List of tallest buildings and structures in the world

Map of all coordinates from Google Map of all coordinates from Bing
Export all coordinates as KML
Export all coordinates as GeoRSS
Map of all microformatted coordinates
Place data as RDF

The world's tallest structure is the 828 m (2,717 ft) tall Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The building gained the official title of "Tallest Building in the World" at its opening on 4 January 2010. It is taller than any other man-made structure ever built.

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 fifty percent of its height is made up of floor plates containing habitable floor area.^[1] Structures that do not meet this criterion, such as the CN Tower, are defined as "towers".

There are dozens of radio and television broadcasting towers which measure over 600 metres (about 2,000 ft) in height, and only the tallest are recorded in publicly available information sources.

Contents 1 Debate over definitions 2 Tallest structures 2.1 Tallest structure by category 2.2 Tallest destroyed structures by category, not surpassed by existing structures 2.3 Tallest building by function 3 Tallest buildings 3.1 History of record holders in each CTBUH category 4 World's tallest freestanding structure on land 4.1 History 4.2 World's highest observation deck 4.3 Timeline of guyed structures on land 5 Tallest structures, freestanding structures, and buildings 6 Under construction 7 Proposed 8 See also 9 References 10 External links

Debate over definitions

When assessing the placings of structures, there is some debate about:

• whether structures under construction should be included in the list
• should a building or structure have to be officially opened before it is included on the list.
• whether structures rising out of water should have their below-water height included.
• what should be counted as a building or a tower, and what is being measured.
• for towers, whether guy-wire-supported structures should be counted.

For buildings, there is debate over:

• whether only habitable height is considered
• whether communication towers with observation galleries should be considered "habitable" in this sense
• whether rooftop antennas, viewing platforms or any other architecture that does not form floors, walls and rooms, i.e. not built as an occupiable room, should be considered towards height of building
• what would stop a room built on top of a telecommunications or viewing tower from changing the tower's class to that of "building"
• why a building that is not officially opened should be excluded from the ranks of tallest buildings
• what counts as an official opening

Tallest structures

This category does not require the structure be "officially" opened.

The tallest man-made structure is Burj Khalifa, a skyscraper in Dubai that reached 828 m (2,717 ft) in height on 17 January 2009.^[2] By 7 April 2008 it had been built higher than the KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota, USA.^[3] That September it officially surpassed Poland's 646.38 m (2,120.7 ft) Warsaw radio mast, which stood from 1974 to 1991, to become the tallest structure ever built. Guyed lattice towers such as these masts had held the world height record since 1954.

The CN Tower in Toronto, Canada, standing at 553.3 m (1,815 ft), was formerly the world's tallest completed freestanding structure on land. Opened in 1976, it was surpassed in height by the rising Burj Khalifa on 12 September 2007.^[4][5][6] It has the world's second highest public observation deck at 446.5 m (1,465 ft).

The Petronius Platform stands 610 m (2,000 ft) off the sea floor leading some, including Guinness World Records 2007, to claim it as the tallest freestanding structure in the world. However, it is debated whether underwater height should be discounted in the same manner as height below ground is ignored on buildings. The Troll A platform is 472 m (1,549 ft), without any part of that height being supported by wires. The tension-leg type of oil platform has even greater below-water heights with several examples more than 1,000 m (3,300 ft) deep. However, these platforms are not considered constant structures as the vast majority of their height is made up of the length of the tendons attaching the floating platforms to the sea floor. Despite this, Guinness World Records 2009 listed the Ursa tension leg platform as the tallest structure in the world with a total height of 1,306 m (4,285 ft). The Magnolia Tension-leg Platform in the Gulf of Mexico is even taller with a total height of 1,432 m (4,698 ft).

Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan, was the world's tallest inhabited building in only one of the four main categories that are commonly measured: at 509.2 m (1,671 ft) as measured to its architectural height (spire). The height of its roof, 449.2 m (1,474 ft), and highest occupied floor, 439.2 m (1,441 ft), had been overtaken by the Shanghai World Financial Center with corresponding heights of 487 m (1,598 ft) and 474 m (1,555 ft) respectively. Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) was highest in the final category: the greatest height to top of antenna of any building in the world at 527.3 m (1,730 ft).

