The crowning glory among South America’s tallest buildings, the Gran Torre Santiago (Grand Tower Santiago) is located, of course, in Santiago, Chile. It is the second-tallest building in the southern hemisphere. Standing tall at 300 meters (984 feet), this tower has 64 floors. It was designed by Argentine architect César Pelli. Construction of the Gran Torre Santiago began in 2006 before being suspended in 2009 consequent to the global financial crisis. Construction began again in December 2009 and finished in 2013, making the Gran Torre the tallest building on the continent. While it was still under construction in November 2010, standing 205 meters tall, it overtook the neighboring Titanium La Portada to become the tallest building in Chile. The tower has a floor area of 107,125 square meters. It was previously known as Torre Gran Costanera, and forms a part of the Costanera Center complex. On the 61st and 62nd floors, this skyscraper has an observation deck called Sky Costanera, which provides panoramic views of Santiago.