The tallest building in the word

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Tall buildings, such as skyscrapers, are intended here as enclosed structures with continuously occupiable floors and a height of at least 340 metres (1,120 ft). Such definition excludes non-building structures, such as towers.

History

Historically, the world’s tallest man-made structure was the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, which held the position for over 3800 years^[3] until the construction of Lincoln Cathedral in 1311. The Strasbourg Cathedral in France, completed in 1439, was the world’s tallest building until 1874.

The first skyscraper was pioneered in Chicago with the 138 ft (42.1 m) Home Insurance Building in 1885. The United States would remain the location of the world’s tallest building throughout the 20th century until 1998, when the Petronas Towers were completed. Since then, two other buildings have gained the title: Taipei 101 in 2004 and Burj Khalifa in 2010.^[4] Since the beginning of the 21st century, the Middle East, China, and Southeast Asia have experienced booms in skyscraper construction.^[5]

Ranking criteria and alternatives

The international non-profit organization Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) was formed in 1969 and announces the title of «The World’s Tallest Building» and sets the standards by which buildings are measured. It maintains a list of the 100 tallest completed buildings in the world.^[6] The organization currently ranks Burj Khalifa in Dubai as the tallest at 828 m (2,717 ft).^[6] However, the CTBUH only recognizes buildings that are complete, and some buildings included within the lists in this article are not considered finished by the CTBUH.

In 1996, as a response to the dispute as to whether the Petronas Towers or the Sears Tower was taller,^[7] the council listed and ranked buildings in four categories:^[8]

• height to structural or architectural top;
• height to floor of highest occupied floor;
• height to top of roof (removed as category in November 2009);^[9] and
• height to top of any part of the building.

All categories measure the building from the level of the lowest significant open-air pedestrian entrance.^[10]

Spires are considered integral parts of the architectural design of buildings, changes to which would substantially change the appearance and design of the building, whereas antennas may be added or removed without such consequences. The Petronas Towers, with their spires, are thus ranked higher than the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) with its antennas, despite the Petronas Towers’ lower roofs and lower highest point.^[8]

Until 1996, the world’s tallest building was defined by the height to the top of the tallest architectural element, including spires but not antennae.^[8] In 1930, this definitional argument led to a rivalry between the Bank of Manhattan Building and the Chrysler Building. The Bank of Manhattan Building (i.e. 40 Wall Street) employed only a short spire, was 282.5 m (927 ft) tall, and had a much higher top occupied floor (the second category in the 1996 criteria for tallest building). In contrast, the Chrysler Building employed a very large 38.1 m (125 ft) spire secretly assembled inside the building to claim the title of world’s tallest building with a total height of 318.9 m (1,046 ft), although it had a lower top occupied floor and a shorter height when both buildings’ spires were excluded.

Upset by Chrysler’s victory, Shreve & Lamb, the consulting architects of the Bank of Manhattan Building, wrote a newspaper article claiming that their building was actually the tallest, since it contained the world’s highest usable floor, at 255 m (837 ft). They pointed out that the observation deck in the Bank of Manhattan Building was nearly 30 m (98 ft) above the top floor in the Chrysler Building, whose surpassing spire was strictly ornamental and inaccessible.^[11]

The Burj Khalifa currently tops the list by some margin, regardless of which criterion is applied.^[12][13]

Tallest buildings in the world

As of 13 April 2023, this list includes all 90 buildings (completed and architecturally topped out) which reach a height of 340 metres (1,120 ft) or more, as assessed by their highest architectural feature. The building is considered as architecturally topped out when it is under construction, structurally topped out, fully clad, and the highest finished architectural elements are in place.^[10]

Of these buildings, almost half are in China. Six of the last seven buildings to have held the record as ‘tallest building’ are still found in the list, with the exception being the North Tower of the original World Trade Center at 417 metres (1,368 ft) after its destruction in the September 11 attacks of 2001. If the Twin Towers were never destroyed, and One World Trade Center was never built, the WTC towers would rank 35 and 36 on the list today.

Rank	Name	Image	Coordinates	City	Country	Height[14]	Floors	Year	Notes
m	ft
1	Burj Khalifa		25°11′50″N 55°16′27″E / 25.19722°N 55.27417°E	Dubai	United Arab Emirates	828	2,717	163 (+ 2 below ground)[15]	2010
2	Merdeka 118		3°8′30″N 101°42′2″E / 3.14167°N 101.70056°E	Kuala Lumpur	Malaysia	678.9	2,227	118 (+ 5 below ground)[16]	2023
3	Shanghai Tower		31°14′7.8″N 121°30′3.6″E / 31.235500°N 121.501000°E	Shanghai	China	632	2,073	128 (+ 5 below ground)[17]	2015
4	Abraj Al-Bait Clock Tower		21°25′8″N 39°49′35″E / 21.41889°N 39.82639°E	Mecca	Saudi Arabia	601	1,972	120 (+ 3 below ground)[18]	2012
5	Ping An International Finance Centre		22°32′12″N 114°3′1″E / 22.53667°N 114.05028°E	Shenzhen	China	599.1	1,966	115 (+ 5 below ground)[19]	2017
6	Lotte World Tower		37°30′45″N 127°6′9″E / 37.51250°N 127.10250°E	Seoul	South Korea	554.5	1,819	123 (+ 6 below ground)[20]	2017
7	One World Trade Center		40°42′46.80″N 74°0′48.60″W / 40.7130000°N 74.0135000°W	New York City	United States	541.3	1,776	94 (+ 5 below ground)[21]	2014
8	Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre		23°7′13″N 113°19′14″E / 23.12028°N 113.32056°E	Guangzhou	China	530	1,739	111 (+ 5 below ground)[22]	2016
Tianjin CTF Finance Centre		39°1′16.97″N 117°41′54.46″E / 39.0213806°N 117.6984611°E	Tianjin	97 (+ 4 below ground)[23]	2019
10	China Zun		39°54′41.44″N 116°27′36.83″E / 39.9115111°N 116.4602306°E	Beijing	527.7	1,731	109 (+ 8 below ground)[24]	2018
11	Taipei 101		25°2′1″N 121°33′54″E / 25.03361°N 121.56500°E	Taipei	Taiwan	508	1,667	101 (+ 5 below ground)[25]	2004	[note 1]
12	Shanghai World Financial Center		31°14′12″N 121°30′10″E / 31.23667°N 121.50278°E	Shanghai	China	492	1,614	101 (+ 3 below ground)[26]	2008
13	International Commerce Centre		22°18′12.21″N 114°9′36.61″E / 22.3033917°N 114.1601694°E	Hong Kong	484	1,588	108 (+ 4 below ground)[27]	2010
14	Wuhan Greenland Center		30°35′5″N 114°18′52″E / 30.58472°N 114.31444°E	Wuhan	475.6	1,560	101 (+ 6 below ground)[28]	2023
15	Central Park Tower		40°45′58.8″N 73°58′51.4″W / 40.766333°N 73.980944°W	New York City	United States	472.4	1,550	98 (+ 4 below ground)[29]	2021
16	Lakhta Center		59°59′13.31″N 30°10′41.30″E / 59.9870306°N 30.1781389°E	Saint Petersburg	Russia	462	1,516	87 (+ 3 below ground)[30]	2019
17	Landmark 81		10°47′42″N 106°43′19″E / 10.79500°N 106.72194°E	Ho Chi Minh City	Vietnam	461.2	1,513	81 (+ 3 below ground)[31]	2018
18	International Land-Sea Center		29°33′11.34″N 106°30′49.41″E / 29.5531500°N 106.5137250°E	Chongqing	China	458.2	1,503	98 (+ 4 below ground)	2024
19	The Exchange 106		3°8′30.84″N 101°43′7.50″E / 3.1419000°N 101.7187500°E	Kuala Lumpur	Malaysia	453.6	1,488	95 (+ 6 below ground)[32]	2019
20	Changsha IFS Tower T1		28°11′43.51″N 112°58′24.31″E / 28.1954194°N 112.9734194°E	Changsha	China	452.1	1,483	94 (+ 5 below ground)[33]	2018
21	Petronas Tower 1		3°9′27.3″N 101°42′41.1″E / 3.157583°N 101.711417°E	Kuala Lumpur	Malaysia	451.9	1,483	88 (+ 5 below ground)[34][35]	1998	[note 2]
Petronas Tower 2	3°9′29.6″N 101°42′43.7″E / 3.158222°N 101.712139°E
23	Zifeng Tower		32°3′44.9″N 118°46′41.0″E / 32.062472°N 118.778056°E	Nanjing	China	450	1,476	89 (+ 5 below ground)[36]	2010
Suzhou IFS		31°19′26.8″N 120°42′46.1″E / 31.324111°N 120.712806°E	Suzhou	95 (+ 5 below ground)[37]	2019
25	Wuhan Center		30°35′47.94″N 114°14′22.81″E / 30.5966500°N 114.2396694°E	Wuhan	443.1	1,454	88 (+ 4 below ground)[38]	2019
26	Willis Tower		41°52′43.00″N 87°38′8.99″W / 41.8786111°N 87.6358306°W	Chicago	United States	442.1	1,450	108 (+ 3 below ground)[39]	1974	[note 3]
27	KK100		22°32′44.99″N 114°6′5.62″E / 22.5458306°N 114.1015611°E	Shenzhen	China	441.8	1,449	98 (+ 4 below ground)[40]	2011
28	Guangzhou International Finance Center		23°7′13.25″N 113°19′5.07″E / 23.1203472°N 113.3180750°E	Guangzhou	438.6	1,439	101 (+ 4 below ground)[41]	2010
29	111 West 57th Street		40°45′53.6″N 73°58′39.0″W / 40.764889°N 73.977500°W	New York City	United States	435.3	1,428	84 (+ 2 below ground)[42]	2021
30	One Vanderbilt		40°45′27″N 73°58′23″W / 40.75750°N 73.97306°W	427	1,401	62 (+ 4 below ground)[43]	2020
31	432 Park Avenue		40°45′42″N 73°58′19″W / 40.76167°N 73.97194°W	425.7	1,397	85 (+ 3 below ground)[44]	2015
32	Marina 101		25°5′20.33″N 55°8′55.07″E / 25.0889806°N 55.1486306°E	Dubai	United Arab Emirates	425	1,394	101 (+ 6 below ground)[45]	2017
33	Trump International Hotel and Tower		41°53′20.76″N 87°37′36.02″W / 41.8891000°N 87.6266722°W	Chicago	United States	423.2	1,388	98 (+ 2 below ground)[46]	2009
34	Dongguan International Trade Center 1		23°1′30″N 113°44′54″E / 23.02500°N 113.74833°E	Dongguan	China	422.6	1,386	85 (+ 3 below ground)[47]	2021
35	Jin Mao Tower		31°14′14″N 121°30′5″E / 31.23722°N 121.50139°E	Shanghai	420.5	1,380	88 (+ 3 below ground)[48]	1999
36	Princess Tower		25°5′19.05″N 55°8′48.69″E / 25.0886250°N 55.1468583°E	Dubai	United Arab Emirates	413.4	1,356	101 (+ 6 below ground)[49]	2012
37	Al Hamra Tower		29°22′43″N 47°59′34″E / 29.37861°N 47.99278°E	Kuwait City	Kuwait	412.6	1,354	80 (+ 3 below ground)[50]	2011
38	Two International Finance Centre		22°17′6″N 114°9′33″E / 22.28500°N 114.15917°E	Hong Kong	China	412	1,352	88 (+ 6 below ground)[51]	2003
39	Haeundae LCT The Sharp Landmark Tower		35°9′41″N 129°10′26″E / 35.16139°N 129.17389°E	Busan	South Korea	411.6	1,350	101 (+ 5 below ground)[52]	2019
40	Guangxi China Resources Tower		22°48′53.4″N 108°23′28.1″E / 22.814833°N 108.391139°E	Nanning	China	402.7	1,321	86 (+ 3 below ground)[53]	2020
41	Guiyang International Financial Center T1[54]		26°39′3.416″N 106°38′40.322″E / 26.65094889°N 106.64453389°E	Guiyang	401	1,316	79 (+ 5 below ground)[55]	2020
42	China Resources Tower		22°31′3.94″N 113°56′29.76″E / 22.5177611°N 113.9416000°E	Shenzhen	392.5	1,288	68 (+ 5 below ground)[56]	2018
43	23 Marina		25°5′23.32″N 55°9′2.20″E / 25.0898111°N 55.1506111°E	Dubai	United Arab Emirates	392.4	1,287	88 (+ 4 below ground)[57]	2012
44	CITIC Plaza		23°8′40″N 113°19′10″E / 23.14444°N 113.31944°E	Guangzhou	China	390.2	1,280	80 (+ 2 below ground)[58]	1996
45	Citymark Centre			Shenzhen	388.3	1,274	70 (+ 7 below ground)[59]	2022
46	Shum Yip Upperhills Tower 1		22°33′31″N 114°3′58″E / 22.55861°N 114.06611°E	388.1	1,273	80 (+ 3 below ground)[60]	2020
47	30 Hudson Yards		40°45′31″N 73°59′55″W / 40.75861°N 73.99861°W	New York City	United States	387.1	1,270	73 (+ 1 below ground)[61]	2019
48	Public Investment Fund Tower		24°45′46″N 46°38′25″E / 24.76278°N 46.64028°E	Riyadh	Saudi Arabia	385	1,263	72 (+ 4 below ground)	2021
49	Shun Hing Square		22°32′43″N 114°6′21″E / 22.54528°N 114.10583°E	Shenzhen	China	384	1,260	69 (+ 3 below ground)[62]	1996
50	Eton Place Dalian Tower 1		38°55′3″N 121°37′28″E / 38.91750°N 121.62444°E	Dalian	383.2	1,257	80 (+ 4 below ground)[63]	2016
51	Autograph Tower		6°11′55″S 106°49′20″E / 6.19861°S 106.82222°E	Jakarta	Indonesia	382.9	1,256	75 (+ 6 below ground)	2022	[note 4]
52	Logan Century Center 1		22°48′42.2″N 108°23′41.2″E / 22.811722°N 108.394778°E	Nanning	China	381.3	1,251	82 (+ 4 below ground)[65]	2018
53	Burj Mohammed bin Rashid		24°29′17″N 54°21′23″E / 24.48806°N 54.35639°E	Abu Dhabi	United Arab Emirates	381.2	1,251	88 (+ 5 below ground)[66]	2014
54	Empire State Building		40°44′54″N 73°59′7″W / 40.74833°N 73.98528°W	New York City	United States	381	1,250	102 (+ 1 below ground)[67]	1931	[note 5]
55	Elite Residence		25°5′22.42″N 55°8′52.40″E / 25.0895611°N 55.1478889°E	Dubai	United Arab Emirates	380.5	1,248	87 (+ 4 below ground)[68]	2012
56	Riverview Plaza		30°36′38.8″N 114°18′12.9″E / 30.610778°N 114.303583°E	Wuhan	China	376	1,234	73 (+ 3 below ground)[69]	2021
57	Dabaihui Plaza		22°32′20″N 114°3′32″E / 22.53889°N 114.05889°E	Shenzhen	375.6	1,232	70 (+ 4 below ground)	2021
58	Central Plaza		22°16′48″N 114°10′25″E / 22.28000°N 114.17361°E	Hong Kong	373.9	1,227	78 (+ 3 below ground)[70]	1992
59	Federation Tower (East Tower)		55°44′59.5″N 37°32′16.0″E / 55.749861°N 37.537778°E	Moscow	Russia	373.7	1,226	93 (+ 4 below ground)[71]	2016
60	Dalian International Trade Center		38°55′10.6″N 121°37′58.8″E / 38.919611°N 121.633000°E	Dalian	China	370.2	1,215	86 (+ 7 below ground)[72]	2019
61	Address Boulevard		25°12′3.28″N 55°16′34.43″E / 25.2009111°N 55.2762306°E	Dubai	United Arab Emirates	370	1,214	73 (+ 3 below ground)[73]	2017
62	Haitian Center Tower 2		36°3′23″N 120°21′53″E / 36.05639°N 120.36472°E	Qingdao	China	368.9	1,210	73 (+ 6 below ground)[74]	2021
63	Golden Eagle Tiandi Tower A		32°1′33.74″N 118°44′5.57″E / 32.0260389°N 118.7348806°E	Nanjing	368.1	1,208	77 (+ 4 below ground)[75]	2019
64	Bank of China Tower		22°16′45″N 114°9′41″E / 22.27917°N 114.16139°E	Hong Kong	367	1,205	72 (+ 4 below ground)[76]	1990
65	Bank of America Tower		40°45′19.01″N 73°59′3.01″W / 40.7552806°N 73.9841694°W	New York City	United States	365.8	1,200	55 (+ 3 below ground)[77]	2009
66	St. Regis Chicago		41°53′0″N 87°36′58″W / 41.88333°N 87.61611°W	Chicago	362.9	1,191	92 (+ 5 below ground)[78]	2020
67	Almas Tower		25°4′7.79″N 55°8′28.07″E / 25.0688306°N 55.1411306°E	Dubai	United Arab Emirates	360	1,181	68 (+ 5 below ground)[79]	2008
68	Hanking Center		22°32′44″N 113°56′4″E / 22.54556°N 113.93444°E	Shenzhen	China	358.9	1,177	65 (+ 5 below ground)[80]	2018
69	Greenland Group Suzhou Center[81]		31°8′8.7″N 120°35′2.9″E / 31.135750°N 120.584139°E	Suzhou	358	1,175	77 (+ 3 below ground)[82]	2022
70	Gevora Hotel		25°12′45.07″N 55°16′36.52″E / 25.2125194°N 55.2768111°E	Dubai	United Arab Emirates	356.3	1,169	75 (+ 2 below ground)[83]	2017
71	Galaxy World Tower 1[84]		22°36′26.03″N 114°3′25.06″E / 22.6072306°N 114.0569611°E	Shenzhen	China	356	1,168	71 (+ 5 below ground)	2023
Galaxy World Tower 2[85]	22°36′26.6″N 114°3′20.9″E / 22.607389°N 114.055806°E
Il Primo Tower[86]		25°11′46″N 55°16′19″E / 25.19611°N 55.27194°E	Dubai	United Arab Emirates	356	1,168	79	2022
73	JW Marriott Marquis Dubai Tower 1		25°11′9.6″N 55°15′30.4″E / 25.186000°N 55.258444°E	355.4	1,166	82 (+ 2 below ground)[87][88]	2012
JW Marriott Marquis Dubai Tower 2	25°11′7.1″N 55°15′28.0″E / 25.185306°N 55.257778°E	2013
75	Emirates Office Tower		25°13′3″N 55°17′0″E / 25.21750°N 55.28333°E	354.6	1,163	54[89]	2000
76	Raffles City Chongqing T3N		29°34′5.6″N 106°35′1.5″E / 29.568222°N 106.583750°E	Chongqing	China	354.5	1,163	79 (+ 3 below ground)[90]	2019
Raffles City Chongqing T4N	74 (+ 3 below ground)[91]
77	OKO – South Tower		55°44′57.7″N 37°32′2.7″E / 55.749361°N 37.534083°E	Moscow	Russia	354.2	1,162	90 (+ 2 below ground)[92]	2015
78	The Marina Torch		25°5′16.73″N 55°8′50.75″E / 25.0879806°N 55.1474306°E	Dubai	United Arab Emirates	352	1,155	86 (+ 4 below ground)[93]	2011
79	Forum 66 Tower 1		41°47′58″N 123°25′39″E / 41.79944°N 123.42750°E	Shenyang	China	350.6	1,150	68 (+ 4 below ground)[94]	2015
80	The Pinnacle		23°7′40.1″N 113°19′4.8″E / 23.127806°N 113.318000°E	Guangzhou	350.3	1,149	60 (+ 6 below ground)[95]	2012
81	Xi’an Glory International Financial Center		34°11′40.92″N 108°52′40.30″E / 34.1947000°N 108.8778611°E	Xi’an	350	1,148	75 (+ 4 below ground)[96]	2021
82	Spring City 66			Kunming	349	1,145	61 (+ 4 below ground)[97]	2020
83	85 Sky Tower			Kaoshiung	Taiwan	347.5	1,140	85 (+ 5 below ground)[98]	1997
84	Aon Center			Chicago	United States	346.3	1,136	83 (+ 5 below ground)[99]	1973
85	The Center			Hong Kong	China	346	1,135	73 (+ 3 below ground)[100]	1998
86	Neva Tower 2			Moscow	Russia	345	1,132	79 (+ 3 below ground)[101]	2020
87	875 North Michigan Avenue			Chicago	United States	343.7	1,128	100 (+ 1 below ground)[102]	1969
88	Shimao Global Financial Center			Changsha	China	343	1,125	74 (+ 4 below ground)[103]	2020
89	Four Seasons Place Kuala Lumpur			Kuala Lumpur	Malaysia	342.5	1,124	75 (+ 4 below ground)[104]	2018
90	ADNOC Headquarters			Abu Dhabi	United Arab Emirates	342	1,122	65 (+ 2 below ground)[105]	2015
91	One Shenzhen Bay Tower 7			Shenzhen	China	341.4	1,120	71 (+ 3 below ground)[106]	2018