Burj Khalifa broke the height record in all four categories for completed buildings by a wide margin. The Shanghai World Financial Center had the world's highest roof, highest occupied floor, and the world's highest public observation deck at 474.2 m (1,556 ft). It retains the latter record, as Burj Khalifa's official observation deck will be at 442 m (1,450 ft).

Tallest structure by category

Due to the disagreements over how to measure height and classify structures, engineers have created various definitions for categories of buildings and other structures. One measure includes the absolute height of a building, another includes only spires and other permanent architectural features, but not antennas. The tradition of including the spire on top of a building and not including the antenna dates back to the rivalry between the Chrysler Building and 40 Wall Street. A modern-day example is that the antenna on top of Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) is not considered part of its architectural height, while the spires on top of the Petronas Twin Towers are counted.

Note: The following table is a list of the tallest structure in each of the categories below. There can only be one structure in each category, unless the title for the tallest is a draw.

Category	Structure	Country	City	Height (metres)	Height (feet)	Year Built	Coordinates
Skyscraper - all categories	Burj Khalifa	United Arab Emirates	Dubai	828	2,717	2009
Guyed Mast	KVLY-TV mast	United States	Blanchard, North Dakota	628.8	2,063	1963
Concrete tower (Topped out)	Guangzhou TV & Sightseeing Tower	China	Guangzhou	610	2,001	2009
Concrete tower	CN Tower	Canada	Toronto	553.3	1,815	1976
Tower for scientific research	BREN Tower	United States	Nevada Test Site	462	1,516	1962
Mast radiator	Lualualei VLF transmitter	United States	Lualualei	458	1,503	1962	;
Twin towers	Petronas Twin Towers	Malaysia	Kuala Lumpur	452	1,482	1998	;
Chimney	Ekibastuz GRES-2 Power Station	Kazakhstan	Ekibastusz	419.7	1,377	1987
Radar	Dimona Radar Facility	Israel	Dimona	400	1,312	2008	?
Guyed tubular steel mast	Belmont transmitting station	United Kingdom	Donington on Bain	387.7	1,272	1965
Lattice tower	Kiev TV Tower	Ukraine	Kiev	385	1,263	1973
Partially guyed tower	Gerbrandy Tower	Netherlands	IJsselstein	366.8	1,203	1961
Electricity pylon	Yangtze River Crossing, Jiangyin	China	Jiangyin	346.5	1,137	2004	;
Bridge pillar	Millau Viaduct	France	Millau	342	1,122	2004
Dam	Nurek Dam	Tajikistan	Nurek	300	984[7]	1980
Concrete dam	Grande Dixence Dam	Switzerland	Val d'Hérens	285	935[8]	1965
Electricity pylon built of concrete	Nanjing Yangtze River Crossing	China	Nanjing	257	843	1992	;
Clock tower	NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building	Japan	Tokyo	240	790	2000
Electricity pylon for DC	Wuhan Yangtze River Crossing	China	Wuhan	229	751	2003	;
Minaret	Hassan II Mosque	Morocco	Casablanca	210	689	1993
Wind turbine	Fuhrländer Wind Turbine Laasow	Germany	Laasow, Brandenburg	205	673	2006
Cooling tower	Niederaussem Power Station	Germany	Niederaussem	200	656	2003
Monument	Gateway Arch	United States	St. Louis, Missouri	192	630	1965
Masonry tower	Anaconda Smelter Stack	United States	Anaconda, Montana	178.3	585	1919
Inclined structure, Stadium	Olympic Stadium	Canada	Montreal	175	574	1976
Obelisk	San Jacinto Monument	United States	Deer Park, Texas	173.7	570	1939
Church building	Chicago Temple Building	United States	Chicago	173	568	1924
Masonry building	Mole Antonelliana	Italy	Torino	167	548	1889
Masonry building	Philadelphia City Hall	United States	Philadelphia	167	548	1901
Ferris wheel	Singapore Flyer	Singapore	Singapore	165	541.3	2008
Church tower	Ulm Minster	Germany	Ulm	162	530	1890
Industrial hall	Vehicle Assembly Building	United States	Kennedy Space Center	160	525	1966
Dome	Dome of the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro	Côte d'Ivoire	Yamoussoukro	158	518	1990
Memorial cross	Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos	Spain	El Escorial	152.4	500	1957
Roller coaster	Kingda Ka	United States	Jackson, New Jersey	138.98	456	2005
Tomb	Great Pyramid of Giza	Egypt	Giza, Cairo	138.8	455.2	2560 BCE
Air traffic control tower	Suvarnabhumi Airport control tower	Thailand	Bangkok	132.2	433.7	2006
Flagpole, free-standing	Ashgabat Flagpole	Turkmenistan	Ashgabat	133	436.4[9]	2008	?
Statue (including pedestal)	Ushiku Daibutsu Bronze Buddha Statue	Japan	Ushiku	120	394	1995
Storage silo	Henninger Turm	Germany	Frankfurt	120	394	1961
Sculpture	Spire of Dublin	Ireland	Dublin	120	393	2003
Wooden structure	Gliwice Radio Tower	Poland	Gliwice	118	387	1935
Aerial tramway support tower	Pillar of third section of Gletscherbahn Kaprun	Austria	Kaprun	113.6	373	1966
Electricity pylon for single phase AC	Bremen-Industriehafen Traction Current Powerline Crossing	Germany	Bremen	111	364	?	;
Lighthouse	Yokohama Marine Tower	Japan	Yokohama	106	348	1961
Sphere	Ericsson Globe	Sweden	Stockholm	85	279	1989
Statue (not including pedestal)	The Mamayev Monument	Russia	Volgograd	82	269	1967
Brick lighthouse	Lighthouse of Genoa	Italy	Genoa	77	253	1128
Brick minaret	Qutub Minar	India	Delhi	72.5	237.8	1386
Electricity pylon, prefabricated concrete	Pylon 310 of powerline Innertkirchen-Littau-Mettlen	Switzerland	Littau	59.5	195.2	1990

