1. Dubai International Airport Terminal 3, UAE
   

   

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   Floor Area: 1,500,000 m² (16.1 million sq ft)

   Dubai International Airport Terminal 3 is the single largest building in the world by floor space. The $4.5 billion terminal opened on October 14, 2008 to serve Dubai, the largest city of the United Arab Emirates. The building contains 82 moving walkways, 97 escalators, 8 sky-trains, 157 lifts, 180 check-in counters, 2,600 car-parking spaces, 52 immigration counters, 14 baggage carousels, 12 e-gates (Electronic Passport Control System used at all entry point into the United Arab Emirates) not to mention first and business class lounges, restaurants and a 10,700 sq m (115,000 sq ft) of shopping facilities.

2. Aalsmeer Flower Auction, Netherlands
   

   

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   Floor Area: 990,000 m² (10.6 million sq ft)

   The largest flower auction in the world is housed in Aaalsmeer Flower Auction, the second largest building in the world. Every day, flowers from around the world are traded inside this humongous Dutch facility. Aalsmeer is a town in North Holland which is sometimes referred to as the flower capital of the world.

3. Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3, China
   

   

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   Floor Area: 986,000 m² (10.6 million sq ft)

   The year 2008 saw Beijing Capital International Airport as the 8th busiest airport in the world. Its rank as the world’s busiest airport is rapidly increasing that they added the massive Terminal 3 to accommodate the increasing traffic volume. Today, it is the second largest airport terminal in the world after Dubai International Airport’s Terminal 3. The $3.5 billion Terminal 3 expansion officially opened on March 26, 2008.

4. The Venetian, China
   

   

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   Floor Area: 980,000 m² (10.5 million sq ft)

   The Venetian is a 40-story, $2.4 billion luxury hotel and casino resort in Macau, China owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation. It is the largest single structure hotel building in Asia and the fourth largest building in the world by floor area. The Renaissance, Venice-themed resort which officially opened on August 28, 2007 boasts of 3000 suites, 1.2 million sq ft (111,000 sq m) of convention space, 3400 slot machines, 800 gambling tables, 15,000-seat arena for entertainment or sports events and has the largest casino space in the world at 550,000 sq ft (51,000 sq m).

5. Berjaya Times Square, Malaysia

   

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   Floor Area: 700,000 m² (7.5 million sq ft)

   Berjaya Times Square is a mega-scale multi-purpose complex which contains a shopping center, two five star hotels, Asia’s largest indoor theme park, residences, offices among others. It is the biggest and the 9th tallest building in Malaysia, the 5th largest building in the world by floor area and the 13th biggest shopping mall. It is also tagged as “world’s largest building ever built in a single phase”.

6. The Palazzo, USA

   
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   Floor Area: 645,581 m² (6.9 million sq ft)

   The Palazzo is an AAA 5-diamond luxury hotel and casino resort which is an extension of The Venetian Casino Resort and the Sands Expo complex in the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. This $1.8 billion resort officially opened on January 17, 2008 featuring 3,068 all-suite rooms and 375 concierge-level suites. The Palazzo doesn’t only hold the title as the 6th largest building in the world, it is also LEED Silver Certified—the largest LEED certified building in the United States.

7. The Pentagon, USA

   

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   Floor Area: 610,000 m² (6.6 million sq ft)

   The Pentagon, the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense is the world’s largest office building by floor area. It houses approximately 23,000 military and civilian employees and about 3,000 non-defense support personnel. It includes a five-acre (20,000 sq m) central plaza, which is shaped like a pentagon and informally known as “ground zero.” The building was constructed within 16 months and completed on January 15, 1943 at a cost of $83 million.

8. K-25, USA

   

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   Floor Area: 609,000 m² (6.6 million sq ft)

   The K-25 building in Tennessee, USA operates as a uranium enrichment power plant until 1985. The U-shaped building was completed in 1945 at a cost of $512 million. It is currently being dismantled and decontaminated to be completed by the end of 2011. The name K-25 is a combination of the “K” from Kellex Corporation, the initial contractors of the plant, and a WWII-era code designation for uranium-235.

9. Hong Kong International Airport, China

   

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   Floor Area: 570,000 m² (6.3 million sq ft)

   Locally known as Chek Lap Kok Airport, Hong Kong International Airport is one of the world’s busiest airports, especially in terms of international passengers and also the second busiest airport in the world in terms of cargo movements. The $20 billion airport was built on an artificial island and was opened on July 6, 1998. The terminal sides are mostly made of glass, designed to break during high speed winds to relieve the pressure, allowing the terminal to remain standing.

10. Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand

    

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    Floor Area: 563,000 m² (6.06 million sq ft)

    Aside from being the tenth largest building the world by floor area, Suvarnabhumi Airport of Thailand is also the proud owner of the world’s tallest control tower (132.2 m), and the world’s third largest single-building terminal (563,000 sq m). The $3.8 billion airport has two parallel runways (60 m wide, 4000 m and 3700 m long) and two parallel taxiways to accommodate simultaneous departures and arrivals.

Read also:

• The Largest Buildings in the World (by volume)
• The World’s 10 Largest Church Buildings
• Notable Works of Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi