The K-Pop charmer is back doing the music he wants to do
The world's top 20 city skylines
Here's a look at 20 of the most spectacular cityscapes around the planet
By Winnie So 28 July, 2010If you're a regular CNNGo reader you'll know we love the inner workings of city life. Rowdy food courts, thumping nightclubs, a tranquil art gallery... these things are the lifeblood of any major metropolis. But sometimes you have to step back to appreciate things from afar. We've put together 20 of what we think are the most beautiful city skylines in the world. Some of humanity's most impressive engineering triumphs can be seen here, and with their fellow buildings create an effect that is aesthetically on a par with anything nature has to offer, we think.
Of course, lists are subjective. But at CNNGo we try to make subjectivity a science. For this list of the world’s Top 20 Skylines, we used the following criteria:
Iconic: A skyline is a city’s profile view. It is made iconic by one or two stand-out pieces of architecture. But a skyline is not just a single structure; it is how these iconic structures are set in the context of the rest of the city to create a recognizable silhouette against the sky, creating the picture-perfect vista. A point is awarded for each iconic piece of architecture. Bridges were not counted, but may score under Beauty.
Height: Size may not be everything, but it does impress. You only have to look at the continual battle being fought globally by cities for the title of world’s tallest building. For this, I’ve used Egbert Gramsbergen and Paul Kazmierczak’s The World’s Best Skylines list, which ranks skylines by the sum height of all buildings taller than 90 meters. A five-point scale is used here, with points awarded according to where the city ranks among the 100. No points are awarded if the city does not appear on the list.
Beauty: It’s no surprise that water features prominently among the cities on this list. Cities naturally form around rivers and coasts and those that are built against this backdrop have a natural advantage. But nature can also be transplanted into an urban setting. Think of the skyline shaped by lower Manhattan’s High Line. Beauty is also a city’s ability to continuously strike a balance between old and new, its history and its future, its capacity to reinvent itself allowing it to be at once timeless and relevant. Beauty also provides a wonderful backdrop to its inhabitants’ lifestyle. A maximum of 10 points awarded here, with a bonus point awarded if the city appears on Forbes’ list of World’s Most Beautiful Cities.
Click on the image above to see the world's top 20 skylines
CNNGo Comment Policy: CNN encourages you to add a comment to this discussion. You may not post any unlawful, threatening, defamatory, obscene, pornographic or other material that would violate the law. All comments should be relevant to the topic and remain respectful of other authors and commenters. You are solely responsible for your own comments, the consequences of posting those comments, and the consequences of any reliance by you on the comments of others. By submitting your comment, you hereby give CNN the right, but not the obligation, to post, air, edit, exhibit, telecast, cablecast, webcast, re-use, publish, reproduce, use, license, print, distribute or otherwise use your comment(s) and accompanying personal identifying and other information you provide via all forms of media now known or hereafter devised, worldwide, in perpetuity. CNNGo Privacy Statement.
Comments are moderated by CNNGo, in accordance with the CNNGo Comment Policy above, and may not appear on this blog until they have been reviewed and deemed appropriate for posting. Also, due to the volume of comments we receive, not all comments will be posted.


































User Comments and Reviews
Sorry, and maybe I'm a little biased being Canadian - but this article stinks! How can you exclude the skylines of Toronto and Vancouver but include St. Louis, KL, Seattle and Cairo (among others)?!? Ok Cairo has pyramids, but it's an ugly city covered in smog... KL has the Petronas towers - but that's it! St. Louis has the arch - but come on!
Toronto has a beautiful skyline which includes the CN Tower, Skydome, and a plethora of excellent modern architecture on the water - arguably it's even more beautiful than it's closest US relative - and admittedly a beautiful city in it's own right, Chicago.
Vancouver has the modern skyline, the waters edge, and the mountains in the background...
Clearly the author hasn't travelled much... sorry, but it's the only conclusion I can get to based on this article and choice of cities...
Unbelievable! ;-)
I too am happy Istanbul made the list. Istanbul is really emerging into quite a city. I visited just recently and it's come a long way. It's always been historic, but now you see mosques and old buildings situated next to newly built skyscrapers. The bosphorous itself is also amazing. A lot of great cities are on that list.
Love this article! I am particularly glad that Istanbul made the list as it often gets overlooked. Hong Kong being #1 is hard to argue - quite spectacular watching the evening fireworks display. I am surprised that Rio de Janeiro didn't make the cut, especially if Cape Town did. Biggest overlook is Chongqing, China. It's like Manhattan on Las Vegas steroids.....you seriously need to add it to your list.
Home town is Dallas, Texas which has a quite nice skyline itself these days.
What do you think?
Leave a comment or submit a review. You have to be logged in to comment.