Wikipedia

History of the world's tallest structures: Difference between revisions

Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
dirty sanchez does NOT rule the world, free market forces do
→Overall: Grammar/style
 
Line 1:
{{Short description|None}}
While determining the '''world's tallest [[Nonbuilding structure|structure]]''' has generally been straightforward, the questions of what is the '''world's tallest building''' or the '''world's tallest tower''' have often been controversial, both because of disputes over what should be counted as a ''[[building]]'' or a ''[[tower]]'', and further disputes over how to measure the height of these. Questions of national or local prestige may cause different people to adopt different definitions which favour their own structures.
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}}
[[File:Burj Khalifa.jpg|thumb|[[Burj Khalifa]], in Dubai, is currently the world's tallest building.]]
{{GeoGroup}}
{{Main|List of tallest structures}}
 
This is the '''history of the world's tallest structures'''.
[[Image:Maszt_radiowy_w_Konstantynowie.jpg|thumb|Warsaw radio mast]]
 
==Overall==
In terms of absolute height, most of the tallest structures are dozens of [[Radio masts and towers|radio and television broadcasting towers]] that are around 600 meters (2,000 feet) tall{{fact}}. There is, however, some debate about:
Below is a list of the tallest structures supported by land. For most of the period from around 2650 BC to 1240 AD, the [[Egyptian pyramids]] (culminating in the [[Great Pyramid of Giza]]) were the tallest structures in the world. From 1240-1884 the records were held by European churches, and from 1954-2008 they were held by [[Guyed mast|guyed radio or TV masts]].
* whether structures under construction should be included in the list
* whether structures rising out of water should have their below-water height included.
 
Since 2008, the [[Burj Khalifa]] in [[Dubai]] has been the tallest structure supported by land, at 829.8 metres (2,722 feet). There are [[oil platform]]s supported by the sea which have been of greater length since [[Oil platform#History of deepest offshore oil wells|about 1980]], with [[Oil platform#Particularly large examples|some examples]] up to 2,934 metres (9,627 feet). In addition, some countries monitor their borders with [[Tethered balloon|tethered aerostats]] which can rise to 6,096 metres (20,000 feet).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mwrf.com/news/news/55280920/microwaves-rf-aerostat-systems-help-boost-border-security|title=Aerostat Systems Help Boost Border Security|first=Jack|last=Browne|date=April 9, 2025}}</ref>
For towers, there is debate about:
{|
* whether [[guy-wire]]-supported structures should be counted
|width=20%| {{Color box|#CEF2E0|border=darkgray}} Taller than all past structures (including destroyed structures)
 
For buildings, there is debate about{{fact}}:
* whether [[Observation gallery|observation galleries]] on communication towers make them into habitable buildings
* whether only habitable height counts
* whether roof-top [[antenna (electronics)|antenna]]s should be counted towards height of buildings; the debate over this has especially focused on the fact that things that look like [[spire]]s can be either classified as an antenna or an "architectural detail"
 
==Tallest structures==
[[Image:KVLYFromBase.jpeg|thumb|100px|KVLY-TV mast]]
Currently, the tallest standing structure is the [[KVLY-TV mast]] near [[Fargo, North Dakota|Fargo]], [[North Dakota]], at 629 m (2,063 ft). It is a transmission antenna, consisting of a bare [[metal]] structure supported by guy-wires. The [[Warsaw radio mast]] at [[Gąbin]]-[[Konstantynów (Płock County)|Konstantynów]] near [[Warsaw]], [[Poland]] at 645&nbsp;m (2,115&nbsp;ft) was taller, but it collapsed on [[8 August]] [[1991]].
 
The main reason these transmission antennas are not usually included with the world's tallest buildings is that they are not self-supporting. Another example of a structure that is not self-supporting is a [[captive balloon]], a long rope tethered to the ground on one end and to a helium balloon on the other. If structures that are not self-supporting were counted, such balloons would be the tallest in the world. Guyed masts, however, are designed for permanent use and cannot be dismantled quickly. For example, in case of bad weather, a captive balloon can be released and moved to a different ___location, but a transmission antenna must be able to withstand the weather and remain standing. Therefore they are considered architectural structures, just like other non-inhabitable constructions.
 
The [[Petronius Platform]] stands 610&nbsp;m (2,001&nbsp;ft) tall, making it the tallest freestanding structure in the world. However, as this [[oil]] and [[natural gas]] platform is partially supported by [[buoyancy]], some critics argue that the below-water height should not be counted, in the same manner as the underground 'height' of buildings is not taken into account.
 
The [[CN Tower]] in [[Toronto]] stands at 553.33&nbsp;m (1,815&nbsp;ft) tall, and it is the tallest freestanding structure above ground which it has been over 30 years even prior to opening in July [[1976]].
 
The tallest uncompleted building in the world is the [[Burj Dubai]] tower, which as of [[January 20]], [[2007]] has surpassed 106 floors high during its construction. By 2008, it will break all previous records in all categories for any building or structure ever built.
 
===Tallest structure by category===
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#ececec"
! Category !! Structure !! Country !! City !! Height ([[metre|m]]) !! Height ([[foot (unit of length)|ft]])
|-
|rowspan="2"| Supported structure||[[Warsaw radio mast]] (collapsed in 1991)|| {{flagicon|Poland}} [[Poland]] || [[Gąbin]] || 646.45 || 2,121
|-
|| [[KVLY-TV mast]]|| {{flagicon|United States}} [[United States|USA]]|| [[Blanchard, North Dakota]] || 629 || 2,063
|-
|Freestanding structure ||[[Petronius Platform]]|| [[Gulf of Mexico]] (off the coast of {{flagicon|United States}} [[United States|USA]]) || || 610 || 2,001
|-
|Freestanding structure on land ||[[CN Tower]] || {{flagicon|Canada}} [[Canada]]|| [[Toronto]] || 553.33 || 1,815
|-
|[[Tower]]||[[CN Tower]] || {{flagicon|Canada}} [[Canada]]|| [[Toronto]] || 553.33 || 1,815
|-
|Skyscraper - to top of antenna ||[[Sears Tower]]|| {{flagicon|United States}} [[United States|USA]]|| [[Chicago]] || 527 || 1,729
|-
|Skyscraper - to architectural top||[[Taipei 101]]|| {{flagicon|Taiwan}} [[Republic of China]]|| [[Taipei]] || 509 || 1,671
|-
|Skyscraper - to roof|| [[Taipei 101]] || {{flagicon|Taiwan}} [[Republic of China]] || [[Taipei]] || 449.2 || 1,474
|-
|Skyscraper - to highest occupied floor|| [[Taipei 101]] || {{flagicon|Taiwan}} [[Republic of China]] || [[Taipei]] || 439 || 1,441
|-
|[[Chimney]] ||[[Chimney of GRES-2 Power Station]]|| {{flagicon|Kazakhstan}} [[Kazakhstan]] || [[Ekibastusz]] || 419.7 || 1,375
|-
|[[Lattice tower]]||[[Kiev TV Tower]]|| {{flagicon|Ukraine}} [[Ukraine]] || [[Kiev]] || 385 || 1,263
|-
|Partially guyed tower||[[Gerbrandy Tower]]|| {{flagicon|Netherlands}} [[Netherlands]] || [[Lopik]] || 375 || 1,230
|-
|Electricity Pylon || [[Yangtze River Crossing]] || {{flagicon|People's Republic of China}} [[People's Republic of China]] || [[Jiangyin]] || 346.5 || 1,137
|-
|[[Bridge]] [[Pier (architecture)|pillar]]||[[Millau Viaduct]]|| {{flagicon|France}} [[France]] || [[Millau]] || 341 || 1,119
|-
||Uncompleted building||[[Ryugyong Hotel]]|| {{flagicon|North Korea}} [[North Korea]] || [[Pyongyang]] || 330 || 1,083
|-
|[[Dam]]||[[Nurek Dam]]|| {{flagicon|Tajikistan}} [[Tajikistan]] || [[Nurek]] || 300 || 984
|-
||Concrete dam||[[Grande Dixence Dam]]|| {{flagicon|Switzerland}} [[Switzerland]] || [[Val d'Hérens]] || 285 || 935
|-
|[[Communication]] tower||[[Hillbrow Tower ]]|| {{flagicon|South Africa}} [[South Africa]] ||[[Johannesburg]] || 269.5 || 850
|-
|[[Minaret]]||[[Hassan II Mosque]]|| {{flagicon|Morocco}} [[Morocco]] || [[Casablanca]] || 210 || 689
|-
|[[Wind turbine]]||[[Fuhrländer Wind Turbine Laasow]]|| {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Germany]] || [[Laasow]] || 205 || 673
|-
|[[Cooling Tower]]||[[Niederaussem Power Station]]|| {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Germany]] || [[Niederaussem]] || 200 || 656
|-
|[[Monument]]||[[Gateway Arch]]|| {{flagicon|United States}} [[United States|USA]] || [[St. Louis, Missouri]] || 192 || 630
|-
|[[Inclined tower|Inclined structure]] || [[Olympic Stadium (Montreal)|Tower of Montreal]] || {{flagicon|Canada}} [[Canada]] || [[Montreal]], [[Quebec]] || 175 || 574
|-
|[[Masonry]] tower||[[San Jacinto Monument]]|| {{flagicon|United States}} [[United States|USA]] || [[La Porte, Texas]] || 174 || 570
|-
|[[Masonry]] building||[[Philadelphia City Hall]]|| {{flagicon|United States}} [[United States|USA]] || [[Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]] || 167 || 548
|-
|[[Steeple (architecture)|Church tower]]||[[Ulm Münster]]|| {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Germany]] || [[Ulm]] || 161 || 528
|-
|[[Steeple (architecture)|Pre-Industrial Era building]]||[[Lincoln Cathedral]] 1311 (Collapsed in 1549)|| {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[UK]] || [[Lincoln, Lincolnshire|Lincoln]] || 159.7 || 524
|-
|Industrial hall ||[[Vehicle Assembly Building]]|| {{flagicon|United States}} [[United States|USA]] || [[Kennedy Space Center]] || 160 || 525
|-
|[[Memorial cross]] ||[[Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos]]|| {{flagicon|Spain}} [[Spain]] || [[El Escorial]]|| 152.4 || 500
|-
|[[Tomb]] ||[[Great Pyramid of Giza]]|| {{flagicon|Egypt}} [[Egypt]] || [[Giza]], near [[Cairo]] || 138.75<br/>originally 146.5 || 455.21<br/>481
|-
|[[Roller coaster]] ||[[Kingda Ka]]|| {{flagicon|United States}} [[United States|USA]] || [[Jackson Township, New Jersey|Jackson, New Jersey]]|| 138.98 || 456
|-
|[[Observation wheel]] ||[[British Airways London Eye]] || {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[UK]] || [[London]], [[England]] || 135 || 443
|-
|[[Air traffic control tower]] ||[[Suvarnabhumi Airport]] Control Tower|| {{flagicon|Thailand}} [[Thailand]] || [[Bangkok]] || 132.2 || 433.7
|-
|Flagpole (free-standing) ||[[Aqaba Flagpole]]|| {{flagicon|Jordan}} [[Jordan]] || [[Aqaba]] || 132 || 430
|-
|[[Storage silo]] ||[[Henninger Turm]]|| {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Germany]] || [[Frankfurt]] || 120 || 394
|-
|[[Sculpture]] ||[[Spire of Dublin]]|| {{flagicon|Republic of Ireland}} [[Republic of Ireland]] || [[Dublin]] || 120 || 393
|-
|Light advertisement ||[[Bayer Cross Leverkusen]]|| {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Germany]] || [[Leverkusen]] || 118 || 387
|-
|rowspan="2"|Wooden tower ||[[Radio Tower Gliwice]]|| {{flagicon|Poland}} [[Poland]] || [[Gliwice]] || 118 || 387
|-
||[[Transmitter Muehlacker|Radio Tower Muehlacker]] (demolished in 1945)|| {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Germany]] || [[Mühlacker]] || 190 || 623
|-
|[[Statue]] || [[Ushiku Daibutsu]] Bronze Buddha Statue || {{flagicon|Japan}} [[Japan]] || [[Ushiku]] || 120 || 416
|-
|Support tower of [[aerial tramway]] ||Pillar of [[Glacial Aerial Tramway Kaprun III|third section of Gletscherbahn Kaprun]]|| {{flagicon|Austria}} [[Austria]] || [[Kaprun]] || 113.6 || 373
|-
|Statue || The[[Tiruvalluvar]] Statue|| {{flagicon|India}} [[India]] || [[Kanyakumari]],[[TamilNadu]] || 40.5 || 133
|-
|Monolithic obelisk || [[Obelisk]] for [[Tuthmosis II]] - The 'Spit/ Skewer'|| {{flagicon|Italy}} [[Italy]] || [[San Giovanni in Laterano]] || 36 || 118.1
|-
|Trilithons || [[Stonehenge]]|| {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[UK]] ||[[Salisbury Plain]], [[England]] || 6.7 || 22
|}
 
{| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align: center;" cellpadding="2"
===Tallest building by function===
{| class="wikitable"
|- bgcolor="#ececec"
! rowspan="2" | Category || rowspan="2" | Structure || rowspan="2" | Country || rowspan="2" | City || colspan="2" | Height to architectural top
|-
! [[metre|m]] || [[foot (unit of length)|ft]]
|-
|Office ||[[Taipei 101]]|| {{flagicon|Taiwan}} [[Republic of China|Taiwan]] || [[Taipei]] || 509 || 1,671
|-
|Residential ||[[Q1 (building)|Q1]]|| {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Australia]] || [[Gold Coast, Queensland|Gold Coast]] || 323 || 1,058
|-
|Hotel ||[[Burj al-Arab]]|| {{flagicon|United Arab Emirates}} [[United Arab Emirates]] || [[Dubai]] || 321 || 1,053
|-
|Educational ||[[Moscow State University]]|| {{flagicon|Russia}} [[Russia]] || [[Moscow]] || 240 || 787
|-
|Recreational || [[Stratosphere Tower]] || {{flagicon|United States}} [[United States]] || [[Las Vegas, NV]] || 350.30|| 1,149
|-
|Hospital || [[Guy's Hospital]] || {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[United Kingdom]] || [[London]], [[England]] || 142.6|| 468
|}
 
== Tallest buildings ==
[[Image:Skyscrapercompare.svg|thumb|450px|Comparison of top skyscrapers with measurements to top of antenna]]
 
Up until 1998 the tallest building status was essentially uncontested. Counting buildings as structures with floors throughout, and with antennas excluded, the [[Sears Tower]] in [[Chicago]] was considered the tallest. When the [[Petronas Twin Towers]] in [[Kuala Lumpur]], [[Malaysia]] were built, controversy arose since the spire extended nine meters higher than the roof of the Sears Tower. Excluding the spire, the Petronas Towers are not taller than the Sears Tower. At their convention in [[Chicago]], the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) reduced the Sears Tower from world's tallest and pronounced it not second tallest, but third, and pronounced Petronas as world's tallest. This action caused a considerable amount of controversy, so CTBUH defined four categories in which the world's tallest building can be measured:
 
# Height to the structural or architectural top (including [[spire]]s and pinnacles, but not antennas, masts or flagpoles)
# Height to the highest occupied floor
# Height to the top of the roof
# Height to the top of antenna
 
The height is measured from the sidewalk level of the main entrance. In all of these categories, Sears Tower had held the second and third category. Petronas held the first and the original World Trade Towers held the fourth. Within months, however, a new antenna was placed on the Sears Tower, giving it hold of the fourth category.
On [[April 20]], [[2004]], the [[Taipei 101]] in [[Taipei]], {{flagicon|Taiwan}} '''[[Republic of China|Taiwan]]''' was completed{{fact}}. Its completion gave it the world record for the first three categories.
 
Today, '''[[Taipei 101]]''' leads in the first category with 509&nbsp;m (1,671&nbsp;ft); in the second category with an occupied floor at 439&nbsp;m (1,441&nbsp;ft); and in the third category with 449&nbsp;m (1,474&nbsp;ft). The first category was formerly held by the Petronas Twin Towers with 452&nbsp;m (1,483&nbsp;ft), and before that by Sears Tower with 442&nbsp;m (1,451&nbsp;ft). The second and third categories were held by the Sears Tower, with 412&nbsp;m and 442&nbsp;m (1,451&nbsp;ft) respectively.
 
The Sears Tower still leads in the fourth category with 527&nbsp;m (1,729&nbsp;ft), previously held by the [[World Trade Center]] until the extension of the Chicago tower's western broadcast antenna in 2000, over a year prior to the Trade Center's [[September 11, 2001 attacks|destruction]] in 2001. Its antenna included, 1 World Trade Center measured 526&nbsp;m (1,727&nbsp;ft). The World Trade Center became the world's tallest buildings to be demolished&ndash;indeed, its site entered the record books twice on [[September 11]], [[2001]], in that category, replacing the [[Singer Building]], which once stood a block from the WTC site.{{fact}}
 
The [[Ostankino Tower]] and the [[CN Tower]] are excluded from these categories because they are not "habitable buildings", which are defined as frame structures made with floors and walls throughout.
 
===History of record holders in each CTBUH category===
{| class="wikitable"
|Date (Event)|||'''1.Height to the architectural top'''|| '''2. Height to the highest occupied floor''' || '''3. Height to the top of the roof'''||'''4. Height to the top of antenna'''
|-
|'''2003''' (Completion of [[Taipei 101]])||[[Taipei 101]]||[[Taipei 101]]||[[Taipei 101]]||[[Sears Tower]]
|-
|'''2000''' (Extension of [[Sears Tower]] western antenna)||[[Petronas Twin Towers]]||[[Sears Tower]]||[[Sears Tower]]||[[Sears Tower]]
|-
|'''1998''' (Completion of [[Petronas Towers]])||[[Petronas Twin Towers]]||[[Sears Tower]]||[[Sears Tower]]||[[World Trade Center]]
|-
|'''1996''' (CTBUH defines the four categories)||[[Sears Tower]]||[[Sears Tower]]||[[Sears Tower]]||[[World Trade Center]]
|}
 
==Tallest buildings in world history==
See also: [[Tallest free standing structure on land]]
 
In this table a "building" is any freestanding structure. It excludes guyed masts and other supported structures.
''(See also [[skyscrapers#History of tallest skyscrapers|history of tallest skyscrapers]].)''
 
{| class="wikitable"
|- style="background: #ececec;"
!Record from
! colspan="2" | Held record
!Record held (years)
! rowspan="2" | Name and Location
!Name and ___location
! rowspan="2" | Constructed
!Constructed<!--Sorted by completion date-->
! colspan="2" | Height
!Height (metres)
! rowspan="2" | Notes
!Height (feet)
|- style="background: #ececec;"
! class="unsortable" | Coordinates
! From
! class="unsortable" | Notes
! To
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
! m
|data-sort-value="-9500" |c.&nbsp;9500&nbsp;BC<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Clare |first1=Lee |title=Göbekli Tepe, Turkey. A brief summary of research at a new World Heritage Site (2015–2019) |journal=E-Forschungsberichte |date=12 October 2020 |pages=§ 1–13–§ 1–13 |doi=10.34780/efb.v0i2.1012 |url=https://publications.dainst.org/journals/index.php/efb/article/view/2596 |language=de}}</ref>
! ft
|1,500
|-
|style="text-align:left" | [[Göbekli Tepe]], [[Turkey]]
|c.&nbsp;2600 BC
|data-sort-value="-9500" |c.&nbsp;2570 9500&nbsp;BC
|5-6
| align="left" | [[Red Pyramid]] of [[Sneferu]], [[Egypt]]
|18
|c.&nbsp;2600 BC
|{{Coord|37|13|23|N|38|55|21|E|type:landmark|name=Göbekli Tepe}}
|style="text-align:left;"| Possibly one of the earliest known temples.
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|data-sort-value="-8000" |c.&nbsp;8000&nbsp;BC
|4,000
|style="text-align:left" | [[Tower of Jericho]], [[West Bank]], [[Palestine]]
|data-sort-value="-8000" |c.&nbsp;8000&nbsp;BC
|8.5
|27.9
|{{coord|31.872041|35.443981|type:landmark|name=Tower of Jericho}}
|style="text-align:left;"| One of the earliest ever stone monuments.
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|data-sort-value="-4000" |c.&nbsp;4000&nbsp;BC
|1,350
|style="text-align:left" | [[Anu ziggurat]], [[Uruk]], [[Iraq]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.artefacts-berlin.de/portfolio-item/uruk-visualisation-project-the-white-temple/ |title=The White Temple - Uruk Visualisation Project |author=Artefacts |website=Artefacts |date=2012 |access-date=2025-02-25}}</ref>
|data-sort-value="-4000" |c.&nbsp;4000&nbsp;BC
|13
|40
|{{coord|31|19|28|N|45|38|24.6|E|type:landmark|name=Anu ziggurat}}
|
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|data-sort-value="-2650" |c.&nbsp;2650&nbsp;BC
|40
|style="text-align:left" | [[Pyramid of Djoser]], [[Saqqara]], [[Egypt]]
|data-sort-value="-2650" |c.&nbsp;2650&nbsp;BC
|62.5
|205
|{{Coord|29|52|16.53|N|31|12|59.59|E|type:landmark|name=Pyramid of Djoser}}
|style="text-align:left;"| First Egyptian pyramid, formed of six stacked [[mastaba]]s.
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|data-sort-value="-2610" |c.&nbsp;2610&nbsp;BC
|5
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Meidum Pyramid]], Egypt
|data-sort-value="-2610" |c.&nbsp;2610&nbsp;BC
|91.65
|301
|{{Coord|29|23|17|N|31|09|25|E|type:landmark|name=Meidum Pyramid}}
|style="text-align:left;"| Shortly after completion Meidum Pyramid collapsed due to bad design/instability and is now {{convert|65|m|ft|abbr=on}}.
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|data-sort-value="-2605" |c.&nbsp;2605&nbsp;BC
|5
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Bent Pyramid]], [[Dahshur|Dashur]], Egypt
|data-sort-value="-2605" |c.&nbsp;2605&nbsp;BC
|104.71
|343.5
|{{Coord|29|47|25|N|31|12|33|E|type:landmark|name=Bent Pyramid}}
|style="text-align:left;"| Angle of slope decreased during construction to avoid collapse.
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|data-sort-value="-2600" |c.&nbsp;2600&nbsp;BC
|30
|style="text-align:left" | [[Red Pyramid]] of [[Sneferu]], Egypt
|data-sort-value="-2600" |c.&nbsp;2600&nbsp;BC
|105
|344.5
|345
|{{Coord|29|48|31.39|N|31|12|22.49|E|type:landmark|name=Red Pyramid}}
|&nbsp;
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|data-sort-value="-2570" |c.&nbsp;2570&nbsp;BC
|3,086 (first run)
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Great Pyramid of Giza]] in Egypt
|data-sort-value="-2570" |c.&nbsp;2570&nbsp;BC
|146.6
|481
|{{Coord|29|58|44.93|N|31|08|3.09|E|type:landmark|name=Great Pyramid of Giza}}
|style="text-align:left;"| See also 516-534 and 534-1240.
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|516
|18
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Yongning Pagoda]] in [[Luoyang]], [[China]]<ref name="news.xinhuanet.com 2010">{{cite web | title=&#91;消失的建筑&#93; 永宁寺塔 | website=news.xinhuanet.com | date=April 21, 2010 | url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/video/2010-04/15/c_1234496.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100421053415/http://news.xinhuanet.com/video/2010-04/15/c_1234496.htm | archive-date=April 21, 2010 | url-status=dead | access-date=February 18, 2022}}</ref>
|516
|147
|482
|
|style="text-align:left;"| It was destroyed by a lightning strike in 534. Its exact height is unknown, and estimates range from 137 m (in which case the Great Pyramid of Giza would've kept the record) to 240 m.
|-
|534
|c.&nbsp;2570 BC
|3,792 (prior 3,086 + new 706)
|c.&nbsp;AD 1300
| alignstyle="text-align:left;" | [[Great Pyramid of Giza]], [[in Egypt]]
|data-sort-value="-2570" |c.&nbsp;2570 &nbsp;BC
|146.6
|481
|{{Coord|29|58|44.93|N|31|08|3.09|E|type:landmark|name=Great Pyramid of Giza}}
| align="left" | By AD 1439, the Great Pyramid had eroded to a height of approximately 139&nbsp;m (455&nbsp;ft)
|style="text-align:left;"| See also 2570 BC - 516 and 516 - 534. By 1647, the Great Pyramid's height had decreased to {{convert|139|m|ft|abbr=on}} after its top was removed.
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1240
|71
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Old St Paul's Cathedral]] in [[London]], [[England]]
|data-sort-value="1666" |1087–1666
|149
|489
|{{Coord|51|30|49|N|0|5|54|W|type:landmark|name=Old St Paul's Cathedral}}
|style="text-align:left;"| The spire was destroyed by a lightning strike in 1561. Its height is disputed, for example by [[Christopher Wren]] (1632–1723), who suggested a height of {{convert|140|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Gutenberg |bullet=none |no=16531|first=William |last=Benham |author-link=William Benham (priest) |name=Old St. Paul's Cathedral |___location=London|publisher=Seeley & Co |year=1902}}</ref>
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1311
|237
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Lincoln Cathedral]] in England
|data-sort-value="1311" |1092–1311
|160
|525
|{{Coord|53|14|3.26|N|0|32|10.54|W|type:landmark|name=Lincoln Cathedral}}
|style="text-align:left;"| The central spire was destroyed in a storm in 1549. While the reputed height of {{convert|525|ft|m|abbr=on}} is accepted by most sources,<ref name="Haughton, Brian 2007 p.167">Haughton, Brian (2007), ''Hidden History: Lost Civilizations, Secret Knowledge, and Ancient Mysteries'', p. 167</ref><ref name="Michael Woods 2009 p.41">Michael Woods, Mary B. Woods (2009), ''Seven Wonders of the Ancient World'', p. 41</ref><ref name=skyscrapernews>{{cite web|url=http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=384|title=Lincoln Cathedral|access-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Darwin Porter 2010 p.588">Darwin Porter, Danforth Prince (2010), ''Frommer's England 2010'', p. 588</ref><ref name="Mary Jane Taber 1905 p.100">Mary Jane Taber (1905), ''The cathedrals of England: an account of some of their distinguishing characteristics'', p. 100</ref><ref name="time.com">{{Cite web |date=2010-01-07 |title=A Brief History of the World's Tallest Buildings – Photo Essays |magazine=Time |url=http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1950812_2018362,00.html |access-date=2023-06-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107044454/http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1950812_2018362,00.html |archive-date=January 7, 2010 }}</ref> others consider it doubtful<ref name="Kendrick 1902 60">{{cite book |last=Kendrick |first=A. F. |url=https://archive.org/details/cathedralchurcho00kend |title=The Cathedral Church of Lincoln: A History and Description of its Fabric and a List of the Bishops |publisher=George Bell & Sons |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-178-03666-4 |___location=London |page=[https://archive.org/details/cathedralchurcho00kend/page/60 60] |chapter=2: The Central Tower |quote=The tall spire of timber, covered with lead, which originally crowned this tower reached an altitude, it is said, of 525 feet; but this is doubtful. This spire was blown down during a tempest in January 1547–1548.}}</ref>
|-
|c.&nbsp;1300
|1549
|20 (first run)
| align="left" | [[Lincoln Cathedral]], [[England]]
|style="text-align:left;"| [[St. Mary's Church, Stralsund|St. Mary's Church]] in [[Stralsund]], [[Germany]]
|1092&ndash;1311
|data-sort-value="1478" |1384–1478
|160 (?)
|151
|525 (?)
|495
| align="left" | The central spire was destroyed in a storm in 1549; the reputed height of 525 ft has been described as "doubtful"[http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/PG/BellsLincoln/BellsLincoln.htm] by a single source. All other sources agree on the height.
|{{Coord|54|18|36.01|N|13|5|14.81|E|type:landmark|name=St. Mary's church, Stralsund}}
|style="text-align:left;"| See also resumption 1573–1647.
|-
|1569
|1549
|4
|1625
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Beauvais Cathedral]] in [[France]]
| align="left" | [[St Olav Tallinn|St. Olav's Church]], [[Tallinn|Tallinn, Estonia]]
|data-sort-value="1569" |1272–1569
|1438&ndash;1519
|153
|159 (?)
|502
|522 (?)
|{{Coord|49.4326|N|2.0814|E|type:landmark|name=Beauvais Cathedral}}
| align="left" | The spire burnt down after a lightning strike in 1625, rebuilt several times, current overall height is 123&nbsp;m
|style="text-align:left;"| Spire collapsed in 1573; today, the church stands at a height of 67.2 metres (220.5 ft).
|-
|1573
|1625
|94 (prior 20 + new 74)
|1847
|style="text-align:left;"| [[St. Mary's Church, Stralsund|St. Mary's Church]] in Stralsund, Germany
| align="left" | [[Strasbourg Cathedral]], [[Germany]], now [[France]]
|data-sort-value="1478" |1384–1478
|151
|495
|{{Coord|54|18|36.01|N|13|5|14.81|E|type:landmark|name=St. Mary's church, Stralsund}}
|style="text-align:left;"| See also 1549–1569. The church tower's spire burnt down after a lightning strike in 1647. Today the tower has a dome and stands at a height of {{convert|104|m|ft|abbr=on}}.
|-
|1647
|227
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Strasbourg Cathedral]] in France
|1439
|142
|469466
|{{Coord|48|34|54.22|N|7|45|1.48|E|type:landmark|name=Strasbourg Cathedral}}
| align="left" | Still standing
|style="text-align:left;"| By 1647, the [[Pyramid of Khafre]]'s height had decreased from {{convert|143.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} to {{convert|136.4|m|ft|abbr=on}} after its top was removed.
|-
|1874
|1847
|2
|1876
| alignstyle="text-align:left;" | [[St. NikolaiNicholas Church, Hamburg|St. NikolaikircheNikolai]], in [[Hamburg|Hamburg]], Germany]]
|data-sort-value="1874" |1846–1874
|1846&ndash;1847
|147
|483
|{{Coord|53|32|50.94|N|9|59|26.12|E|type:landmark|name=St. Nikolai, Hamburg}}
| align="left" | Designed by [[George Gilbert Scott]]
|style="text-align:left;"| The nave was demolished by aerial bombing during World War II; only the spire remains.
|-
|1876
|4
|1880
| alignstyle="text-align:left;" | [[Rouen Cathedral|Cathédrale Notre Dame]], in [[Rouen|Rouen]], France]]
|data-sort-value="1876" |1202–1876
|1202&ndash;1876
|151
|495
|{{Coord|49|26|24.54|N|1|5|41.85|E|type:landmark|name=Rouen Cathedral}}
|&nbsp;
|-
|1880
|4
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Cologne Cathedral]] in Germany
|data-sort-value="1880" |1248–1880
|157.38
|516
|{{Coord|50|56|28.08|N|6|57|25.73|E|type:landmark|name=Cologne Cathedral, Tower South}} ;{{Coord|50|56|29.11|N|6|57|25.85|E|type:landmark|name=Cologne Cathedral, Tower North}}
|style="text-align:left;"|
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1884
|5
| align="left" | [[Cologne Cathedral]], [[Germany]]
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Washington Monument]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], [[United States]]
|1248&ndash;1880
|data-sort-value="1888" |1848–1888
|157
|169.29
|515
| align="left" |
|-
|1884
|1889
| align="left" | [[Washington Monument]], [[United States]]
|1848&ndash;1884
|169
|555
|{{Coord|38|53|22.08|N|77|2|6.89|W|type:landmark|name=Washington Monument}}
|&nbsp;
|style="text-align:left;"| The world's tallest all-stone structure, as well as the tallest [[obelisk]]-form structure.
|-
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1889
|42
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Eiffel Tower]] in [[Paris]], France
|data-sort-value="1889" |1887–1889
|312
|1,024
|{{Coord|48|51|29.77|N|2|17|40.09|E|type:landmark|name=Eiffel Tower}}
|style="text-align:left;"| The addition of a new telecommunications tower in 2022 brought the overall height to 330 m (1,083 ft).
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1930
|1
| align="left" | [[Eiffel Tower]], [[Paris|Paris, France]]
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Chrysler Building]] in [[New York City]], United States
|1889
|data-sort-value="1930" |1928–1930
|300
|986
| align="left" | The addition of a telecommunications tower brought the overall height to 324 meters in the 1950s
|-
|1930
|1931
| align="left" | [[Chrysler Building]], [[New York City|New York City, United States]]
|1928&ndash;1930
|319
|1,046
|1046
|{{Coord|40|45|5.78|N|73|58|31.52|W|type:landmark|name=Chrysler Building}}
| align="left" | Chrysler Building is still the tallest brick building in the world.
| style="text-align:left;"|
|-
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1931
|23
|1967
| alignstyle="text-align:left;" | [[Empire State Building]], [[Newin York City|New York City, United States]]
|data-sort-value="1931" |1930–1931
|1930&ndash;1931
|381
|1,250
|1250
|{{Coord|40|44|54.95|N|73|59|8.71|W|type:landmark|name=Empire State Building}}
|&nbsp;
|style="text-align:left;"| First building with 100+ stories. The addition of a pinnacle and antennas later increased its overall height to {{convert|448.7|m|ft|abbr=on}}. This was subsequently lowered to {{convert|443.1|m|ft|abbr=on}}.
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1954
|2
|style="text-align:left" | [[Griffin Television Tower Oklahoma]] (AKA [[KWTV]] Transmission Tower), [[Oklahoma City]], [[Oklahoma]], United States
|1954
|480.5
|1,576
| {{coord|35|32|58.59|N|97|29|50.27|W|type:landmark|name=Griffin Television Tower Oklahoma}}
|
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1956
|3
|style="text-align:left" | [[KOBR-TV Tower]], [[Caprock, New Mexico|Caprock]], [[New Mexico]], United States
|1956
|490.7
|1,610
| {{coord|33|22|31.31|N|103|46|14.3|W|type:landmark|name=KOBR-TV Tower}}
|style="text-align:left;"| Collapsed in 1960; rebuilt
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1959
|1
|style="text-align:left" | [[WGME-TV#WGME TV Tower|WGME TV Tower]], [[Raymond, Maine|Raymond]], [[Maine]], United States
|1959
|495
|1,624
| {{coord|43|55|28.43|N|70|29|26.72|W|type:landmark|name=WGME TV Tower}}
|
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1960
|2
|style="text-align:left" | [[KFVS TV Mast]], [[Cape Girardeau County]], [[Missouri]], United States
|1960
|511.1
|1,677
| {{coord|37|25|44.5|N|89|30|13.84|W|type:landmark|name=KFVS TV Mast}}
|
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1962
|1
|style="text-align:left" | [[WTVM/WRBL-TV & WVRK-FM Tower]], [[Cusseta, Georgia|Cusseta]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], United States
|1962
|533
|1,749
| {{coord|32|19|25.09|N|84|46|45.07|W|type:landmark|name=WTVM/WRBL-TV & WVRK-FM Tower}}
|
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1963
|0
|style="text-align:left" | [[WIMZ-FM-Tower]], [[Knoxville]], [[Tennessee]], United States
|1963
|534.01
|1,752
| {{coord|36|08|05.49|N|83|43|28.01|W|type:landmark|name=WIMZ-FM-Tower}}
|
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1963
|11 (first run)
|style="text-align:left" | [[KVLY-TV mast]], [[Blanchard, North Dakota|Blanchard]], [[North Dakota]], United States
|1963
|628.8
|2,063
| {{coord|47|20|31.85|N|97|17|21.13|W|type:landmark|name=KVLY-TV mast}}
|style="text-align:left;"| See also resumption 1991–1998 and 1998-2008.
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1974
|17
|style="text-align:left" | [[Warsaw Radio Mast]], [[Gąbin]], [[Poland]]
|1974
|646.4
|2,121
| {{Coord|52|22|3.74|N|19|48|8.73|E|type:landmark|name=Konstantynow Radio Mast (destroyed)}}
|style="text-align:left;"| Mast radiator insulated against ground, collapsed in 1991
|-
|1991
|1967
|18 (prior 11 + new 7 for second run)
|1975
| alignstyle="text-align:left" | [[OstankinoKVLY-TV Towermast]], [[Moscow|MoscowBlanchard, Russia]]North Dakota, United States
|1963&ndash;1967
|628.8
|537
|2,063
|1762
| {{coord|47|20|31.85|N|97|17|21.13|W|type:landmark|name=KVLY-TV mast}}
|&nbsp;
|style="text-align:left;"| See also 1963–1974 and 1998-2008.
|-
|1998
|1975
|0
|[[Present (time)|Current]]
|style="text-align:left" | [[KRDK-TV mast]], [[Galesburg, North Dakota|Galesburg]], North Dakota, United States<ref name="KRDK">{{cite web|url=https://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=1322|title=KXJB - TV Tower|access-date=26 May 2025}}</ref>
| align="left" | [[CN Tower]], [[Toronto|Toronto, Canada]]
|1966
|1973&ndash;1976
|629.1
|553
|2,064
|1815
| {{coord|47|16|45.06|N|97|20|25.68|W|type:landmark|name=KRDK-TV mast}}
|&nbsp;
|style="text-align:left;"| Height includes the 1998 addition of a short flagpole, which was later removed.
|-
|1998
|28 (prior 18 + new 10)
|style="text-align:left" | [[KVLY-TV mast]], Blanchard, North Dakota, United States
|1963
|628.8
|2,063
| {{coord|47|20|31.85|N|97|17|21.13|W|type:landmark|name=KVLY-TV mast}}
|style="text-align:left;"| See also 1963–1974 and 1991-1998. 75-foot analog antenna was removed from the top of the structure in 2018 in digital repack construction{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}}
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|2008
|{{Age|2008|04|07}}
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Burj Khalifa]] in [[Dubai]], [[United Arab Emirates]]
|data-sort-value="2009" |2004–2009
|829.8
|2,722
|{{coord|25|11|50.0|N|55|16|26.6|E|type:landmark|name=Burj Dubai}}
|
|}
 
[[Image:Maszt radiowy w Konstantynowie.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Warsaw radio mast]], the height record holder from 1974 to 1991]]
Notable mentions include the [[Lighthouse of Alexandria|Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria]], built in the third century BC, and estimated between 115 to 135 metres (383–440 ft). It was the world's tallest non-pyramidal building for many centuries. Another notable mention includes the [[Jetavanaramaya]] [[stupa]] in [[Anuradhapura]], [[Sri Lanka]], which was built in the third century, and was similarly tall at 122 metres (400 ft). These were both the world's tallest or second tallest non-pyramidal buildings for over a thousand years.
 
The [[Kanishka Stupa]] near [[Peshawar]], [[Pakistan]] was built c. 151 and rebuilt in the 4th century. Ancient travelers claimed it was up to 171 metres (560 feet) tall, which would have been a record at the time. Modern estimates suggest a height of 122 metres (400 feet), which would not have been a record. It was destroyed by lightning.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Le|first1=Huu Phuoc|title=Buddhist Architecture|date=2010|publisher=Grafikol|isbn=9780984404308|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9jb364g4BvoC&dq=hephthalite+peshawar&pg=PA51|access-date=24 March 2017}}</ref>
The tallest ''secular'' building between the collapse of the [[Lighthouse of Alexandria|Pharos]] and the erection of the [[Washington Monument]] may have been the [[Torre del Mangia]] in [[Siena]], which is 102 m tall, and was constructed in the first half of the fourteenth century, and the 97 m tall [[Torre degli Asinelli]] in [[Bologna]], also Italy, built between 1109 and 1119.
 
==Guyed structures==
==Currently-standing tallest skyscrapers listed by height to the architectural top ==
As many large [[guyed mast]]s were destroyed at the end of World War II, the dates for the years between 1945 and 1950 may be incorrect. If [[Wusung Radio Tower]] survived World War II, it was the tallest guyed structure shortly after World War II.
Note that this list, except the comparison section, is limited to a certain type of structure, and a certain very specific type of height measurement. Most of the tallest structures in the world are guyed broadcasting towers. The structures on this list are ''not'' sorted by the absolute highest point on the building.
 
{| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align: center;" cellpadding="2"
|- style="background: #ececec; vertical-align: bottom;"
! rowspan="2" | RankRecord from
! rowspan="2" | Record held (years)
! rowspan="2" | Name and ___location
! rowspan="2" | Year<br>completedConstructed
! colspan="2" | Height to architectural top<sup>1</sup>
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | StoriesCoordinates
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Notes
|- style="background: #ececec;"
! m
! ft
|- style="background: #f9f9f9;"
! colspan="6" align="left" | Buildings
|-
|1913
|1
|7
| align="left" | [[Taipei 101]], [[Taipei]], {{flagicon|Taiwan}} [[Taiwan]]
|style="text-align:left" | Central mast of [[Eilvese transmitter]], [[Eilvese]], [[Germany]]
|2004
|1913
|509
|250
|1,671
|101820
| {{Coord|52|31|40|N|9|24|24|E|type:landmark|name=Eilvese transmitter (demolished)}}
|Mast was divided in 145&nbsp;m by an insulator, demolished in 1931
|-
|1920
|2
|3
| align="left" | [[Petronas Towers|Petronas Tower I]], [[Kuala Lumpur]], {{flagicon|Malaysia}} [[Malaysia]]
|style="text-align:left" | Central masts of [[Nauen Transmitter Station]], [[Nauen]], Germany
|1998
|1920
|452
|260
|1,483
|88853
| {{Coord|52|38|56|N|12|54|30|E|type:landmark|name=Nauen transmitter}}
|2 masts, demolished in 1946
|-
|1923
|2 (tie)
|10
| align="left" | [[Petronas Towers|Petronas Tower II]], [[Kuala Lumpur]], {{flagicon|Malaysia}} [[Malaysia]]
|style="text-align:left" | Masts of [[Zendmast Ruiselede|Ruiselede transmitter]], [[Ruiselede]], [[Belgium]]
|1998
|1923
|452
|287
|1,483
|88942
| {{Coord|51|4|44|N|3|20|6.9|E|type:landmark|name=Zendmast Ruiselede (destroyed) (___location unclear)}}?
|-
|8 masts, destroyed in 1940
|4
| align="left" | [[Sears Tower]], [[Chicago]] ([[Illinois|IL]]), {{flagicon|United States}} [[United States]]
|1974
|442
|1,451
|108
|-
|5
| align="left" | [[Jin Mao Building]], [[Shanghai]], {{flagicon|People's Republic of China}} [[People's Republic of China]]
|1998
|421
|1,380
|88
|-
|1933
|6
|style="text-align:left" |[[Lakihegy Tower]], [[Lakihegy]], [[Hungary]]
| align="left" | [[International Finance Centre|Two International Finance Centre]], {{flagicon|Hong Kong}} [[Hong Kong]],{{flagicon|People's Republic of China}} [[People's Republic of China]]
|1933
|2003
|415314
|1,362031
| {{coord|47|22|23.45|N|19|0|17.21|E|type:landmark|name=Lakihegy Radio Tower}}
|88
|Blaw-Knox Tower, insulated against ground, destroyed in 1945; rebuilt
|-
|1939
|7
|style="text-align:left" |[[Deutschlandsender Herzberg/Elster]], [[Herzberg (Elster)]], Germany
| align="left" | [[Burj Dubai]], [[Dubai]], {{flagicon|United Arab Emirates}} [[United Arab Emirates]]
|1939
|2008
|411335
|1,348099
| {{Coord|51|42|59.76|N|13|15|51.5|E|type:landmark|name=Deutschlandsender III (dismantled)}}
|110
|Insulated against ground, dismantled 1946/1947
|-
|1946
|8
|2
| align="left" | [[CITIC Plaza]], [[Guangzhou]], {{flagicon|People's Republic of China}} [[People's Republic of China]]
|style="text-align:left" |[[Lakihegy Tower]], [[Lakihegy]], Hungary
|1997
|1946
|391
|314
|1,283
|1,031
|80
| {{coord|47|22|23.45|N|19|0|17.21|E|type:landmark|name=Lakihegy Radio Tower}}
|Blaw-Knox Tower, Insulated against ground, rebuilt after destruction in 1945
|-
|1948
|9
|1
| align="left" | [[Shun Hing Square]], [[Shenzhen]], {{flagicon|People's Republic of China}} [[People's Republic of China]]
|style="text-align:left" |[[WIVB-TV Tower]], [[Colden, New York|Colden]], [[New York (state)|New York]], United States
|1996
|1948
|384
|321.9
|1,260
|1,056
|69
| {{coord|42|39|33.19|N|78|37|33.91|W|type:landmark|name=WIVB-TV Tower}}
|
|-
|1949
|10
|1
| align="left" | [[Empire State Building]], [[New York City|New York]] (NY), {{flagicon|United States}} [[United States]]
|style="text-align:left" |[[Longwave transmitter Raszyn]], [[Raszyn]], [[Poland]]
|1931
|1949
|381
|335
|1,250
|1,099
|102
| {{Coord|52|4|21.72|N|20|53|2.15|E|type:landmark|name=Raszyn Radio Mast}}
|Insulated against ground
|-
|1950
|11
|4
| align="left" | [[Central Plaza]], {{flagicon|Hong Kong}} [[Hong Kong]], {{flagicon|People's Republic of China}} [[People's Republic of China]]
|style="text-align:left" |[[Forestport Tower]], [[Forestport]], [[New York (state)|New York]], United States
|1992
|1950
|374
|371.25
|1,227
|1,218
|78
| {{coord|43|26|41.9|N|75|5|9.55|W|type:landmark|name=Forestport Tower (demolished)}}
|Insulated against ground, demolished
|-
|1954
|12
| colspan="7" | From 1954-2008 [[guyed mast]]s held the record for tallest structure overall, as seen in the table above.
| align="left" | [[Bank of China Tower]], {{flagicon|Hong Kong}} [[Hong Kong]], {{flagicon|People's Republic of China}} [[People's Republic of China]]
|1990
|367
|1,205
|70
|-
|1963
|13
|11 (first run)
| align="left" | [[Emirates Office Tower]], [[Dubai]], {{flagicon|United Arab Emirates}} [[United Arab Emirates]]
|style="text-align:left" | [[KVLY-TV mast]], [[Blanchard, North Dakota|Blanchard]], [[North Dakota]], United States
|2000
|1963
|355
|628.8
|1,163
|2,063
|54
| {{coord|47|20|31.85|N|97|17|21.13|W|type:landmark|name=KVLY-TV mast}}
|style="text-align:left;"| See also resumption 1991–1998 and 1998-2008.
|-
|1974
|14
|17
| align="left" | [[Tuntex Sky Tower]], [[Kaohsiung]], {{flagicon|Taiwan}} [[Republic of China|Taiwan]]
|style="text-align:left" | [[Warsaw Radio Mast]], [[Gąbin]], [[Poland]]
|1997
|1974
|348
|646.4
|1,140
|2,121
|85
| {{Coord|52|22|3.74|N|19|48|8.73|E|type:landmark|name=Konstantynow Radio Mast (destroyed)}}
|style="text-align:left;"| Mast radiator insulated against ground, collapsed in 1991
|-
|1991
|15
|18 (prior 11 + new 7 for second run)
| align="left" | [[Aon Center (Chicago)|Aon Center]], [[Chicago]] (IL), {{flagicon|United States}} [[United States]]
|style="text-align:left" | [[KVLY-TV mast]], Blanchard, North Dakota, United States
|1973
|1963
|346
|628.8
|1,136
|2,063
|83
| {{coord|47|20|31.85|N|97|17|21.13|W|type:landmark|name=KVLY-TV mast}}
|style="text-align:left;"| See also 1963–1974 and 1998-2008.
|-
|16
| align="left" | [[The Center]], {{flagicon|Hong Kong}} [[Hong Kong]], {{flagicon|People's Republic of China}} [[People's Republic of China]]
|1998
|0 (first run)
|346
|style="text-align:left" | [[KRDK-TV mast]], [[Galesburg, North Dakota|Galesburg]], North Dakota, United States<ref name="KRDK"/>
|1,135
|1966
|73
|629.1
|2,064
| {{coord|47|16|45.06|N|97|20|25.68|W|type:landmark|name=KRDK-TV mast}}
|style="text-align:left;"| See also 2018-present. Height includes the 1998 addition of a short flagpole, which was later removed.
|-
|1998
|17
|38 (prior 18 + new 20)
| align="left" | [[John Hancock Center]], [[Chicago]] (IL), {{flagicon|United States}} [[United States]]
|style="text-align:left" | [[KVLY-TV mast]], Blanchard, North Dakota, United States.
|1969
|1963
|344
|628.8
|1,127
|2,063
|100
| {{coord|47|20|31.85|N|97|17|21.13|W|type:landmark|name=KVLY-TV mast}}
|style="text-align:left;"| See also 1963–1974 and 1991-1998. 75-foot analog antenna was removed from the top of the structure in 2018 in digital repack construction{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}}
|-
|2018
|18
|{{Age|2018|01|01}}<!--Used January 1st for lack of the real date.-->
| align="left" | [[Shimao International Plaza]], [[Shanghai]], {{flagicon|People's Republic of China}} [[People's Republic of China]]
|style="text-align:left" | [[KRDK-TV mast]], [[Galesburg, North Dakota|Galesburg]], [[North Dakota]], United States
|2006
|1997
|333
|628.0
|1,093
|2,060
|60
| {{coord|47|16|45.06|N|97|20|25.68|W|type:landmark|name=KRDK-TV mast}}
|style="text-align:left;"| See also 1998.
|}
 
==Freestanding structures==
{{See also|Skyscraper#History of the tallest skyscrapers}}
Freestanding structures must not be supported by guy wires (like [[guyed mast]]s or partially guyed towers), or built underground or on the [[seabed]] and supported by the sea (such as the [[Petronius Platform]]). They include towers, chimneys, and skyscrapers (listed based on their pinnacle height). Until 1954, freestanding structures held the record for tallest structures overall, as seen in the Overall table above. Here are the records for freestanding structures after that point:
 
{| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align: center;" cellpadding="2"
|- style="background: #ececec;"
!Record from
!Record held (years)
!Name and ___location
!Constructed<!--Sorted by completion date-->
!Height (metres)
!Height (feet)
! class="unsortable" | Coordinates
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1931
|19
|36
| align="left" | [[Minsheng Bank Building]], [[Wuhan]], {{flagicon|People's Republic of China}} [[People's Republic of China]]
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Empire State Building]] in [[New York City]], [[United States]]
|2006
|data-sort-value="1931" |1930–1931
|331
|381
|1,087
|1,250
|68
|{{Coord|40|44|54.95|N|73|59|8.71|W|type:landmark|name=Empire State Building}}
|style="text-align:left;"| First building with 100+ stories. The addition of a pinnacle and antennas later increased its overall height to {{convert|448.7|m|ft|abbr=on}}. This was subsequently lowered to {{convert|443.1|m|ft|abbr=on}}.
|-
|1967
|20
|8
| align="left" | [[Ryugyong Hotel]], [[Pyongyang]], {{flagicon|North Korea}} [[North Korea]]
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Ostankino Tower]] in [[Moscow]], [[Soviet Union]]
|1992
|data-sort-value="1967" |1963–1967
|330
|540
|1,083
|1,762
|105
|{{Coord|55|49|10.94|N|37|36|41.79|E|type:landmark|name=Ostankino Tower}}
|style="text-align:left;"| Remains the tallest in Europe. Fire in 2000 led to extensive renovation.
|-
|1975
|21
|32
| align="left" | [[Q1 Tower]], [[Surfers Paradise|Gold Coast City]], {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Australia]]
|style="text-align:left;"| [[CN Tower]] in [[Toronto]], [[Canada]]
|2005
|data-sort-value="1976" |1973–1976
|323
|553.33
|1,058
|1,815.39
|78
|{{coord|43|38|33.22|N|79|23|13.41|W|type:landmark|name=CN Tower}}
|style="text-align:left;"| The tallest in the [[Western Hemisphere]].
|-
|2007
|22
|{{Age|2007|09|12}}
| align="left" | [[Burj al Arab Hotel]], [[Dubai]], {{flagicon|United Arab Emirates}} [[United Arab Emirates]]
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Burj Khalifa]] in [[Dubai]], [[United Arab Emirates]]
|1999
|data-sort-value="2009" |2004–2009
|321
|829.8
|1,053
|2,722
|60
|{{coord|25|11|50.0|N|55|16|26.6|E|type:landmark|name=Burj Dubai}}
|style="text-align:left" | Holder of world's tallest freestanding structure. Topped out at {{convert|829.8|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} in 2009.
|}
 
[[Image:Worlds tallest buildings, 1884.jpg|thumb|upright=2|right|Diagram of the principal high buildings of the Old World, 1884]]
Notable mentions include the [[Lighthouse of Alexandria|Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria]], built in the third century BC and estimated between {{convert|115|–|135|m|ft|abbr=on}}. It was the world's tallest non-pyramidal structure for many centuries. Another notable mention includes the [[Jetavanaramaya]] [[stupa]] in [[Anuradhapura]], Sri Lanka, which was built in the third century, and was similarly tall at {{convert|122|m|ft|abbr=on}}. These were both the world's tallest or second-tallest non-pyramidal structure for over a thousand years.
 
The tallest ''secular'' building between the collapse of the Pharos and the erection of the [[Washington Monument]] may have been the [[Torre del Mangia]] in [[Siena]], Italy, which is {{convert|102|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall, and was constructed in the first half of the fourteenth century; and the {{convert|97|m|ft|adj=mid|-tall}} [[Torre degli Asinelli]] in [[Bologna]], Italy, built between 1109 and 1119.
 
