Abu Dhabi International Airport, United Arab Emirates (AUH/OMAA)
Designed by the French architecture firm ADPI, this tower was completed in 2011 after only 629 days of work. At the peak of construction, 1,200 workers were on site 24 hours a day. More than 70 kilometers (44 miles) of cabling run up the central column, sandwiched between high-speed elevators that ascend to the 20th story in 55 seconds. The east and west facades are covered by ethylene tetrafluoroethylene panels, a transparent polymer material. They allow for interior sunlight during the day and provide a glowing effect at night.

The photograph is a part of Art of the Airport Tower, an exhibition that explores contemporary and historical air traffic control towers in the U.S. and around the world.