My buildings of the decade

Jonathan Morrison picks the best architecture of the 2010s.

1. Burj Khalifa, Dubai, by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (2010)

In brief: Reach for the sky

The decade began with quite a bang as the world’s tallest building flung open its doors and was almost immediately used for adrenaline thrills by a pair of base jumpers. But while the 828-metre Burj is a graceful tower in its own right, the real star is the engineering that made it possible: a new Y-shaped ‘‘buttressed core’’, which derives its inspiration from cathedrals of old, was devised to give the Burj sufficient strength, while 26 carefully modelled ‘‘setbacks’’ were incorporated towards the top to stop the formation of dangerous vortices that might pull the building over.

2. The Shard, London, UK, by Renzo Piano Building Workshop (2012)

In brief: Making a point

A super-tall skyscraper that, at 310m, was the highest in Europe for a while. It has divided opinion, mostly due to its size. One commentator described it as ‘‘a spike through the heart of historic London’’, but it has become an accepted symbol of the capital’s ambition and dynamism. Inspired by a Canaletto painting of a city of spires and sails, it is the most accomplished recent addition to the capital’s skyline, and is vastly better than most City buildings.

3. 432 Park Avenue, New York, US, by Rafael Vinoly (2015)

In brief: Thin air

No less controversial, the best of the ‘‘superskinnies’’ and still the world’s tallest residential building was quickly denounced as everything that was wrong with New York’s property market and the country’s extreme wealth inequalities, but it was revolutionary in terms of its design. The pencil-thin tower offers little in terms of modesty, with its marble interiors and US$30 million penthouses, but is actually a rather elegant addition to the Big Apple’s skyline.

4. High Line, New York, US, by Diller Scofidio + Renfro (completed in sections between 2009 and 2014)

In brief: The right track

Staying with New York, perhaps one of the most extraordinary additions of the decade has been this 2.4-kilometre park created on top of a disused railway line. Not only has this vibrant river of green proved a tourist attraction and a spectacular venue for the Shed’s unique cultural venue and events – such as the 1.6km-long opera staged in 2018 – it was also the catalyst for the development of the Hudson Yards district, which has been built on a 35,000-tonne platform above a metro depot.