==Freestanding towers==
[[File:TaroTokyo20110213-TokyoTower-01.jpg|right|thumb|[[Tokyo Tower]] held the record of being the tallest tower in the world from 1958 to 1967. In addition, it held the record of being the tallest structure in Japan from 1958 to 2011, when the [[Tokyo Skytree]] (the current tallest tower in the world) surpassed it.]]
Towers include observation towers, monuments and other structures not generally considered to be "habitable buildings", they are meant for "regular access by humans, but not for living in or office work", meaning it excludes from this list of continuously habitable buildings and skyscrapers. [[List of masts|Radio and TV masts]] with guy-wires for support are also excluded, since they aren't freestanding.
 
[[List of tallest bridges in the world|Bridge tower]]s or pylons, [[List of chimneys|chimneys]], [[transmission tower]]s, and most large [[List of statues by height|statue]]s allow human access for maintenance, but not as part of their normal operation, and are therefore not considered to be towers.
 
[[File:Toronto's CN Tower.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[CN Tower]] in Toronto was the world's tallest freestanding structure from 1975 to 2007.]]
The following is a list of structures that have historically held the title as the tallest towers in the world.
{| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align: center;" cellpadding="2"
|- style="background: #ececec;"
! Record from
! Tower
! Location
! Pinnacle height
|-
| 280 BC || [[Lighthouse of Alexandria|Pharos Lighthouse]] || [[Alexandria]], [[Egypt]] || 122 m
|23
| align="left" | [[Chrysler Building]], [[New York City|New York]] (NY), {{flagicon|United States}} [[United States]]
|1930
|319
|1,046
|77
|-
| 1180 || [[Malmesbury Abbey]] Tower || [[Malmesbury]], [[UK]] || 131.3 m
|24
| align="left" | [[Nina Tower I]], {{flagicon|Hong Kong}} [[Hong Kong]], {{flagicon|People's Republic of China}} [[People's Republic of China]]
|2006
|319
|1,046
|80
|-
| 1240
|25
| colspan="3" | From 1240-1930 towers held the record for tallest structure overall, as seen in the Overall table above.
| align="left" | [[Bank of America Plaza (Atlanta)|Bank of America Plaza]], [[Atlanta, Georgia|Atlanta]] ([[Georgia (U.S. state)|GA]]), {{flagicon|United States}} [[United States]]
|1992
|312
|1,023
|55
|-
| 1889 || [[Eiffel Tower]] || [[Paris]], [[France]] || 312.3 m
|26
| align="left" | [[U.S. Bank Tower]], [[Los Angeles]] ([[California|CA]]), {{flagicon|United States}} [[United States]]
|1989
|310
|1,018
|73
|-
| 1956 || [[KCTV Broadcast Tower]] || [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]], [[Missouri]], [[United States]] || 317.6 m
|27
| align="left" | [[Menara Telekom]], [[Kuala Lumpur]], {{flagicon|Malaysia}} [[Malaysia]]
|2001
|310
|1,017
|55
|-
| 1957 || [[Eiffel Tower]] (with addition) || [[Paris]], [[France]] || 320.75 m
|28
| align="left" | [[Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel]], [[Dubai]], {{flagicon|United Arab Emirates}} [[United Arab Emirates]]
|2000
|309
|1,014
|56
|-
| 1958 || [[Tokyo Tower]] || [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]] || 332.6 m
|29
| align="left" | [[AT&T Corporate Center]], [[Chicago]] (IL), {{flagicon|United States}} [[United States]]
|1989
|307
|1,007
|60
|-
| 1967 || [[Ostankino Tower]] || [[Moscow]], [[Russia]] || 540.1 m
|30
| align="left" | [[JPMorgan Chase Tower (Houston)|JPMorganChase Tower]], [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], {{flagicon|United States}} [[United States]]
|1982
|305
|1,002
|75
|-
| 1975 || [[CN Tower]] || [[Toronto]], [[Canada]] || 553.33 m
|31
| align="left" | [[Baiyoke Tower II]], [[Bangkok]], {{flagicon|Thailand}} [[Thailand]]
|1997
|304
|997
|85
|-
| 2010 || [[Canton Tower]] || [[Guangzhou]], [[China]] || 600 m
|32
| align="left" | [[Kingdom Centre]], [[Riyadh]], {{flagicon|Saudi Arabia}} [[Saudi Arabia]]
|2002
|302
|992
|41
 
|- style="background: #f9f9f9;"
! colspan="6" align="left" | Towers and Other Structures for comparison
|-
| 2011 || [[Tokyo Skytree]] || [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]] || 634 m
 
|-
|&ndash;
| align="left" | [[KVLY-TV mast]], [[Fargo, North Dakota|Fargo]] ([[North Dakota|ND]]), {{flagicon|United States}} [[United States]]
|1963
|629
|2,063
|&ndash;
|-
|1
| align="left" | [[CN Tower]], [[Toronto]] ([[Ontario|ON]]), {{flagicon|Canada}} [[Canada]]
|1976
|553
|1,815
|&ndash;
|-
 
|2
| align="left" | [[Ostankino Tower]], [[Moscow]], {{flagicon|Russia}} [[Russia]]
|1967
|540
|1,772
|&ndash;
|-
|3
| align="left" | [[Emley Moor]], [[Huddersfield]], {{flagicon|United Kingdom}} [[United Kingdom]]
|1971
|330.4
|1,084
|&ndash;
|-
|4
| align="left" | [[Sky Tower]], [[Auckland]], {{flagicon|New Zealand}} [[New Zealand]]
|1997
|328
|1,076
|&ndash;
|-
|5
| align="left" | [[Sydney Tower]], [[Sydney]], {{flagicon|Australia}} [[Australia]]
|1981
|309
|1,014
|&ndash;
|}
<small><sup>1</sup> Height for inhabited buildings (with stories) does not include TV towers and antennas.<br>
 
== Buildings ==
<small>''Source: [[Emporis]].''</small>
{{Main|List of tallest buildings}}
 
The [[Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat]], an organization that certifies buildings as the "World's Tallest", recognizes a building only if at least 50% of its height is made up of floor plates containing habitable floor area.<ref name="ctbuh criteria">{{cite web |title=CTBUH Height Criteria for Measuring & Defining Tall Buildings |url=https://cloud.ctbuh.org/CTBUH_HeightCriteria.pdf |page=5 |publisher=[[Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat]] |access-date=November 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241109162341/https://cloud.ctbuh.org/CTBUH_HeightCriteria.pdf |archive-date=November 9, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> Structures that do not meet this criterion, such as the [[CN Tower]], are defined as "[[tower]]s".
== Proposed record-breaking structures ==
{{unreferenced|date=October 2006}}
*[[Sumida Tower]] (613.5m) has been propoused in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. If completed, it will be the tallest free standing structure in the world, overthrowing the CN Tower. It is planned to be finished by 2011.[http://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=602 1]
 
Up until the late 1990s, the definition of "tallest building" was not altogether clear. It was generally understood to be the height of the building to the top of its architectural elements including spires, but not including "temporary" structures (such as antennas or flagpoles), which could be added or changed relatively easily without requiring major changes to the building's design. Varying standards have been used by different organizations, so the accepted height of these structures or buildings depends on which standards are accepted. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat has changed its definitions over time. Some of the controversy regarding the definitions and assessment of tall structures and buildings has included the following:
*Noida Tower (750m) is being built in small metro city of Delhi's NCR. It will be the highest building in the world at its completion in 2013 (depending on the final height of [[Burj Dubai]]).
* the definition of a structure, a building and a tower
* Proposed [http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=murjantower1-manama-bahrain "Murjan Tower"] in [[Manama]] on the tiny Island of Bahrain is going to be 1,022 meters (3,353 ft) in height. The [[Murjan Tower]] is being designed by Danish firm Henning Larsens Tegnestue A/S and comprises 200 floors. If built, it will become world's tallest building, surpassing the proposed Mubarak Tower in nearby Kuwait City.
* whether a structure, building or tower under construction should be included in any assessment
* whether a structure, building or tower has to be officially opened before it is assessed
* whether structures built in and rising above water should have their below-water height included in any assessment.
* whether a structure, building or tower that is guyed is assessed in the same category as self-supporting structures.
 
Within an accepted definition of a building further controversy has included the following factors:
* The proposed Mubarak al-Kabir Tower in [[Madinat al-Hareer]] (City Of Silk), ([[Kuwait]]) is going to be 1,001 m (3,284 ft) in height. Taller than the upcoming [[Solar updraft tower|Solar Tower]] (in NSW, Australia) by 1 meter only. There are further plans to push the tower into even greater heights as most investments will go into making this structure the tallest tower in the world.
* whether only habitable height of the building is considered
* whether communication towers with [[Observation gallery|observation galleries]] should be considered "habitable" in this sense
* whether rooftop [[antenna (electronics)|antennas]], viewing platforms or any other architecture that does not form a habitable floor should be included in the assessment
* whether a floor built at a high level of a telecommunications or viewing tower should change the tower's definition to that of a "building"
 
One historic case involved the building now famous for the [[Times Square Ball]]. Known as [[One Times Square]] (at 1475 [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]] in [[Midtown Manhattan]]), it was the headquarters for'' [[The New York Times]], ''which gave [[Times Square]] its name. Completed in 1905, it reached a height of {{convert|364|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} to its roof, or {{convert|420|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} including its rooftop flagpole, which the ''Times'' hoped would give it a record high status but because a flagpole is not an integral architectural part of a building, One Times Square was not generally considered to be taller than the {{convert|390|ft|m|adj=mid|-high|sp=us}} [[Park Row Building]] in [[Lower Manhattan]], which was therefore still [[List of tallest buildings in New York City#Timeline of tallest buildings|New York's tallest]].<ref name="ctbuh defs history">{{cite web|url=http://ctbuh.org/AboutCTBUH/History/MeasuringTall/tabid/1320/language/en-US/Default.aspx|title=History of Measuring Tall Buildings|access-date=May 3, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120410072709/http://www.ctbuh.org/AboutCTBUH/History/MeasuringTall/tabid/1320/language/en-US/Default.aspx|archive-date=April 10, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* The proposed [[Solar updraft tower|Solar Tower]] in [[Buronga, New South Wales]], [[Australia]] would be 1,000 m (3,281 ft) tall. Engineering feasibility has been demonstrated to the satisfaction of consulting engineers, but financial viability remains questionable.
 