Tallest destroyed structures by category, not surpassed by existing structures

There are some destroyed architectural structures which were taller than the tallest existing structure of their type.

Category	Structure	Country	City	Height (metres)	Height (feet)	Coordinates	Remarks
Guyed mast	Warsaw Radio Mast	Poland	Gąbin	646.38	2,121		completed in 1974, collapsed on 8 August 1991
Guyed tubular steel mast	Shushi-Wan Omega Transmitter	Japan	Tsushima	389	1,276		completed in 1973, dismantled in 1998
Structure for destructive scientific experiment	Smoky Shot Tower	United States	Nevada Test Site	213	700		Guyed mast, which carried 44 kt yield nuclear bomb "Smoky" ( part of operation Plumbbob) on top until its explosion on August 31, 1957
Wooden structure	Mühlacker Wood Radio Tower	Germany	Mühlacker	190	623		completed in 1934, destroyed on April 6, 1945, by the Germans to prevent usage by the Allies, replaced by mast radiator
Masonry building	Mole Antonelliana	Italy	Torino	167.5	549.5		spire destroyed by a tornado in 1953 (Rebuilt since then).
Pre-Industrial Era building	Lincoln Cathedral	England	Lincoln	160	524		completed in 1311, spire blown off in 1549
Lighthouse	Lighthouse of Alexandria	Egypt	Alexandria	115-135	377-443		completed in 279 BC, destroyed by an earthquake in 1323

Tallest building by function

Category	Structure	Country	City	Architectural top (metres)	Architectural top (feet)
Mixed-Use*	Burj Khalifa	United Arab Emirates	Dubai	828	2,717
Office	Taipei 101	Taiwan	Taipei	509	1,671
Hotel	Rose Tower	United Arab Emirates	Dubai	333	1,093
Residential	Q1	Australia	Gold Coast	323	1,059
Educational	Moscow State University	Russia	Moscow	240	787
Church	Ulm Minster	Germany	Ulm	143	469
Hospital	Guy's Hospital	United Kingdom	London	143	468
Library	Shanghai Library	China	Shanghai	106	348

* Mixed-Use is defined as having three or more real estate uses (such as retail, office, hotel, etc.) that are physically and functionally integrated in a single property and are mutually supporting.^[10]

Tallest buildings

Up until 1998 the tallest building status was essentially uncontested. Counting buildings as structures with floors throughout, and with antenna masts excluded, Willis Tower (previously Sears Tower) in Chicago was considered the tallest. When the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia were built, controversy arose because the spire extended nine metres higher than the roof of Willis Tower. Excluding the spire, the Petronas Towers are not taller than Willis Tower. At their convention in Chicago, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) reduced Willis 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:^[11]

1. Height to Architectural Top (including spires and pinnacles, but not antennas, masts or flagpoles). This measurement is the most widely utilized and is used to define the rankings of the 100 Tallest Buildings in the World.
2. Highest Occupied Floor
3. Height to Top of Roof (omitted from criteria from November 2009 onwards)^[12]
4. Height to Tip

The height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance. At the time, the Willis Tower held first place in the second and third categories, the Petronas Towers held the first category and the original World Trade Towers held the fourth. Within months, however, a new antenna mast was placed on the Willis Tower, giving it hold of the fourth category. On April 20, 2004, Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan, was completed. Its completion gave it the world record for the first three categories. On July 21, 2007 it was announced that Burj Khalifa had surpassed Taipei 101 in height, reaching 512 m (1,680 ft).

Since being completed in early 2010, Burj Khalifa leads in all categories (the first building to do so). With a spire height of 828 m (2,717 ft), Burj Khalifa surpassed Taipei 101 as the tallest building to architectural detail and the Willis Tower as the tallest building to tip. It also leads in the category of highest occupied floor.

Before Burj Khalifa was completed, Willis Tower led in the fourth category with 527 m (1,729 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 World Trade Center's destruction in 2001. Its antenna mast included, One World Trade Center measured 526 m (1,726 ft). The World Trade Center became the world's tallest buildings to be destroyed or demolished; 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.

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.^[1]

History of record holders in each CTBUH category

Date (Event)	Architectural top	Highest occupied floor	Roof	Tip
2010: Burj Khalifa completed	Burj Khalifa	Burj Khalifa		Burj Khalifa
2009: CTBUH omits Height to Roof category	Taipei 101	Shanghai World Financial Center		Willis Tower
2008: Shanghai World Financial Center completed	Taipei 101	Shanghai World Financial Center	Shanghai World Financial Center	Willis Tower
2003: Taipei 101 completed	Taipei 101	Taipei 101	Taipei 101	Willis Tower
2000: Willis Tower antenna extension	Petronas Towers	Willis Tower	Willis Tower	Willis Tower
1998: Petronas Towers completed	Petronas Towers	Willis Tower	Willis Tower	World Trade Center
1996: CTBUH defines categories	Willis Tower	Willis Tower	Willis Tower	World Trade Center

World's tallest freestanding structure on land

Freestanding structures include observation towers, monuments and other structures not generally considered to be "Habitable buildings", but excludes supported structures such as guyed masts and ocean drilling platforms. (See also history of tallest skyscrapers.)

The world's tallest freestanding structure on land is defined as the tallest self-supporting man-made structure that stands above ground. This definition is different from that of world's tallest building or world's tallest structure based on the percent of the structure that is occupied and whether or not it is self-supporting or supported by exterior cables. Likewise, this definition does not count structures that are built underground or on the seabed, such as the Petronius Platform in the Gulf of Mexico. Visit world's tallest structure by category for a list of various other definitions.

As of 12 May 2008, the tallest freestanding structure on land is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The building, which now stands at 828 m (2,717 ft), surpassed the height of the previous record holder, the 553.3 m (1,815 ft) CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario, on September 12, 2007. It was completed in 2010, and was topped out at 828 m (2,717 ft) in January 2009.^[2]

History

The following is a list of structures that have held the title as the tallest freestanding structure on land. (See also Timeline of three tallest structures in the world until Empire State Building).

Tallest Historical Structures

Record from	Record to	Name and Location	Constructed	Height (metres)	Height (feet)	Coordinates	Notes
c. 2700 BCE	c. 2600 BCE	Pyramid of Djoser, Egypt	c. 2700 BCE	62	203
c. 2600 BCE	c. 2570 BCE	Red Pyramid of Sneferu, Egypt	c. 2600 BCE	105	345
c. 2570 BCE	c. 1311 AD	Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt	c. 2570 BCE	146	481		By 1439, the Great Pyramid had eroded to a height of approximately 139 m (456 ft).
1311	1549	Lincoln Cathedral in England	1092–1311	160	525		The central spire was destroyed in a storm in 1549. While the reputed height of 525 ft (160 m) is accepted by most sources [13][14][15][16][17][18], others consider it doubtful[19]
1549	1625	St. Olaf's Church in Tallinn, Estonia	1438–1519	159	522		The spire burnt down after a lightning strike in 1625 and was rebuilt several times. The height is 123 m (404 ft) .
1625	1647	St. Mary's Church in Stralsund, Germany	1384–1478	151	495		The spire burnt down after a lightning strike in 1647. The height is 104 m (341 ft) .
1647	1874	Strasbourg Cathedral in France	1439	142	469
1874	1876	St. Nikolai in Hamburg, Germany	1846–1874	147	483
1876	1880	Cathédrale Notre Dame in Rouen, France	1202–1876	151	495
1880	1884	Cologne Cathedral in Germany	1248–1880	157	515	;
1884	1889	Washington Monument in Washington D.C., United States	1884	169	555
1889	1930	Eiffel Tower in Paris, France	1889	300	986		First structure to exceed 300 metres in height. The addition of a telecommunications tower in the 1950s brought the overall height to 324 m (1,063 ft).
1930	1931	Chrysler Building in New York, United States	1928–1930	319	1,046
1931	1967	Empire State Building in New York, United States	1930–1931	381	1,250		First building with 100+ stories. The addition of a pinnacle and antennas later increased its overall height to 448.7 m (1,472 ft). This was subsequently lowered to 443.1 m (1,454 ft).
1967	1975	Ostankino Tower in Moscow, Russia	1963–1967	537	1,762		Remains the tallest in Europe. Fire in 2000 led to extensive renovation.
1975	2007	CN Tower in Toronto, Canada	1973–1976	553	1,815		Remains the tallest in the Western Hemisphere
2007	present	Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates	2004–2009	828	2,717		Holder of world's tallest freestanding structure. Topped out at 828 m (2,717 ft).

Notable mentions include the Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria, built in the third century BCE and estimated between 115–135 m (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 m (400 ft). These were both the world's tallest or second tallest non-pyramidal buildings 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, which is 102 m (335 ft) tall, and was constructed in the first half of the fourteenth century, and the 97 m (318 ft) tall Torre degli Asinelli in Bologna, also Italy, built between 1109 and 1119.

World's highest observation deck

Timeline of development of world's highest observation deck since inauguration of Eiffel Tower.

Held record		Name and Location	Constructed	Height above ground (m)	Height above ground (ft)	Notes
From	To
1889	1931	Eiffel Tower, Paris, France	1889	275	902	Two lower observation decks at 57 m (187 ft) and 115 m (377 ft).
1931	1973	Empire State Building, New York City, USA	1931	369[20]	1211	A second observation deck is located on the 86th floor at 320 m (1,050 ft).
1973	1976	World Trade Center, New York City, USA	1973	420	1378	Destroyed during the September 11, 2001 attacks
1976	2008	CN Tower, Toronto, Canada	1976	446.5	1464.9	Two further observation decks at 342 m (1,122 ft) and 346 m (1,135 ft).
2008	present	Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai, China	2008	474	1555	Other observation decks are at 423 m (1,388 ft) and 439 m (1,440 ft). Note: Burj Khalifa, opened on 4 January 2010, has the world's highest outdoor observation deck at 452 m (1,483 ft).

Higher observation decks have existed on mountain peaks or cliffs, rather than on tall structures. For example, the Royal Gorge Bridge in Cañon City, Colorado, USA, was constructed in 1929 spanning the Royal Gorge at a height of 321 m (1,053 ft) above the Arkansas River.

Timeline of guyed structures on land

As most of the tallest structures are guyed masts, here is a timeline of world's tallest guyed masts, since the beginning of radio technology.

As many large guyed masts 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.

Held record		Name and Location	Constructed	Height (m)	Height (ft)	Coordinates	Notes
From	To
1913	1920	Central mast of Eilvese transmitter, Eilvese, Germany	1913	250	820		Mast was divided in 145 m by an insulator, demolished in 1931
1920	1923	Central masts of Nauen Transmitter Station, Nauen, Germany	1920	260	853		2 masts, demolished in 1946
1923	1933	Masts of Ruiselede transmitter, Ruiselede, Belgium	1923	287	942	?	8 masts, destroyed in 1940
1933	1939	Lakihegy Tower, Lakihegy, Hungary	1933	314	1,031		Blaw-Knox Tower, insulated against ground, destroyed in 1945, afterwards rebuilt
1939	1946	Deutschlandsender Herzberg/Elster, Herzberg (Elster), Germany	1939	335	1,099		Insulated against ground, dismantled 1946/1947
1946	1948	Lakihegy Tower, Lakihegy, Hungary	1946	314	1,031		Blaw-Knox Tower, Insulated against ground, rebuilt after destruction in 1945
1948	1949	WIVB-TV Tower, Colden, New York, USA	1948	321.9	1,056
1949	1950	Longwave transmitter Raszyn, Raszyn, Poland	1949	335	1,099		Insulated against ground
1950	1954	Forestport Tower, Forestport, New York, USA	1950	371.25	1,218		Insulated against ground, demolished
1954	1959	Griffin Television Tower Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA	1954	480.5	1,576
1956	1959	KOBR-TV Tower, Caprock, New Mexico, USA	1956	490.7	1,610		Collapsed in 1960, afterwards rebuilt
1959	1960	WGME TV Tower, Raymond, Maine, USA	1959	495	1,624
1960	1962	KFVS TV Mast, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, USA	1960	511.1	1,677
1962	1963	WTVM/WRBL-TV & WVRK-FM Tower, Cusseta, Georgia, USA	1962	533	1,749
1963	1963	WIMZ-FM-Tower, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA	1963	534.01	1,752
1963	1974	KVLY-TV mast, Blanchard, North Dakota, USA	1963	628.8	2,063
1974	1991	Warsaw Radio Mast, Gąbin, Poland	1974	646.4	2,121		Mast radiator insulated against ground, collapsed in 1991
1991		KVLY-TV mast, Blanchard, North Dakota, USA	1963	628.8	2,063

Tallest structures, freestanding structures, and buildings

See also: Timeline of three tallest structures in the world

The list categories are:

• The structures (supported) list uses pinnacle height and includes architectural structures of any type that might use some external support constructions like cables and are fully built in air. Only the three tallest are listed, as more than fifty US TV masts have stated heights of 600–610 metres (1969–2000 ft).
• The structures (media supported) list uses pinnacle height and includes architectural structures of any type that are not totally built in the air but are using support from other, denser media like salt water. All structures greater than 500 metres (1,640 ft) are listed.
• The freestanding structures list uses pinnacle height and includes structures over 400 metres (1,312 ft) that do not use guy-wires or other external supports. This means truly free standing on its own or, in similar sense, non-supported structures.
• The building list uses architectural height (excluding antennas) and includes only buildings, defined as consisting of habitable floors. Both of these follow CTBUH guidelines. All supertall buildings (300 m and higher) are listed.

Notes:

• Seven buildings appear on the freestanding structures category list with different heights than of another category. This is due to the different measurement specifications of those lists.
• Only current heights and where reasonable target heights are listed. Historical heights of structures that no longer exist, for example, for having collapsed, are excluded.

Rank	Name and location	Year completed	Architectural top[21] (metres)	Architectural top (feet)	Floors
Structures (supported)
1	KVLY-TV mast, Blanchard, North Dakota, United States	1963	629	2,064	–
2	KXJB-TV mast, Galesburg, North Dakota, United States	1998	628	2,060	–
3	KXTV/KOVR Tower, Walnut Grove, California, United States	2000	625	2,051	–
Structures (media supported)
1	Petronius Platform, Gulf of Mexico	2000	610	2,000	–
2	Baldpate Platform, Gulf of Mexico	1998	580	1,900	–
3	Bullwinkle Platform, Gulf of Mexico	1989	529	1,736	–
Freestanding structures
1	Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates	2010	828	2,717	160
2	Guangzhou TV & Sightseeing Tower, Guangzhou, China (topped out)	2009	610	2,000	–
3	CN Tower, Toronto, Ontario, Canada	1976	553	1,814	–
4	Ostankino Tower, Moscow, Russia	1967	540	1,770	–
5	Willis Tower, Chicago, United States	1974	527	1,729	108
6	Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan	2003	509	1,670	101
7	Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai, China	2008	492	1,614	101
8	Oriental Pearl Tower, Shanghai, China	1996	468	1,535	–
9	John Hancock Center, Chicago, United States	1969	457	1,499	100
10	Petronas Tower I, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	1998	452	1,483	88
	Petronas Tower II, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	1998	452	1,483	88
12	Nanjing Greenland Financial Center, Nanjing, China	2009	450	1,480	89
13	Empire State Building, New York City, United States	1931	443	1,453	102
14	Milad Tower, Tehran, Iran	2007	435	1,427	–
15	Kuala Lumpur Tower, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	1995	421	1,381	–
16	Jin Mao Building, Shanghai, China	1998	421	1,381	88
17	Chimney of GRES-2 Power Station, Ekibastuz, Kazakhstan	1987	420	1,380	–
18	Two International Finance Centre, Hong Kong	2003	415	1,362	88
19	Tianjin Radio and Television Tower, Tianjin, China	1991	415	1,362	–
20	Central TV Tower, Beijing, China	1992	405	1,329	–
Buildings Main article: List of tallest buildings in the world
1	Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates	2010	828	2,717	160
2	Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan	2003	509	1,670	101
3	Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai, China	2008	492	1,614	101
4	Petronas Tower I, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	1998	452	1,483	88
	Petronas Tower II, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	1998	452	1,483	88
6	Nanjing Greenland Financial Center, Nanjing, China	2009	450	1,480	89
7	Willis Tower, Chicago, United States	1974	442	1,450	108
8	Jin Mao Building, Shanghai, China	1998	421	1,381	88
9	Two International Finance Centre, Hong Kong	2003	415	1,362	88
10	CITIC Plaza, Guangzhou, China	1997	391	1,283	80
11	Shun Hing Square, Shenzhen, China	1996	384	1,260	69
12	Empire State Building, New York City, United States	1931	381	1,250	102
13	Central Plaza, Hong Kong	1992	374	1,227	78
14	Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong	1990	367	1,204	70
15	Bank of America Tower, New York City, United States	2008	366	1,201	54
16	Almas Tower, Dubai, United Arab Emirates	2008	360	1,180	74
17	Emirates Office Tower, Dubai, United Arab Emirates	2000	355	1,165	54
18	Tuntex Sky Tower, Kaohsiung, Taiwan	1997	348	1,142	85
19	Aon Center, Chicago, United States	1973	346	1,135	83
20	The Center, Hong Kong	1998	346	1,135	73
21	John Hancock Center, Chicago, United States	1969	344	1,129	100
22	Rose Tower, Dubai, United Arab Emirates	2007	333	1,093	72
	Shimao International Plaza, Shanghai, China	2006	333	1,093	60
24	Minsheng Bank Building, Wuhan, China	2007	331	1,086	68
25	Ryugyong Hotel, Pyongyang, North Korea (topped out)	1992	330	1,080	105
	China World Trade Center Tower 3, Beijing, China	2008	330	1,080	74
27	Q1, Gold Coast, Australia	2005	323	1,060	78
28	Burj Al Arab, Dubai, United Arab Emirates	1999	321	1,053	60
29	Chrysler Building, New York City, United States	1930	319	1,047	77
	Nina Tower I, Hong Kong	2007	319	1,047	80
	New York Times Building, New York City, United States	2007	319	1,047	52
32	Bank of America Plaza, Atlanta, United States	1992	312	1,024	55
33	Kingdom Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	2000	311	1,020	41
34	U.S. Bank Tower, Los Angeles, United States	1989	310	1,020	73
35	Menara Telekom, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	2001	310	1,020	55
36	Jumeirah Emirates Towers Hotel, Dubai, United Arab Emirates	2000	309	1,014	56
37	One Island East, Hong Kong	2008	308	1,010	70
38	AT&T Corporate Center, Chicago, United States	1989	307	1,007	60
39	The Address Downtown Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates	2008	306	1,004	63
40	JPMorgan Chase Tower, Houston, United States	1982	305	1,001	75

Source: Emporis

Under construction

Numerous supertall skyscrapers are in various stages of proposal, planning, or construction. Each of the following are under construction and, depending on the order of completion, could become the world's tallest building or structure in at least one category:

• The Tokyo Sky Tree under construction in Tokyo's Sumida district, is expected to be 634 m (2,080 ft) tall. It will be a broadcasting tower to replace the old Tokyo Tower. Construction began in 2008 and completion is expected in 2011, with public access in the spring of 2012.
• The Shanghai Tower, under construction in Shanghai, next to the Shanghai World Financial Center and the Jin Mao Building, is expected to be 632 m (2,073 ft). Completion is expected in 2014.
• The Pentominium, under construction in Dubai, is expected to be 516 m (1,693 ft) tall and have 120 floors. If completed, it would be the tallest all-residential building in the world. Construction began in 2007 and completion is expected in 2013.
• The Guangzhou TV & Sightseeing Tower, under construction in Guangzhou, China, is topped-out at 610 m (2,000 ft). Construction began in November 2005 and completion is expected in 2010.
• The Chicago Spire (formerly Fordham Spire), under construction in Chicago, is expected to be 2,000 ft (610 m) and have 150 floors. If completed, it would surpass the CN Tower as the tallest freestanding building in North America,^[22] and would be the tallest all-residential building in the world. Construction began in June 2007, but was put on hold after the economic collapse of 2008, leaving just a hole in the ground.^[23]
• The Abraj Al Bait Towers are under construction in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The tallest tower is expected to be 601 m (1,972 ft) tall when completed in 2011, becoming second-tallest building in the world when completed. It will also be the largest building in the world with a floor area of 1,500,000 m² (16,150,000 sq ft) and the tallest hotel in the world.
• The Jakarta Tower (Menara Jakarta) is on-hold in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is expected to be 558 m (1,831 ft) tall up to the antenna, thus may be tallest concrete tower. It was expected to be completed in 2012, but has been put on hold.^[24]
• One World Trade Center, currently under-construction in New York City, will be the tallest building in the United States and the Western Hemisphere. Also, it will become the world´s tallest all-office building. Its spire will top out at 1,776 ft (541 m).

Proposed

Many proposed structures have not yet been built, and many probably never will be built. See proposed tall buildings and structures for structures that have been or are being proposed.

See also

• List of tallest buildings in the world
• List of tallest structures in the world
• List of tallest freestanding structures in the world
• List of tallest towers in the world
• List of architects of supertall buildings

References

External links

• Collection of many record holders on Skyscraperpage
• FactMonster.com

Tallest buildings and structures in the world Buildings By region Africa · Asia · Europe · South America · Scandinavia · Baltic states By country Argentina · Australia · Bangladesh · Brazil · Canada · Chile · People's Republic of China · Colombia · Croatia · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · European Union* · Finland · France · Germany · Hong Kong · Iceland · India · Latvia · Lithuania · Republic of Macedonia · Malaysia · Mexico · Norway · Pakistan · Philippines · Poland · Romania · Russia · Saudi Arabia · Singapore · Slovenia · Sweden · Taiwan · Thailand · Turkey · United Arab Emirates · United Kingdom · United States · Vietnam Other 100+ floors · 400+ metres · Churches (Orthodox) · Educational · Hospitals · Hotels · Residential · History of tallest skyscrapers · 'Tallest building in the British Empire Structures (of any type) By region Commonwealth of Nations · Europe · Middle East · former Yugoslavia · former Soviet Union · South America By country Algeria · Australia · Austria · Bahrain · Belgium · Bulgaria · Canada · People's Republic of China · Czech Republic · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Hungary · Iceland · India · Iran · Ireland · Israel · Italy · Japan · Luxembourg · Netherlands · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Serbia · Slovakia · Spain · Sri Lanka · Sweden · Switzerland · United Kingdom · United States Other Freestanding · Bridges · Chimneys · Towers · Dams · Statues Relevant architecture Additionally guyed tower · All buildings and structures · Architectural structure · Air traffic obstacle · Antenna height considerations · Construction · Height restriction laws · Oil platform · Partially guyed tower · Twin buildings and structures

Structure extremes Tallest Buildings · Structures · Hotels · Dams Largest Buildings · Hotels · Domes · City squares Longest Buildings · Bridges · Tunnels