Alternative measurements

Height to pinnacle (highest point)

This measurement disregards distinctions between architectural and non-architectural extensions, and simply measures to the highest point, irrespective of material or function of the highest element.^[10]

This measurement is useful for air traffic obstacle determinations, and is also a wholly objective measure. However, this measurement includes extensions that are easily added, removed, and modified from a building and are independent of the overall structure.

This measurement only recently came into use, when the Petronas Towers passed the Sears Tower (now named Willis Tower) in height. The former was considered taller because its spires were considered architectural, while the latter’s antennae were not. This led to the split of definitions, with the Sears Tower claiming the lead in this and the height-to-roof (now highest occupied floor) categories, and with the Petronas claiming the lead in the architectural height category.

If the World Trade Center towers were still standing, the North (1,368 feet (417 m)) and South Towers (1,362 feet (415.1 m)) would fall between numbers 35 and 36 on the current list (it can be assumed the rebuilt One World Trade Center would have never been built).

Rank	Building	City	Country	Height	Floors	Built
1	Burj Khalifa†	Dubai	United Arab Emirates	829.8 m	2,722 ft	163	2010
2	Merdeka 118†	Kuala Lumpur	Malaysia	680.1 m	2,231 ft	118	2022
3	Shanghai Tower	Shanghai	China	632 m	2,073 ft	128	2015
4	Abraj Al-Bait Towers	Mecca	Saudi Arabia	601 m	1,971 ft	120	2012
5	Ping An Finance Center	Shenzhen	China	599.1 m	1,965 ft	115	2016
6	Lotte World Tower†	Seoul	South Korea	555.7 m	1,823 ft	123	2016
7	One World Trade Center†	New York City	United States	546.2 m	1,792 ft	104	2014
8	Tianjin CTF Finance Centre†	Tianjin	China	530.4 m	1,740 ft	98	2019
9	Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre	Guangzhou	China	530 m	1,739 ft	111	2016
10	China Zun	Beijing	China	528 m	1,732 ft	108	2018
11	Willis Tower†	Chicago	United States	527 m	1,729 ft	108	1974
12	Taipei 101	Taipei	Taiwan	508 m	1,667 ft	101	2004
13	Shanghai World Financial Center†	Shanghai	China	494.3 m	1,622 ft	101	2008
14	International Commerce Centre	Hong Kong	China	484 m	1,588 ft	118	2010
15	Wuhan Greenland Center	Wuhan	China	475.6 m	1,560 ft	97	2021
16	Central Park Tower	New York City	United States	472.4 m	1,550 ft	98	2020
17	Landmark 81†	Ho Chi Minh City	Vietnam	469.5 m	1,540 ft	81	2018
18	Lakhta Center	St. Petersburg	Russia	462 m	1,516 ft	86	2019
19	International Land-Sea Center	Chongqing	China	458.2 m	1,503 ft	98	2022
20	John Hancock Center†	Chicago	United States	456.9 m	1,499 ft	100	1969
21	The Exchange 106	Kuala Lumpur	Malaysia	453.6 m	1,488 ft	95	2019
22	Changsha IFS Tower T1	Changsha	China	452.1 m	1,483 ft	94	2018
23	Petronas Tower 1	Kuala Lumpur	Malaysia	451.9 m	1,483 ft	88	1998
23	Petronas Tower 2	Kuala Lumpur	Malaysia	451.9 m	1,483 ft	88	1998
25	Zifeng Tower	Nanjing	China	450 m	1,476 ft	89	2010
25	Suzhou IFS	Suzhou	China	450 m	1,476 ft	98	2019
27	Empire State Building†	New York City	United States	443.2 m	1,454 ft	102	1931
28	Kingkey 100	Shenzhen	China	441.8 m	1,449 ft	100	2011
29	Guangzhou International Finance Center	Guangzhou	China	438.6 m	1,445 ft	103	2009
30	Wuhan Center	Wuhan	China	438 m	1,437 ft	88	2019
31	111 West 57th Street	New York City	United States	435.3 m	1,428 ft	82	2020
32	Dongguan International Trade Center 1	Dongguan	China	426.9 m	1,401 ft	88	2020
33	One Vanderbilt	New York City	United States	427 m	1,401 ft	58	2020
34	432 Park Avenue	New York City	United States	425.5 m	1,396 ft	85	2015
35	Marina 101	Dubai	United Arab Emirates	425 m	1,394 ft	101	2017
36	Trump International Hotel and Tower	Chicago	United States	423.2 m	1,388 ft	96	2009
37	Jin Mao Tower	Shanghai	China	421 m	1,381 ft	88	1998
38	Princess Tower†	Dubai	United Arab Emirates	414 m	1,358 ft	101	2012
39	Al Hamra Tower	Kuwait City	Kuwait	412.6 m	1,354 ft	80	2010
40	Two International Finance Centre	Hong Kong	China	412 m	1,352 ft	88	2003
41	Haeundae LCT The Sharp Landmark Tower	Busan	South Korea	411.6 m	1,350 ft	101	2019
42	Guangxi China Resources Tower	Nanning	China	402.7 m	1,321 ft	85	2019
43	Guiyang Financial Center Tower 1[54]	Guiyang	China	401 m	1,316 ft	79	2021

Height to occupied floor

This height is measured to the highest occupiable floor within the building.^[10]

Rank	Building	City	Country	Height	Floors	Built
1	Burj Khalifa	Dubai	United Arab Emirates	585.4 m (1,921 ft)	163	2010
2	Shanghai Tower	Shanghai	China	583.4 m (1,914 ft)	128	2015
3	Ping An Finance Center	Shenzhen	China	562.2 m (1,844 ft)	115	2016
4	China Zun	Beijing	China	515.5 m (1,691 ft)	108	2018
5	Merdeka 118	Kuala Lumpur	Malaysia	502.8 m (1,650 ft)	118	2023
6	Lotte World Tower	Seoul	South Korea	497.6 m (1,633 ft)	123	2016
7	Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre	Guangzhou	China	495.5 m (1,626 ft)	111	2016
8	Abraj Al-Bait Towers	Mecca	Saudi Arabia	494.4 m (1,622 ft)	120	2012
9	Shanghai World Financial Center	Shanghai	China	474 m (1,555 ft)	101	2008
10	International Commerce Centre	Hong Kong	China	468.8 m (1,538 ft)	118	2010
11	Tianjin CTF Finance Centre	Tianjin	China	439.4 m (1,442 ft)	97	2018
12	Taipei 101	Taipei	Taiwan	438 m (1,437 ft)	101	2004
13	Central Park Tower	New York City	United States	431.8 m (1,417 ft)	98	2020
14	Changsha IFS Tower T1	Changsha	China	431 m (1,414 ft)	94	2017
15	International Land-Sea Center	Chongqing	China	429.8 m (1,410 ft)	98	2022
16	KK100	Shenzhen	China	427.1 m (1,401 ft)	98	2011
17	Guangzhou International Finance Center	Guangzhou	China	415.1 m (1,362 ft)	101	2010
18	Willis Tower	Chicago	United States	412.7 m (1,354 ft)	108	1974

Buildings under construction

This is a list of buildings taller than 350 m that are currently under construction.^[107] On-hold buildings whose construction was interrupted after it had reached a significantly advanced state are also listed.

Building	Planned architectural height	Floors	Planned completion	Country	City	Ref.
Jeddah Tower[note 6]	1,000 m (3,300 ft)	167+	?	Saudi Arabia	Jeddah	[109]
Goldin Finance 117[note 7]	597 m (1,959 ft)	117	?	China	Tianjin
The Line	500 m (1,600 ft)	?	?	Saudi Arabia	Neom	[110]
Greenland Jinmao International Financial Center	499.8 m (1,640 ft)	102	2025	China	Nanjing	[111]
Suzhou Zhongnan Center	499.2 m (1,638 ft)	103	2025	China	Suzhou	[112]
HeXi Yuzui Tower A	498.8 m (1,636 ft)	84	2025	China	Nanjing	[113]
Greenland Centre	498 m (1,634 ft)	108	2025	China	Xi’an	[114]
Fuyuan Zhongshan 108 IFC	498 m (1,634 ft)	101	2029	China	Zhongshan	[115]
Tianfu Center	488.9 m (1,604 ft)	95	2026	China	Chengdu	[116]
Chushang Building	475 m (1,558 ft)	111	2025	China	Wuhan	[117]
Wuhan CTF Centre	475 m (1,558 ft)	84	2026	China	Wuhan	[118]
Fosun Bund Center T1	470 m (1,540 ft)	?	?	China	Wuhan	[119]
Suzhou Center North Tower	470 m (1,540 ft)	?	2024	China	Suzhou	[120]
Chengdu Greenland Tower	468 m (1,535 ft)	101	2024	China	Chengdu	[121]
Guohua Financial Center Tower 1	465 m (1,526 ft)	79	?	China	Wuhan	[122]
Tianshan Gate of the World	450 m (1,480 ft)	106	2025	China	Shijiazhuang	[123]
China Resources Land Center	450 m (1,480 ft)	98	?	China	Dongguan	[124]
One Bangkok	436.1 m (1,431 ft)	92	2025	Thailand	Bangkok	[125]
Greenland Shandong International Financial Center[note 7]	428 m (1,404 ft)	88	2023	China	Jinan	[126]
Greenland Center Tower 1	428 m (1,404 ft)	?	?	Kunming	[127]
Nanjing Financial City Tower 1	426 m (1,398 ft)	88	2024	Nanjing	[128]
JPMorgan Chase Building	423 m (1,388 ft)	63	2025	United States	New York City	[129]
Ningbo Center Tower 1	409 m (1,342 ft)	80	2024	China	Ningbo	[130]
Dongfeng Plaza Landmark Tower	407 m (1,335 ft)	100	2024	China	Kunming	[131]
Wuhan Yangtze River Center Tower	400 m (1,300 ft)	82	2025	China	Wuhan	[132]
Mukaab	400 m (1,300 ft)	?	2030	Saudi Arabia	Riyadh
Hangzhou West Railway Station Hub Tower 1	399.8 m (1,312 ft)	83	?	China	Hangzhou	[133]
Shenzhen Bay Super Headquarters Base Tower C-1	394 m (1,293 ft)	78	2027	China	Shenzhen	[134]
Evergrande Center	393.9 m (1,292 ft)	71	2024	China	Shenzhen	[135]
Iconic Tower[note 7]	393.8 m (1,292 ft)	77	2023	Egypt	Cairo	[136]
Haiyun Plaza Tower 1	390 m (1,280 ft)	86	2024	China	Rizhao	[137]
Citymark Center[note 7]	388.3 m (1,274 ft)	70	2022	China	Shenzhen
China Merchants Bank Headquarters Tower 1	387.4 m (1,271 ft)	74	?	China	Shenzhen	[138]
Tour F	385.8 m (1,266 ft)	64	?	Ivory Coast	Abidjan	[139]
Shekou Prince Bay Tower	380 m (1,250 ft)	70	?	China	Shenzhen	[140]
Shenzhen Luohu Friendship Trading Centre	379.9 m (1,246 ft)	83	?	China	Shenzhen	[141]
Greenland Star City Light Tower	379.9 m (1,246 ft)	83	2025	China	Changsha	[142]
Guangdong Business Center	375.5 m (1,232 ft)	60	2024	China	Guangzhou	[143]
China Merchants Prince Bay Tower	374 m (1,227 ft)	59	2028	China	Shenzhen	[144]
Ping An IFC	373 m (1,224 ft)	?	?	China	Nanchang	[145]
Shanghai International Trade Center Tower 1	370 m (1,210 ft)	67	2024	China	Shanghai	[146]
Lucheng Square	369 m (1,211 ft)	75	?	China	Wenzhou	[147]
Taipei Twin Tower 1	369 m (1,211 ft)	74	2027	Taiwan	Taipei
Hengli Global Operations Headquarters Tower 1	369 m (1,211 ft)	?	2024	China	Suzhou	[148]
Ciel Tower	365.5 m (1,199 ft)	81	2023	UAE	Dubai	[149]
Ping An Finance Center Tower 1[note 7]	360 m (1,180 ft)	74	2023	China	Jinan	[150]
Huiyun Center[note 7]	359.2 m (1,178 ft)	80	2022	China	Shenzhen	[151]
Fosun Bund Center T2	356 m (1,168 ft)	?	?	China	Wuhan	[152]
Shenzhen Bay Super Headquarters Base Tower C-2	355.7 m (1,167 ft)	68	2027	China	Shenzhen	[153]
Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey Building	352 m (1,155 ft)	59	?	Turkey	Istanbul	[154]
Guohong Center	350 m (1,150 ft)	71	2025	China	Wenzhou	[155]
Guowei ZY Plaza	350 m (1,150 ft)	62	?	China	Zhuhai	[156]
China Resources Huafu Tower	350 m (1,150 ft)	?	?	China	Shenzhen	[157]
Global Port Tower 1	350 m (1,150 ft)	?	2024	China	Lanzhou	[158]
Global Port Tower 2	350 m (1,150 ft)	?	2024	China	Lanzhou	[159]
Poly Liangxi Plaza	350 m (1,150 ft)	?	?	China	Foshan	[160]

List by continent

The following list shows the tallest completed buildings located on each continent listed by greatest to least height (click on name of continent for continent-specific list):

Continent	Building	Height	Floor count	Completed	Country	City
Asia	Burj Khalifa	828 m (2,717 ft)	163	2010	United Arab Emirates	Dubai
North America	One World Trade Center	541.3 m (1,776 ft)	94	2014	United States	New York City
Europe	Lakhta Center	462 m (1,516 ft)	86	2018	Russia	Saint Petersburg
Africa	Iconic Tower[citation needed]	393.8 m (1,292 ft)	77	2023	Egypt	New Administrative Capital
Oceania	Q1	323 m (1,060 ft)	78	2005	Australia	Gold Coast
South America	Gran Torre Santiago[161]	300 m (980 ft)	64	2012	Chile	Santiago
Antarctica	Long Duration Balloon (LDB) Payload Preparation Buildings[162][163]	15 m (49 ft)	1	2005	—	McMurdo Station

See also

• Dubai Creek Tower
• List of tallest freestanding structures
• List of tallest towers
• History of the world’s tallest buildings
• Skyscraper Index
• Vanity height

Notes

References

External links

• Media related to Skyscraper at Wikimedia Commons
• Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
• Emporis, international database and gallery of buildings
• Structurae, international database and gallery of structures

Over the past thirty years, there has been a dramatic rise in the number of skyscrapers in the world as space decreases but demand for it increases. The advancement in engineering and technology has made such complex structures possible as newer and more innovate designs are used to combine the aesthetic appeal and strength of such buildings. There is also a competition among the world’s cities and countries to build the tallest buildings and draw the most number of people to it. Here is the list of the tallest buildings in the world as of 2023.

Tallest Building In The World

1. Burj Khalifa- 828 m (2,717 ft)

This building in Dubai was originally called Burj Dubai and was completed in 2010. It was designed by Owings, Skidmore and Merrill based in Chicago and has 163 floors with a total height of 2717 feet. The building complex consists of thirty thousand residences, an artificial lake, hotels and shopping malls. It is also listed as the greatest engineering achievements in the world.

It is one of the tallest Skyscrapers located in the UAE. The hotels are renowned for their extreme luxury and have drawn many foreign tourists. The observatory deck of the tallest building in the world is located at a height of 1483 feet or 452.1 meters and Total aluminium used in the tower weighs as much as 5 A380 aircraft. Burj Khalifa has received international attention and was an initiative of the government of the United Arab Emirates to divert the economy away from its dependence on oil and towards the tourism industry. Burj Khalifa is also considered to be modern architectural wonders around the world.

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2. Shanghai Tower- 632 m (2,073 ft)

The second tallest building in the world has 121 floors and measures an astounding 2073 feet. It is one of the three skyscrapers in Shanghai that are on this list of the tallest buildings in the world. The construction of the building was started in 2006 and was designed by an American firm named Gensler. It took eight years to complete, being inaugurated in 2014.

Currently, it has the world’s highest observatory deck and offers a complete view of the Shanghai Skyline. Apart from offices, the Shanghai Tower also has hotel rooms and over one thousand parking spaces. It cost a total of 4.2 billion dollars. Also, the Shanghai Tower is the second-highest hotel in the world that consists of 258 room, however, the world’s highest hotel is the Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong. You should also know about the beautiful castles built around the world.

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3. Makkah Royal Clock Tower- 601 m (1,971 ft)

The third tallest building is located in Saudi Arabia and serves as a hotel, a shopping mall, an observatory tower to observe the moon during the month of Ramzan, an Islamic museum and a conference room. It has a height of 1972 feet and was built by the Saudi Bin Laden Group, the largest construction company in Saudi Arabia. This government-owned building was completed in 2012. As suggested by the name, the building is located in the city of Mecca and has a large clock tower.

The building of gargantuan proportions has been constructed in a record time of 6 years from start to finish. The face of the clock has an area of more than 1000 square feet. The clock has 21,000 green and white lights that indicate prayer times and can be seen from more than 30 kilometers away. You must be interested in the most famous churches around the world.

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4. Pang An International Finance Centre- 599 m (1,965 ft)

This tower is also located in Shenzhen, China and was inaugurated in 2015 through the construction is expected to go on until the end of 2017. The building has the office of the Pang An Insurance firm and also houses a mall, retail spaces, hotel rooms, and a conference center. It has a total of 115 floors with a height of 1965 feet.

The tower can be easily seen from some places in Hong Kong like Lantau Island, Shatin, New Territories West Constituency. It uses double-decker elevators, which is a feature unique to this building. It is the second tallest building in China. Humans are building amazing structures around the world. We have also listed the most famous bridges in the world.

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5. Lotte World Tower- 554.5 m (1,819 ft)

This building is built in South Korea and was planned for thirteen long years before the construction finally began in 2011 and was completed in 2016. It has 123 floors of which six are underground. It has a total eight of 1819 feet above the ground level. The most amazing feature of this building is that the roof is designed in such a way that the building can withstand earthquakes up to a magnitude of 9 on the Richter scale, which is common in South Korea. The tower is built beside the Lotte World Park and near the bank of Han River.

6. One World Trade Centre- 541.3 m (1,776 ft)

This is the tallest building outside Asia measuring 1776 feet and is located in New York, USA. It was built as a reminder of the terror attacks of 11 September 2001 on the World Trade Centre buildings that stood on the same spot prior to 9/11. The construction was finally completed in 2014 and it was named after the North Tower of the original World Trade Centre. It has received positive feedback due to its message of a united world and its use of renewable energy and rainwater harvesting.

One World Trade Centre is also the safest building in the world made up of high strength concrete that can withstand seven times more pressure than normal concrete. Also, it’s reinforcement steel bars that are significantly longer as compared to normal. Plans for future construction on the site are being made and include a 9/11 Museum and office complexes.