A bigger controversy was the rivalry between two New York City [[skyscrapers]] built in the [[Roaring Twenties]]—the [[Chrysler Building]] and [[40 Wall Street]]. The latter was {{convert|927|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} tall, had a shorter pinnacle, and had a much higher top occupied floor (the second category in the 1996 criteria for tallest building).<ref name="ctbuh defs history"/> In contrast, the Chrysler Building employed a very long {{convert|125|ft|m|adj=on}} spire secretly assembled inside the building to claim the title of world's tallest building with a total height of {{convert|1048|ft|m}}, despite having a lower top occupied floor and a shorter height when both buildings' spires are not counted in their heights.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1929/10/20/archives/denies-altering-plans-for-tallest-building-starrett-says-height-of.html|title=Denies Altering Plans for Tallest Building; Starrett Says Height of Bank of Manhattan Structure Was Not Increased to Beat Chrysler.|date=October 20, 1929|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 26, 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Although the [[architect of record|architects of record]] for 40 Wall were [[H. Craig Severance]] and [[Yasuo Matsui]], the firm of [[Shreve & Lamb]] (who also designed the [[Empire State Building]]) served as consulting architects. They wrote a newspaper article claiming that 40 Wall was actually the tallest, since it contained the world's highest usable floor. They pointed out that the observation deck of 40 Wall was nearly {{convert|100|ft|m}} higher than the top floor of the Chrysler, whose surpassing spire was strictly ornamental and essentially inaccessible.<ref>Binders, George (August 2006). 101 of the World's Tallest Buildings. p. 102.</ref> Despite the protest, the Chrysler Building was generally accepted as the tallest building in the world for almost a year, until it was surpassed by the [[Empire State Building]]'s {{convert|1250|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} in 1931.
* Near Fuento el Fresno in Spain, the construction of a 750 metre tall [[Ciudad Real Torre Solar|solar tower]] is planned. If it will be built as planned, it will be nearly twice as tall as today's tallest structure in the European Union, the [[Belmont transmitting station|Belmont TV Mast]].
 
That was in turn surpassed by the {{convert|1368|ft|m|adj=mid|-high|sp=us}} Twin Towers of New York's original [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]] in 1972, which were in turn surpassed by the Sears Tower in Chicago in 1974. Now called the [[Willis Tower]] since 2009, it was {{convert|1451|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} to its flat rooftop, or {{convert|1518|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} including its original antennas.<ref name="skyscraperpage.com">{{cite web |title=Willis Tower, Chicago – SkyscraperPage.com |url=http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=5/ |access-date=May 5, 2015 |website=SkyscraperPage.com}}</ref> But in 1978 One World Trade Center (commonly known as the North Tower) attained a taller absolute height when it added its {{convert|360|ft|m|adj=on}} new broadcasting antenna, for a total height of {{convert|1728|ft|m|1|abbr=off|sp=us}}. The WTC North Tower maintained this height record (including its antenna) from 1978 until 2000, when the owners of the Willis Tower extended its broadcasting antennae for a total height of {{convert|1729|ft|m|1|abbr=off|sp=us}}.<ref name="skyscraperpage.com"/> Thus the status of the Willis Tower as the "totally" tallest was restored in the face of a new threat looming in the Far East—the "[[Petronas Towers|Siamese Twins]]".
* [[Burj Dubai]] in [[Dubai]], [[UAE]] is a 808 m (2,651 ft) [[skyscraper]] currently under construction in [[Dubai]], [[United Arab Emirates]]. Designed to be completed around 2008, this would put it at the number one spot in all four of CTBUH's categories, as well as make it the tallest manmade structure of any kind in history.
 
[[File:Petronas Twin Towers 2010 April.jpg|thumb|right|The Petronas Towers remain the tallest twin towers in the world.]]
* The proposed [[Center of India Tower]] in [[Katangi]], [[India]] would be a 677 m (2,222 ft) skyscraper with 224 stories. It has been planned to be built in 2008. Upon completion, the building will have the largest gross floor area in the world; approx. 30 million sq. feet. <sup>[http://architecture.about.com/library/bltall.htm]</sup>
 
A major controversy erupted upon completion of the [[Petronas Towers]] in [[Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia]] in 1998. These Twin Towers, at {{convert|1483|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}}, had a higher architectural height (spires, not antennas), but a lower absolute pinnacle height and a lower top occupied floor than the [[Willis Tower]] in Chicago. Counting buildings as structures with floors throughout, and with antenna masts excluded, the Willis was still considered the tallest at that time. Excluding their spires, which are {{convert|9|m|ft|abbr=off|sp=us}} higher than the flat roof of Willis, the Petronas Towers are not taller than Willis. At their convention in Chicago, the [[Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat]] (CTBUH) found the Willis Tower (without its antennas) to be the third-tallest building, and the Petronas Towers (with their spires) to be the world's two tallest buildings.<ref name="ctbuh defs history"/>
* The 610 m 2000 ft [[Chicago Spire]] (formerly Fordham Spire) would surpass the Sears Tower as the tallest tower in [[Chicago]] as well as North America. The building would have 150 stories as well as a top floor height of 2000 ft.[http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=23109] The project was given new life when Garrett Kelleher, executive chairman of Shelbourne Development Ltd & the Shelbourne Group acquired the land in July 2006 with plans to fully fund the development of the project. The building is planned to break ground sometime in early 2007 with completion expected in late 2010.
 
Responding to the ensuing controversy, the CTBUH then revised their criteria and defined four categories in which the world's tallest building can be measured, retaining the old criterion of height to architectural top, and adding three new categories:<ref name="ctbuh defs history"/>
* The 492&nbsp;m (1,614&nbsp;ft; roof height) [[Shanghai World Financial Center]] in [[Shanghai]], [[People's Republic of China]] has proposed completion in 2008, but has been delayed by evaluation of soil stability. A competing on-going project for the world's tallest is the 474&nbsp;m (1,555&nbsp;ft) [[Union Square Phase 7]] in [[Hong Kong]], also scheduled for completion in 2009. This would make either building the tallest under categories 2 and 3 by the CTBUH.
 
# Highest occupied floor
* The [[Freedom Tower]] of the new World Trade Center in [[New York City]] will reach 1,776&nbsp;ft (541.3 metres) to its spire and about 1,368&nbsp;ft (417&nbsp;m) to its roof. This would make it the tallest building under categories 1 and 4 by the CTBUH, if no other record-breakers have been built by its completion date (currently at 2012).{{fact}}
# Height to top of roof (omitted from criteria from November 2009 onwards)<ref name="ctbuh defs change">{{cite news|url=http://www.ctbuh.org/NewsMedia/PR_091117_ChangeHeightCriteria/tabid/1273/language/en-US/Default.aspx|title=CTBUH changes height criteria, Burj Khalifa height increases|date=November 17, 2009|publisher=[[Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat]]|access-date=November 18, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180105123138/http://www.ctbuh.org/NewsMedia/PR_091117_ChangeHeightCriteria/tabid/1273/language/en-US/Default.aspx|archive-date=January 5, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
# Height to architectural top (including [[spire]]s and pinnacles, but not antennas, masts or flagpoles). This measurement is the most widely used and is used to define the rankings of the 100 Tallest Buildings in the World.
# Height to tip
 
The height-to-roof criterion was discontinued because relatively few modern tall buildings possess flat rooftops, making this criterion difficult to determine and measure.<ref name="ctbuh defs change"/> The CTBUH has further clarified their definitions of building height, including specific criteria concerning subbasements and ground level entrances (height measured from lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance rather than from a previously undefined "main entrance"), building completion (must be topped out both structurally and architecturally, fully clad, ''and'' able to be occupied), condition of the highest occupied floor (must be continuously used by people living or working and be conditioned, thus including [[observation deck]]s, but not [[mechanical floor]]s) and other aspects of tall buildings.<ref name="ctbuh defs change"/><ref name="ctbuh current defs">{{cite web |title=CTBUH Height Criteria for Measuring & Defining Tall Buildings |url=https://cloud.ctbuh.org/CTBUH_HeightCriteria.pdf |pages=3–4 |publisher=[[Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat]] |access-date=November 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241109162341/https://cloud.ctbuh.org/CTBUH_HeightCriteria.pdf |archive-date=November 9, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> The height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance.
* [[Port Tower Complex]] Karachi Port Trust is taking on a Rs. 20 billion project, the Port Tower Complex, is said to be 593 metres (1,947ft) high [http://www.kpt.gov.pk/Projects/Proj.html 1]. 1947 is the independence year of [[Pakistan]]. It should be finished within six years. It will comprise a hotel, a shopping center, and an Expo center. Integrating into Karachi’s skyline, the main feature of the venture shall be a revolving restaurant, a viewing gallery offering a panoramic view of the coastline and the city. The Tower is planned to be located at the Clifton shoreline. When completed it will be the tallest building in Pakistan and the 2nd tallest building in the world, first being Burj Dubai.
 
A different superlative for skyscrapers is their [[List of buildings with 100 floors or more|number of floors]]. The original World Trade Center set that record at 110 in the early 1970s, and this was not surpassed until the Burj Khalifa opened in 2010.
* The new [[Guangdong TV Tower]] at [[Guangzhou]], [[People's Republic of China]] may also become one of the world's tallest structures.
 
[[List of tallest freestanding structures|Tall freestanding structures]] such as the [[CN Tower]], the [[Ostankino Tower]] and the [[Oriental Pearl Tower]] are excluded from these categories because they are not "habitable buildings", which are defined as frame structures made with floors and walls throughout.<ref name="ctbuh criteria"/>
* Construction was scheduled to begin in 2006 on the now cancelled [[Strait of Messina Bridge]]. The bridge would have become the [[list of largest suspension bridges|largest suspension bridge]] as well as the tallest. The proposed height of the two towers at 382.6 metres, is taller than the current record holder, the [[Millau Viaduct]] in France (341 metres).{{fact}}
 
Here are the world records by category since the [[Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat|CTBUH]] defined them in 1996:
* There are some plans for a 609.6 metre high free-standing TV tower at [[Bayonne, New Jersey]].
{|
|width=10%| {{Color box|#CEF2E0|border=darkgray}} World record at the time
|width=10%| {{Color box|#D3D3D3|border=darkgray}} Category omitted by CTBUH in 2009
|}
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
!Building!!Highest occupied floor!!Roof!!Architectural top!!Tip
|-
|[[1 World Trade Center (1971–2001)|1 World Trade Center]] (with its antenna added in 1979) || 386 m (1,268 ft) || 417 m (1,368 ft) || 417 m (1,368 ft) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 526.7 m (1,728 ft)
|-
|[[Willis Tower]] (with its antennas added in 1982) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 413 m (1,354 ft) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 442 m (1,450 ft) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 442 m (1,451 ft) || 520 m (1,707 ft)
|-
|[[Petronas Towers]] (completed 1998) || 375 m (1,230 ft) || 405 m (1,329 ft) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 452 m (1,483 ft) || 452 m (1,483 ft)
|-
|[[Willis Tower]] (with its antenna extension in 2000) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 413 m (1,354 ft) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 442 m (1,450 ft) || 442 m (1,451 ft) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 527.0 m (1,729 ft)
|-
|[[Taipei 101]] (completed 2003)|| style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 438 m (1,437 ft) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 449 m (1,474 ft) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 508 m (1,667 ft) || 509 m (1,671 ft)
|-
|[[Shanghai World Financial Center]] (completed 2008)|| style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 474 m (1,555 ft) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 487 m (1,599 ft) || 492 m (1,614 ft) || 494 m (1,622 ft)
|-
|[[Burj Khalifa]] (completed 2010)|| style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 585 m (1,921 ft) || style="background-color:#D3D3D3 | 739 m (2,426 ft) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 828 m (2,717 ft) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 830 m (2,722 ft)
|}
 
==Observation decks==
* During the Russian [[October Revolution]] of 1917, [[Vladimir Tatlin]] had designed a structure named ''The [[Monument to the Third International]]'' to become the international center of the [[Komintern]]. Better known as the [[Tatlin Tower]], the stucture would have risen 400 meters into the air. For the time, it would have been by far the tallest building in the world. The [[Russian Civil War]] stopped the project from continuing, due to lack of resources and time. Later, the [[Stalinist]] doctrine of "Socialism in One Country" and the abolishment of the Komintern made the plan for an international center to communism of no use to the Stalinist bureaucracy of the [[USSR]].
{{Main|Observation deck}}
Timeline of development of world's highest [[observation deck]] since opening of the [[Washington Monument]] in 1888.
 
{| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
* Proposed [[Incheon Tower]] would become the tallest building in Korea at 640m.
 
==Other proposed very tall towers==
===Radio masts taller than 600 metres===
{{Mergeto|List of masts|date=October 2006}}
{| class="wikitable"
|- align="center" bgcolor="cccccc"
|Tower || Pinnacle height || Country || Town || Weblinks
|-
! rowspan="2" | Record from
|University of Central Missouri Tower Syracuse
! rowspan="2" | Record held (years)
|609.6 metres
! rowspan="2" | Name and ___location
|[[United States|U.S.]]
! rowspan="2" | Building constructed
|Syracuse, Missouri
! colspan="2" | Height above ground
|[http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/AsrSearch/asrRegistration.jsp?regKey=603905]
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
! m
|Liberman Broadcasting Tower Sargent
! ft
|609.6 metres
|U.S.
|Sargent, Texas
|[http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/AsrSearch/asrRegistration.jsp?regKey=2640248]
|-
|1888
|Cumulus Broadcasting Tower Winnie
|1
|609.6 metres
|style="text-align:left" | [[Washington Monument]], [[Washington, D.C.]], [[United States]]
|U.S.
|1884
|Winnie, Texas
|152
|[http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/AsrSearch/asrRegistration.jsp?regKey=2641027]
|500
|style="text-align:left" | Was the world's tallest structure when completed.
|-
|1889
|American Media Services Tower Agate
|42
|609.5 metres
|style="text-align:left" | [[Eiffel Tower]], [[Paris]], [[France]]
|U.S.
|1889
|Agate, Colorado
|275
|[http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/AsrSearch/asrRegistration.jsp?regKey=2638987]
|902
|style="text-align:left" | Two lower observation decks at {{convert|57|and|115|m|ft|abbr=on}}.
|-
|1931
|Vertical Properties Tower Busterville
|42
|609.5 metres
|style="text-align:left" | [[Empire State Building]], [[New York City]], [[United States]]
|U.S.
|1931
|Busterville, Texas
|369<ref name="The Empire State Building">{{cite web|url=http://wirednewyork.com/landmarks/esb/|title=The Empire State Building|access-date=December 23, 2007|publisher=Wired New York|archive-date=August 22, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120822163039/http://wirednewyork.com/landmarks/esb/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|[http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/AsrSearch/asrRegistration.jsp?regKey=2621630], [http://www.skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?b7157]
|1,211
|style="text-align:left" | On the 102nd floor – a second observation deck is located on the 86th floor at {{convert|320|m|ft|abbr=on}}.
|-
|1973
|Cumulus Broadcasting Tower Stowell
|1
|609.3 metres
|style="text-align:left" | [[2 World Trade Center (1971–2001)|2 World Trade Center]], New York City, United States
|U.S.
|1973
|Stowell, Texas
|399.4
|[http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/AsrSearch/asrRegistration.jsp?regKey=2610727]
|1,310
|style="text-align:left" | Measured from [[sea level]], street level was 10 feet above sea level. Indoor observation deck on the 107th floor of South Tower opened on April 4, 1973. Destroyed during the [[September 11 attacks]].
|-
|1974
|Pegasus Broadcasting Tower
|1
|609 metres
|style="text-align:left" | [[Willis Tower]], [[Chicago]], United States
|U.S.
|1974
|Metcalf, Georgia
|412.4
|[http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/AsrSearch/asrRegistration.jsp?regKey=615734]
|1,353
|style="text-align:left" | Measured from the Franklin Street entrance, 103rd floor observation deck opened on June 22, 1974
|-
|1975
|SpectraSite Tower Raymond
|1
|608.8 metres
|style="text-align:left" | [[2 World Trade Center (1971–2001)|2 World Trade Center]], New York City, United States
|U.S.
|1973
|Raymond, Mississippi
|419.7
|[http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/AsrSearch/asrRegistration.jsp?regKey=2618667]
|1,377
|style="text-align:left" | Measured from [[sea level]], street level was 10 feet above sea level. Outdoor observation deck on rooftop of the South Tower opened on December 15, 1975. Destroyed during the [[September 11 attacks]].
|-
|1976
|Beasley Tower
|32
|608.7 metres
|style="text-align:left" | [[CN Tower]], [[Toronto]], [[Canada]]
|U.S.
|1976
|Immokalee, Florida
|446.5
|[http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/AsrSearch/asrRegistration.jsp?regKey=2633535]
|1,464.9
|style="text-align:left" | Two further observation decks at {{convert|342|and|346|m|ft|abbr=on}}.
|-
|2008
|KKDD-FM Tower
|3
|608.1 metres
|style="text-align:left" | [[Shanghai World Financial Center]], [[Shanghai]], [[China]]
|U.S.
|2008
|Hoyt, Colorado
|474
|[http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/AsrSearch/asrRegistration.jsp?regKey=2633333]
|1,555
|style="text-align:left" | Two further observation decks at {{convert|423|and|439|m|ft|abbr=on}}.
|-
|2011
|Wiliam Smith Tower Walker
|3
|607 metres
|style="text-align:left" | [[Canton Tower]], [[Guangzhou]], China
|U.S.
|2011
|Walker, Iowa
|488
|[http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/AsrSearch/asrRegistration.jsp?regKey=2620935]
|1,601
|style="text-align:left" | The rooftop outdoor observation deck opened in December 2011. There are also several other indoor observation decks in the tower, the highest at {{convert|433.2|m|ft|abbr=on}}.
|-
|2014
|CBC Real Estate Tower Auburn
|2
|606.4 metres
|style="text-align:left" | [[Burj Khalifa]], [[Dubai]], [[United Arab Emirates]]
|U.S.
|2010
|Auburn, North Carolina
|555
|[http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/AsrSearch/asrRegistration.jsp?regKey=613408]
|1,821
|style="text-align:left" | Opened on October 15, 2014, on the 148th floor.
|-
|2016
|3
|style="text-align:left" | [[Shanghai Tower]], [[Shanghai]], China
|2015
|562
|1,841
|style="text-align:left" | Opened on July 1, 2016. there are also 2 more observation decks on the 118th and 119th floor, at 546 and 552 meters respectively.
|-
|2019
|Pappas Telecasting Tower Plymouth County 2
|{{Age|2019|02|18}}
|603.5 metres
|style="text-align:left" | [[Burj Khalifa]], [[Dubai]], [[United Arab Emirates]]
|U.S.
|2010
|Plymouth County, Iowa
|585
|[http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/AsrSearch/asrRegistration.jsp?regKey=618602]
|1,919
|style="text-align:left" | Opened on February 18, 2019, on the 154th floor. There are other observation decks on floors 153, 152, 148 (listed above), 125, and 124 (at {{convert|452.1|m|ft|abbr=on}}).
|}
 
Higher observation decks have existed on [[Summit (topography)|mountain tops]] or cliffs, rather than on tall structures. The [[Grand Canyon Skywalk]], constructed in 2007, protrudes {{convert|70|ft|m|abbr=on|order=flip}} over the west rim of the Grand Canyon and is approximately {{convert|1100|m|ft|abbr=on}} above the [[Colorado River]], making it the highest of these types of structures.{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}}
===Towers/Skyscrapers===
*TV tower of Djakarta [http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=208756].
 
==See also==
*[[List of tallest buildings]]
* [[Architectural structure]]
*[[List of tallest structures]]
* [[Air traffic obstacle]] (for links to lists of air traffic obstacles, useful or determining the height of tall structures)
*[[History of the world's tallest buildings]]
* [[Height restriction laws]]
*[[Tallest structures by category]]
* [[List of buildings]]
* [[List of buildings with 100 floors or more]]
* [[List of largest buildings in the world]]
* [[List of masts]]
* [[Tallest free standing structure on land]]
* [[List of tallest buildings in the world]]
* [[Tallest Buildings by Continent]]
* [[List of tallest buildings and structures in the world by country]]
* [[List of tallest buildings and structures in Australia]]
* [[List of tallest buildings and structures in Canada]]
* [[List of tallest buildings and structures in Great Britain]]
* [[List of tallest buildings and structures in Ireland]]
* [[List of tallest buildings and structures in London]]
* [[List of tallest buildings and structures in Paris]]
* [[List of tallest buildings and structures in the former Soviet Union]]
* [[List of tallest structures in the Czech Republic]]
* [[List of tallest churches in the world]]
* [[List of tallest structures in the world]]
* [[List of tallest structures in the world by type of use]]
* [[List of towers]]
* [[World's largest domes]]
 
==External linksReferences==
{{reflist}}
 
{{Tallest buildings and structures}}
* [http://www.allaboutskyscrapers.com/ All About Skyscrapers]
{{Structural extremes}}
* [http://www.skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?1178316 Skyscraper Diagrams]
* [http://www.emporis.com/ Emporis]
* [http://www.skyscraperpage.com/ SkyscraperPage]
* [http://www.skyscrapercity.info/ SkyscraperCity]
* [http://www.skyscrapercity.com/ SkyscraperCity forum]
* [http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com Guinness Book of world Records]
* [http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=50105 Guinness Entry for 'Tallest Office Building']
* [http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=49675 Guinness Entry for 'Tallest Building']
* http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0001338.html
* http://www.xs4all.nl/~hnetten/tallest.html
* http://www.civl.port.ac.uk/comp_prog/weird/tallest.html
* http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/toptens/buildings/buildings.html
* http://www.skyscrapernews.com
* [http://www.taipei-101.info/ Information and photos about the current world's tallest, Taipei 101]
 
{{authority control}}
[[Category:World records|Structures]]
[[Category:Lists of structures|*Tallest]]
[[Category:Lists of tallest structures| Structures]]
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tallest buildings and structures in the world}}
[[de:Liste der höchsten Gebäude ihrer Zeit]]
[[Category:Lists of construction records|Structures]]
[[id:Struktur tertinggi dunia]]
[[Category:Lists of buildings and structures|Tallest]]
[[nl:Lijst van hoogste bouwwerken ter wereld (chronologisch)]]
[[Category:Lists of tallest structures|*]]
[[pt:Estruturas mais altas do mundo]]
[[Category:Lists of tallest buildings| ]]
[[vi:Những công trình cao nhất thế giới]]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_world%27s_tallest_structures"