this video, contributor and FPV pilot Radikal_FPV takes on the world's seventh tallest building (tied) as of year-end 2018.  It's the Tianjin CTF Financial Center, which rises over half a kilometer (530 meters, a bit over 1.7k ft.) into the sky above the great city of Tianjin in northeastern China.  The building, which was under construction at the time, was completed in 2018.

Contributor caldina3188 created this marvelous drone video of the Taiwanese capital city of Taipei.  The highlight of the video is at the :30 mark, where you'll get a spectacular over-the-top view of the city's tallest skyscraper: the 101 story Tapei 101 Center.  When the 508 meter (almost 1.7k ft.) office tower was completed in 2004, it displaced the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lampur to become the world's tallest building.  It held that title until being surpassed by Dubai's Burj Khalifa; as of mid-2019, it's #10 in the world. 

Former Drone Video of the Week Winner Tiborianer brings us this outstanding drone video of the tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong: the International Commerce Center.  The 108-story supertall is located in West Kowloon on the mainland side of the territory, across Victoria Harbor from Hong Kong Island.  It has an architectural height of just under 1.6k ft. (484 m), making it the territory's tallest building since it opened in 2010.  As of early 2023, it's one of the 15 tallest skyscrapers in the world.  

Lakhta Center is a skyscraper project in the outskirts of St. Petersburg.  When the tower was topped out in early 2018, it became the tallest building not just in Russia, but in all of Europe.  Top contributor Timelab.pro used a DJI Inspire 2 drone to create a breathtaking aerial video of this amazing and supermodern, mixed-use structure that has 87 floors and reaches a rooftop height of 462 meters (just over 1.5k ft.).  The building is located on the Gulf of Finland, a bit northwest of the city center.  

Check out these spectacular drone views of one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world, compliments of AirVuz contributor Dang Cine.  Vietnam's Landmark 81 stands a bit over 1.5k ft. (461 m) above the streets of Ho Chi Minh City, the commercial capital and largest city of Vietnam.  Completed in 2018, the 81 story tower was the tallest in Southeast Asian prior to the completion of the Merdeka 118 tower in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  The 81 story tower sits on the banks of the Saigon River just north of the historic city center.  

Today's racing drones equipped with first person view gear are capable of diving the world's tallest skyscrapers.  In this piece by FPV pilot drew.drones, you'll get a one-of-a-kind perspective of one of China's tallest skyscrapers: the 101 story Shanghai World Financial Center.  Standing 492 meters (1.6k ft.), it was the city's tallest building when completed in 2008.  The second-tallest as of 2020, its trapezoid-shaped hole makes it one of the world's most distinctive modern skyscrapers.

Contributor Styfly Studio managed to create this amazing aerial view of the new (as of mid-2019) height champion of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: the 106 story Exchange 106 tower, which was completed in the first half of 2019.  It's situated in a newly developed district called the Tan Razak Exchange, which is just south of the core CBD.  The 106 tower is distinguished not only by its brightly lit roof but its height: at 492 meters (just over 1.6k ft.), it topped the twin Petronas Towers to become KL's tallest skyscraper.  

If you enjoy looking at skyscrapers from new perspectives, you have to check out this drone video of the famed Petronas Towers of Kuala Lampus, Malaysia.  Contributor Styfly | Studio managed to get a full 360 degree view of these mammoth twin towers, the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004.  Each tower has 88 stories and has an architectural height of 452 meters, or just under 1.5k ft.  Although they are no longer the tallest towers even in Kuala Lumpur, they remain the world's highest twin towers.  

Contributor DavidLee created this magnificent drone video of the great Chinese city of Nanjing, also known as Nanking, home of one of China's tallest skyscrapers.  Situated on the Yangtze River, it's one of the most important historical and cultural cities in China, and was the site of the infamous Rape of Nanjing in the early stages of World War II.  Since 2010, the city has also been home to the 66 story Greenland Center-Zifeng Tower, which stands at 450 meters (just under 1.5k ft.) and dominates its skyline.  

Today's top first person view (FPV) pilots can tackle even the tallest skyscrapers, creating footage that would be literally impossible to otherwise capture.  Case in point is this fantastic piece by ilya_fpv.  He managed to FPV dive one of the world's most famous skyscrapers: Chicago's Willis Tower.  Once known as the Sears Tower, the 110 behemoth was the world's tallest building when it opened in 1973.  With an architectural height of 441 meters (1.45k ft.), it remained the USA's tallest building for over four decades.

Award-winning panvelvet brings us this fantastic drone video from the top of one of the world's highest skyscrapers.  Located in the city of Shenzen in the southern state of Guangdong, 115 story Ping An Center stands 555 meters at the roof (just over 1.8k ft.).  At the time of its completion in 2017, it was China's second-tallest building and the fourth-tallest in the world.  The video features jaw-dropping shots of some very brave individuals standing at the tower's apex.  Shenzen is China's fourth-largest city as of 2022.  

The power of the DJI Mavic Pro 2 is on full display here in this epic video of Shenzhen, China, compliments of contributor Caldina3188.  The focus of the video is on two of the tallest skyscrapers in this gigantic city on the Pearl River Delta.  The taller of the two is the 100 story KK100 building; at 442 meters (a little over 1.4k ft.), it's #2 in Shenzen and #14 in the world as of early 2019.  The other building featured is the twin-spired Shun Hing Square; now #5, this 69 story tower was the city's tallest from 1996-2011.

Among the most unusual looking skyscrapers to be built during New York City's ongoing high-rise boom is the tower at 111 West 57th Street.  Located on Billionaire's Row just south of Central Park, the skyscraper is part of a project which includes the redevelopment of a Steinway & Sons piano store.  Seen in this drone video by onewheeldrone, the 91 story luxury residential skyscraper will be completed in 2021.  Topped out with a height of 435 meters (1.43k ft.), it's the city's third-tallest as well as the world's thinnest skyscraper.

Check out this fantastic drone video of one of New York City's tallest buildings, compliments of contributor onewheeldrone.  The residential skyscraper known as 432 Park Avenue is located at the intersection of Park Avenue and East 57th Avenue in Midtown.  Standing 425 meters (just under 1.4k ft.), its 85 floors house only about 125 condominiums.  As of mid-2020, it's the city's fifth-tallest building and the third-tallest residential skyscraper in the world.  Completed in 2014, it's part of what is now known as Billionaire's Row.

Contributor Dave Yip created this beautiful aerial tour of the skyscrapers of Hong Kong's Financial District.  The highlight of the film begins at about :53 and is an epic flyover of the city's #2 tower, height-wise: the 407 meter (1.35k ft.) Two International Financial Center.  This 88 story office tower was the tallest building in the city when opened in 2003 and it continues to be the tallest on Hong Kong Island but was surpassed by International Financial Center in West Kowloon in 2010.

Kuwait City's Al Hamra Tower is one of the architectural wonders of the world.  Completed in the 2011, it utilizes a revolutionary design made of curved concrete.  The 80 story building has a roof height of 368 meters (just over 1.2k ft.) and an architectural height of 414 meters or about 1.35k ft, easily the tallest building in this oil-rich Middle Eastern country.  Seen here in this excellent drone video by The Drone Life PK, its "wrapped facade" cuts the amount of sunlight hitting its south face, reducing cooling costs.   

The luxury residential tower known simply as One Vanderbilt in New York City is an example of how the skyline of the Big Apple has been transformed by its biggest-ever skyscraper building boom.  Located at 42nd St. and Vanderbilt Avenue near Grand Central Station in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, the 73 story landmark topped out at a roof height of just under 400 meters (almost exactly 1.3k ft.).  Seen in this drone video by AirVuz contributor onewheeldrone, the $3.3 billion project is the city's fourth-tallest building as of mid-2020.  

While the most prominent skyscraper in Dubai is the Burj Khalifa Tower (the tallest building in the world since it opened), it's home to many other supertalls.  Many of these are located some distance from BK, in the Marina District.  The Marina is home to the next four tallest in the city, led by the Marina 101, which was completed in 2017 and stands 425 meters (just a bit under 1.4k ft.).  In this video, you'll get a great view of the Marina compliments of Andrey Mazurkov and his DJI Mavic Pro drone.

Top AirVuz contributor and first person view (FPV) pilot BrooklynMarkFPV used a racing quad to "tackle" one of the world's great architectural landmarks: New York's Empire State Building.  Located at 5th Avenue and 33rd Street in Midtown Manhattan, the 102 story Art Deco masterpiece was completed in 1931, during the depths of the Great Depression.  Standing 381 meters at its roof height (1.25k ft.), it was the world's tallest skyscraper for four decades until dethroned by the World Trade Center; it remains one of the city's most iconic spots.  

"Moscow City" is the informal name for the Moscow International Business Center, a newer commercial district of the Russian capital city known for its towering skyscrapers.  Contributor MichaelMsk77 used a DJI Mavic Pro drone to create this beautiful video of the modern district.  At about the :17 mark, you'll ride along for a climb up to the top of these behemoths.  Here are five of Europe's seven tallest buildings as of 2018, the group's tallest  being the 95 story, 374 meter (a bit over 1.2k ft.) Federation Tower.

