Emeka Nweze
The most storeys on an average apartment building in Nigeria is around 5, which isn’t so common. Developers have however begun to build massive skyscrapers and grand structures of up to 10 storeys to house more people, but that is still a far cry from what is attainable in countries in other parts of Africa, Asia, Europe and America. These countries possess structures with more than 50 storeys, housing up to 3,000 residents and businesses.
The list below shows the top 5 most populated buildings in the world
1. Chungking Mansions, HongKong
Chungking Mansions is a building located in Kowloon, Hong Kong and has been described as the “unofficial African quarter of Hong Kong” especially because the stalls in the building cater to wholesalers shipping goods to Africa and South Asia. Though the building was supposed to be residential, it is made up of many independent low-budget hotels, shops and other services. The building features guesthouses, curry restaurants, African bistros, clothing shops, sari stores, and foreign exchange offices.The building was completed in 1961, at which time Chinese residents predominated, however, five decades later, there are an estimated 4,000 people living in the complex.
2. Sillon de Bretagne, Nantes, France
Sillon de Bretagne is a skyscraper in Saint-Herblain, a suburb of Nantes, in the Loire-Atlantique department of France. At 32-storeys, 97 m it was the tallest building in France when completed in 1969. it remains one of the largest buildings in Europe by volume, providing living and office accommodations for approximately 3,600 people
3. Ponte City – Johannesburg, South Africa
Ponte City is a 55-story skyscraper in the Berea neighbourhood of Johannesburg, South Africa. It was built in 1975 to a height of 173 m, making it the tallest residential skyscraper in Africa. The building is cylindrical, with an open centre allowing additional light into the apartments.The neon sign on top of the building is the largest sign in the southern hemisphere and advertised for the Coca-Cola Company until 2000 when South African mobile phone company Vodacom took over. Ponte is home to up to 3,000 middle- and working-class people including young professionals, students and foreign nationals.
4. Le Lignon – Geneva, Switzerland
Le Lignon is an urban development in the town of Vernier, canton of Geneva, Switzerland between 1964 and 1966 and consists of two large buildings. Le Lignon is one of the largest apartment complexes in the world, containing 2,780 units. In the 2010s, the building went through a thermal insulation retrofit to improve performance.
5. Edifício Copan – São Paulo, Brazi
The Edifício Copan is a 38-story residential building in downtown São Paulo, Brazil with 1,160 apartments. Construction began in 1952 and, following some interruptions, was completed in 1966. The idea was a building open to a mixed cross-section of Brazilian society. Currently, the building has 1,160 apartments, ranging from small studios to large three-bedroom units, and 2,038 residents, served by 20 elevators and 221 underground parking spaces.
