• by Melynda Fuller , April 9, 2019

Dubbed “New Heights: Groundbreaking Skyscrapers,” the experience takes users on a tour of some of the world’s tallest buildings.

The project is USA Today’s third AR-based so far this year.

Through the experience, users can access five buildings that include the Empire State, 1 World Trade Center, Petronas, Willis Tower and Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, comparing and contrasting their technology and design. They learn facts about each, including key pieces of history. 

The experience includes a timeline that includes all five buildings allowing for a full visual comparison. The towers can be navigated via a gallery card that allows for swiping left or right to change the skyscraper.

A multimedia article was released in coordination with the experience. It addresses the history of skyscrapers in the U.S. and how other countries have moved to the forefront of their construction, citing construction costs as one factor.

For example, the article states New York is the priciest city in the world to build in, with a square foot costing $362. That’s compared to Hong Kong, where $344 will buy a square foot and the UAE, where the cost goes down to $134. Beijing’s average cost per square foot is $75.

The article includes a chart that totals the number of tall buildings constructed since 1980 — 1,550 in all — defining categories for tall, super-tall and mega-tall.

The AR experience is available on iOS and Android devices.

USA Today has been building its well of tech-centric journalistic work. Last fall, the company launched “The City” podcast that included an AR component and was listed “New and Noteworthy” on Apple Podcasts.