In this aerial video by former DVOW Winner Omer Gokcen, you'll get a tour of a new skyscraper district in Istanbul, Turkey.  It's called the Istanbul Financial Center, and it's located in the district of Ataşehir on the eastern (Anatolian or Asian) side of the Bosphorus.   Among the buildings nearing completion in early 2024 is the new headquarters of Turkey's central bank, seen in the video with two cranes extending from its rooftop.  When competed, it will stand 1.15k ft. tall (352 m), making it easily Istanbul's tallest building.  

Cable and media giant Comcast Corporation has almost single-handedly transformed the skyline of Philadelphia, the second-largest city on the USA's East Coast.  In 2008, its 58 story headquarters building became the city's tallest with a height of just under 300 meters (974 ft.).  A decade later, the company completed its 60 floor Comcast Technology Center, which has a height of 342 meters (just over 1.1k ft.).   The two Comcast Campus towers are on display in this excellent drone video by ChrisDantonio.  

In 2017, US Bank Tower (also known as Library Tower) was displaced as the tallest building in Los Angeles.  The new height champion is the 73 story Wilshire Grand Center, a mixed use building which has an architectural height of 335 meters (1.1k ft.).  The distinctive glass structure, topped by a Korean Airlines logo, has transformed the skyline of America's second largest city.  You can see the Wilshire Grand from a new perspective in this drone video by mavictraveler.  The video was shot with a DJI Mavic Pro 2 drone.  

Top AirVuz contributor thedronalist brings us this magnificent aerial view of one of the most iconic sights of New York City: the Art Deco classic Chrysler Building.  Located at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, its antennae spire stands 320 meters tall (just under 1.05k ft.).  When it was completed in 1930, it was the tallest building in the world before being eclipsed by the Empire State Building less than a year later.  It remains one of the city's dozen-tallest as of early 2020.  

In this video by Lone Star Drones, you'll get a nice aerial view of the Houston, Texas skyline.  The "star" of the video is the tower now called 1400 Travis Street.  Originally known as Texas Commerce Tower and then JP Morgan Tower, the 75 story building was the tallest skyscraper west of the Mississippi River when it was completed in 1982: 305 meters, or just over 1k ft.  Like most of the city's skyscrapers, it was constructed during the oil boom of the late 1970's and early 1980's.  

Trail any committed first person view (FPV) drone pilot and you’ll see for yourself that it can take hours of traveling and searching to find the perfect spot. The opening minute of this video by SH FPV is all about that drive, taking him to the center of the bustling business district in Bangkok, Thailand. There he was able to set up an epic dive of the city's tallest skyscraper as of 2019 - the 78 story King Power MahaNakhon, which rises 314 meters (just over 1,030 ft.) above the Bangkok streets.

Since the 2008 financial crash, New York City has undergone the greatest skyscraper building boom in its history.  Astonishingly, when the current crop of buildings are completed in 2021, nine of the city's ten tallest buildings will have been completed since 2009.  One of the more impressive of the new additions is the 53W53 on West 53rd Street, adjacent to the Museum of Modern Art.  Seenin this drone video by onewheeldrone, the 77 story residential skyscraper has a roof height of 320 meters or a bit over a thousand feet. 

Top content creator and pilot 70daysaroundtheworld created this amazing drone video of Gold Coast, one of the main beach cities of eastern Australia and the second largest city in the state of Queensland.  It's located south of the state capital of Brisbane.  Since 2005, Gold Coast has been the home of the tallest building in Australia: Q1 (Queensland Number One), which you'll see clearly in the video.  The 78 story residential tower has an architectural height of just over 320 meters (1.06k ft.).

AirVuz contributor EGYUAV Pilot brings us this excellent drone video of the massive Abu Dhabi Plaza in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.  Filmed during its construction phase, it's situated roughly between the Presidential Palace and the Botanical Garden.  The 75 story main tower was completed in 2021.  Standing 1.05k ft. tall (320 m), it's  the tallest building in the entire region of Central Asia as of early 2023.  As the name perhaps suggests, the project was undertaken through a partnership with the United Arab Emirates.  

Check out this great aerial video of Atlanta, Georgia, compliments of every day drone guy.  Near the beginning of the video you'll be treated to some great footage of the top of the 55 story Bank of America Plaza; completed in 1992, it stands 312 meters (1,023 ft.) and is the tallest building in the Southeastern USA as of 2019.  Then you'll be taken over SunTrust Plaza, also completed in 1992, which is Atlanta's second-tallest. Other highlights include some excellent footage of Centennial Park and the SkyView ferris wheel.   

Contributor HUMZZ created this amazing drone video of the dramatically changed skyline of modern London, a city which didn't have a single building over 600 ft. (about 183 meters) until 1991.  Now, there are clusters of much taller structures on either side of the Thames River.  For example, at the :40 mark, you'll get a dramatic eye-level view of the 95 story Shard tower.  At 310 meters (just over 1k ft.), it's the tallest building in the United Kingdom and the tallest in Europe ouside of Russia.  

New AirVuz contributor ali_kargi brings us this excellent drone video of a very modern side to the great city of Istanbul, Turkey.   The "star" of the video is the Metropol Istanbul Tower.  Completed in 2017, the 70 story structure stands 988 ft. tall (301 m), making it Turkey's tallest skyscraper as of 2022.  The tower is part of a giant mixed-use development called Istanbul Metropol, which is located in the Ataşehir district on the eastern (Asian or Anatolian) side of the Bosphorus Strait.  

For a <1 minute tour of the ultramodern Toronto skyline, it's hard to beat this drone video by Sukoon2Fly.  This city on Lake Ontario has one of the most impressive skylines in North America.  Part of the reason is the concentrated nature of the Canadian financial industry: the so-called Big 5 banks are all based in Toronto, and their headquarters towers dominate the city's skyline.  The tallest of these is the nearly 300 meter (978 ft.) First Canadian Place, headquarters of the Bank of Montreal.   

Check out this (literally) over-the-top view of the tallest skyscraper in South America, compliments of AirVuz contributor and drone pilot drone.nomadic.  Alternatively known as Costanera Center Torre 2 or Grand Torre, the 62 story office tower in Santiago, Chile has an architectural height of 300 meters or 974 ft.  As of 2023, that made it the tallest building on the continent.   One of the tallest buildings located in a major earthquake zone, the tower was completed in 2013 following a seven year construction period.

Check out this fantastic sunset drone video from Seattle, Washington by AirVuz contributor and pilot mykdol.  The video features excellent aerial views of the city's impressive skyline and its waterfront on Puget sound.  The "star" of the show is city's tallest skyscraper: the 76 story Columbia Center, which has a roof height of 286 meters or 937 ft.  When it opened in 1985 (then named Columbia Seafirst Center), it was the tallest building on the US West Coast.  As of 2020, it remains the tallest skyscraper in the Pacific Northwest.

In this drone video, you'll get an epic look at some of the tallest structures in Central America.  The Torre Vitri is a highrise residential development in Panama, the capital of the country of the same name.  Construction on the towers commenced in 2007 and was completed (having been delayed somewhat by the 2008 worldwide financial collapse) in 2012.  The highest tower is 75 floors and reaches 280 meters (about 920 ft.), making it the second highest building in Central America, and the tallest residential structure in the region. 

Check out this outstanding aerial tour of the Chinese-controlled city of Macau, compliments of caldina3188. Situated across the Zhujiang River Estuary from Hong Kong, this former Portuguese colony is the world's leading gambing city: Macau's gambling revenue was more than 4x the Las Vegas take in 2018.  The "star" of the video is the distinctively gold-roofed Grand Lisboa casino.  Opened in 2007, the 47-story complex stands just over 260 meters (856 ft.), making it the city's tallest by a wide margin.   

Williams Tower is a skyscraper in the Galleria area of Houston, Texas.  At 275 meters (900 ft) it dominates the low-rise architecture of this shopping and office district, which lies a few km/miles to the west of downtown Houston near the interchange of two of the city's busiest freeways.  At the time built, during Houston's oil boom in the early 1980's, it was the world's tallest skyscraper located outside of a central downtown zone.  Contributor Mavictraveler flew his DJI Mavic Pro drone to give us a look at all of its 64 floors.

Contributor Bruce_Johnson4th created this impressive aerial video of Charlotte, the largest city in the Southeastern USA state of North Carolina.  Charlotte's impressive skyline is testament to its status as a major city for the banking industry in the US, on a par with New York City.  It's skyline is dominated by the 60 story Bank of America Corporate Center, headquarters for the country's second largest bank, which stands 265 meters (about 870 ft.) tall.  It's one of the tallest skyscrapers in the Southeast.  

Top AirVuz contributor haussmannvisuals earned a Drone Video of the Week Finalist spot for this piece he created filming a training session of a high altitude rescue team working atop the Germany's tallest skyscraper in Frankfurt's financial district.  The 56 story Commerzbank Tower stands 850 ft. (259 m) above the city's streets; with its antenna spire (featured prominenty in the video) the height rises to 985 ft. (300 m).  When it was completed in 1997, it was the tallest building in all of Europe until 2003.