7. CTF Finance Centre- 530 m (1,739 ft)

The third tallest building in China and seventh in the world, this skyscraper is located in Guangzhou, China and has been built as a multipurpose space. It was completed in October 2016 and has 111 floors with a total height of 1739 feet.  One of the tallest buildings in the world has been made adjacent to a large central park and a subterranean retail concourse.

The transport interchanges have been made in all the buildings that will integrate the city. The building has been made for multiple uses and therefore it has been made into four transitions, namely, office to residential, residential to the hotel, hotel to crown, and crown to the sky. It houses office spaces, over 1700 parking lots, a hotel on the top 16 floors and the world’s fastest elevators that can reach speeds of about 44 miles per hour.

8. China Zun- 528 m (1,732 ft)

China Zun or CITIC Tower is a supertall skyscraper that is currently in the final stages of construction situated in the Central Business District of Beijing. It is popularly known as China Zun and has a 108-story with a height of 528m that will bring it in the list of one of the tallest buildings in the world. The nickname of the building comes from the sun, an ancient Chinese wine vessel that inspired the building design. The building will have 60 floors of office space, 20 floors of luxury apartments and 20 floors of the hotel with 300 rooms. Also, there will be a rooftop garden on the top floor at 524m high.

9. Taipei 101- 530 m (1,739 ft)

This building is situated in Taipei City, the capital of Taiwan and has 101 floors and a height of 1667 floors. It was the tallest building in the world when it was completed in 2004, soon superseded by the World Trade Centre in the US. The design of this building is a perfect blend of traditional and modern and it is famous for the blue-green tint to its glass windows.

The engineering ensures that it is flexible and can withstand typhoon winds and earthquake tremors. This is the only skyscraper in the world that had concerts on the rooftop. Many singers and bands have held their concerts on its open-air terrace on the 91st floor. It is also based on the principles of sustainable development and has been awarded by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

10. Shanghai World Financial Centre- 492 m (1,614 ft)

This is the fourth tallest building in China and the third tallest in Shanghai. Like the Taipei 101, it has 101 floors but measured a little less, at 1614 feet. Apart from being a finance center, the building also has a shopping mall, conference center, hotels, and an observation deck.

The unique designed has received much praise for its flexible structure that balances out the pressures due to the presence of people, the heavy machinery and the wind force. It also uses a Variable Air Volume system for air conditioning. One of the tallest buildings in the world. The tower has the world’s highest Chinese restaurant with a height of 416 m located at the 93rd layer in the building.

11. International Commerce Centre- 484 m ( 1,588 ft)

This building is located in Hong Kong and was completed in 2010, at which time it was the fourth-tallest building in the world. It has 108 floors and measures 1588 feet. It has the highest swimming pool in the world located on the 108th floor and also houses shopping malls, hotels, and 5-star restaurants. The 10th tallest building in the world is the tallest in Hong Kong. It contains the world’s 2nd highest hotel and world’s highest swimming pool. Also, a bullet train station is being constructed underneath.

12. Lakhta Center- 462 m (1,516 ft)

Lakhta Center is an 87-story skyscraper located in the outskirts of Lakhta in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The total height of the building is 462 m that makes it the 12th tallest building in the world. The tallest building in Europe is also the second-tallest structure in Russia and Europe, behind Ostankino Tower in Moscow. The construction of the building has been started on 30 October 2012 and it was designed for a large-scale mixed-use development that includes public facilities and offices. The building was designed by Tony Kettle and the project was continued by GORPROJECT (2011-2017).

13. Landmark 81- 461.2 m (1,513 ft)

One of the super-tall skyscraper located in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam was designed by the British design, engineering and consulting firm Atkins. The tallest building in Vietnam with a height of 461.2 m built on the western banks of the Saigon River in the city’s Binh Thanh District, located just north of Ho Chi Minh City’s historic centre and to the immediate south of Saigon Bridge. The beautiful tower is situated at the heart of the $1.5 billion high-end mixed-use urban areas called Vinhomes Central Park.

14. Changsha IFS Tower T1- 452.1 m (1,483 ft)

The skyscraper situated in Changsha, Hunan, China. Construction of the tower started in 2013 and completed in 2017. The twin-tower development is based on Harbour City with a hyper-connected retail development in Hong Kong. The development of the building features two skyscrapers where Tower 1 rising 452.1 meters and Tower 2 rising 315 meters.

15. Petronas Tower 1 & Tower 2- 451.9 m (1,483 ft)

Also known as the Petronas Twin Towers are twin skyscrapers situated in the Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH)’s official definition and ranking, Petronas Tower 1 & Tower 2 are the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004, however, it remains the tallest twin towers in the world. They are serving as a landmark in of Kuala Lumpur and nearby Kuala Lumpur Tower.

It is interesting to note that twenty years earlier, most of the tallest buildings were located outside Asia, in Europe and North America, but today, none of the top ten tallest buildings are in Asia with a majority being in China. However, even as you read this list, newer and taller buildings are being planned. The Jeddah Towers in Saudi Arabia are currently being built and will be completed in 2019 having a height of 3307 feet, surpassing the Burj Khalifa. Innovation and superior design continue to progress are more and more skyscrapers are being built. However, this could have a potentially harmful impact on the environment which is being overlooked in the race for building the tallest structure. These are the tallest buildings in the world. Do post your comments.

Humankind is always trying to reach new heights, and it is no different when it comes to the tallest buildings in the world. What’s the biggest building in the world though, as well as the other famous tall buildings? In this article, we will be discovering the tallest skyscrapers currently built as well as discussing the largest building in the world.

Which famous tall buildings can you mention? Many of the tallest skyscrapers from our childhood have for many years been superseded by far taller structures. Let us find out what’s the biggest building in the world. We will start with the tallest building first.

A chart comparing the tallest buildings in the world as of 2020. From left to right are the Burj Khalifa (828 m), Shanghai Tower (632 m), Abraj Al Bait (601 m), Ping’An Finance Center (599,1 m), Lotte World Tower (555,7 m), One World Trade Center (541,3 m), Guangzhou CTF Finance Center (530 m), Tianjin CTF Finance Center (530 m), China Zun (527,7 m), and the Taipei 101 (509,2 m); Phoenix CZE, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

1. Burj Khalifa (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

The construction of the Burj Khalifa, the largest building in the world, began in 2004, with the exterior finished in 2009. The core construction is reinforced concrete, and some of the steel structures for the project came from the old East German parliament. The building was finished in 2010 as part of the Downtown Dubai redevelopment.

The plan to establish the skyscraper was predicated on the government’s goal to broaden the economy away from an oil-dependent economy and for Dubai to obtain international prominence.

The design is inspired by the region’s Islamic architecture. At some point throughout the design and engineering process, the original creators ran into financial difficulties and needed extra money and economic financing.

Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Caleb Whiting dogbear869, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

2. Shanghai Tower (Shanghai, China)

The skyscraper is composed of nine cylindrical towers built on top of one another, totaling 128 stories, all encased by the inner layers of the glass facade. Between it and the outermost part, which bends as it rises, nine inside zones give guests public space. Each one of these nine districts has its own atrium with lawns, restaurants, cafes, and commercial shops, as well as breathtaking views of the city. Both sections of the façade are transparent, and the tower’s base includes shop and event space.

Most structures have a single façade made of very reflective glass to prevent the absorption of heat, but the Shanghai Tower’s second layer of glass avoids the requirement for either layer to be opaque.

Shanghai Tower in Shanghai, China; Ermell, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

3. Makkah Royal Clock Tower (Mecca, Saudi Arabia)

The towers sparked significant debate since they were built on the site of the famous 18th-century Ottoman Ajyad Fortress, which was destroyed to make space for them. The tower complex is just meters from the Great Mosque of Mecca, the world’s biggest mosque and Islam’s holiest shrine. The building’s highest tower is the tallest skyscraper in Saudi Arabia.

The Abraj Al-Bait Towers include two huge prayer halls that can seat more than 10,000 pilgrims visiting the Kaaba.

During the development of the Abraj-Al-Bait complex, there were two fires. According to eyewitnesses, the fire broke out just after midnight and spread quickly due to construction timber stored on the site. The entire structure was quickly covered in smoke. Although hospitals were placed on high alert, no casualties were recorded.

4. Ping’An Finance Center (Shenzhen, China)

The Ping’An Finance Center, located in the city’s Futian District, symbolizes a new version of the traditional Asian skyscraper: very tall, highly dense, and extremely well-connected. This famous and iconic building emerges from a prominent site in the city center, effortlessly linking to other business and residential complexes, as well as the high-speed rail network of the Pearl River Delta. At its full height, the skyscraper will represent a metropolis that has seen tremendous urban expansion – from 300,000 to around 10 million people – in the 35 years since it became China’s first Special Economic Zone.

The tower is shaped like a stretched steel wire, extended by both the sky and the earth.

Ping’An Finance Center in Shenzhen, China; Charlie fong, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

5. Lotte World Tower (Seoul, South Korea)

Following 13 years of preparation and site planning, the government granted the tower final clearance to begin building in November 2010, and the first groundbreaking operations of piling and frame assembly were witnessed at the construction site in March. The roof structure is designed to support its weight without the use of reinforcing supports.

This is a Seoul landmark and Korea’s first 100-story structure.

When the building was finished, it was named the world’s fourth-highest tower as well as the highest in the OECD (The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries. The view level features spectacular panoramas, as well as a telescope and even a glass floor. As of the building’s completion, the skylight that can be found at the Seoul Sky was the tallest glass floor observatory.

Lotte World Tower in Seoul, South Korea; Ox1997cow, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

6. One World Trade Center (New York, USA)

One World Trade Center (WTC) is a dazzling light for the newer Downtown area and a striking additional feature to the city’s skyline. It is sustainable and safe, and aesthetically exciting. With a height of 1,776 feet, it is the tallest structure in the Western Hemisphere and an iconic New York landmark.

With entrances on all four sides of the skyscraper, One WTC has been intended to seamlessly combine visitor and office tenant activity.

The size of the building’s base is exactly the same as that of the original Twin Towers. There are around 2,000 pieces of glittering prismatic glass covering the base’s surface. One WTC’s crown is a spire made up of a mast and a communications platform ring. At night time, a beacon at the summit emits a horizontal light beam that may be seen for kilometers.

One World Trade Center in New York, USA; GLady, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

7. Guangzhou CTF Finance Center (Guangzhou, China)

The Guangzhou Chow Tai Fook (CTF) Finance Center is a paradigm of sustainable, high-density, center-city design, with a facade consisting of corrosion-resistant glazed terra cotta and metal, as well as glass. The terracotta mullions lighten the building’s façade. The building designers used a variety of approaches to make the center more ecologically friendly. For instance, the skyscraper uses energy-efficient methods to lessen its environmental imprints, such as new chillers and a platform roof covered with solar panels.

The building was designed by Arup Group, and Rostek access systems were chosen for the difficult maintenance of lower floors as well as the upper in a hotel swimming pool.

Guangzhou CTF Finance Center in Guangzhou, China; JKP ShenzhenThis file has an extracted image: File:Guangfa Tower Front View(cropped).jpg., CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

8. Tianjin Finance Center (Tianjin, China)

This skyscraper merges complicated programmatic aspects and is surrounded by a smart facade that portrays a delicate interplay of light and structure. It is a breakthrough paradigm of physical and mechanical efficiency. The design of the tower combines stylistic, architectural, and functional criteria.

The geometry, which is square in plan with rounded corners, maximizes the efficiency of its three thematic uses—office, hotel, and apartments—which are positioned to meet the optimal spans for each of these functions.

With longer lease lengths for office floors and shorter spans for residential and hotel levels to optimize views. The curved facade of the skyscraper is the outcome of structural efficiency techniques. Its crystalline glass panels extend from the foyer to the crown, giving the overall architecture of the building a powerful monolithic character.

Tianjin Finance Center in Tianjin, China; BD2412, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

9. China Zun Tower (Beijing, China)

According to the creators, the term China Zun derives from the zun, an antique Chinese wine cup that influenced the building design. The skyscraper is set to remain Beijing’s tallest structure for the foreseeable future, as officials in 2018 limited new developments in the central business area to no more than 180 meters in order to relieve congestion.

In 2018, a tabloid from Hong Kong revealed that the national-security machinery was planning to seize China Zun’s top three floors, as well as an observation deck on level 108 for the headquarters of the Communist Party of China to be observed with the human eye from the upper section of the highrise on a normal day.

China Zun Tower in Beijing, China; Bairuilong, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

10. TAIPEI 101 (Taipei, Taiwan)

To construct the entire, structural pieces are connected on top of each other. This rhythmic aesthetic is novel in skyscrapers. For catastrophe and wind damage protection, the segmental TAIPEI 101 incorporates a Mega Structure System. Wind impacts on the surface of high-rise structures are removed since every eight floors is an autonomous area. The foundation’s design ensures pedestrian comfort and safety. The structure is a reflection of traditional Chinese architectural theory, like the flexible but tenacious bamboo that rises towards the sky.

The translucent and non-reflective screens are energy efficient and heat-reflecting, providing residents with a clear perspective of the world around them.

TAIPEI 101 in Taipei, Taiwan; Zairon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

11. Shanghai World Financial Center (Shanghai, China)

In Shanghai, China, the Shanghai World Financial Center is a mixed-use skyscraper. The skyscraper is located in the city’s Pudong sector, next to the 88-story Jin Mao Tower. It is 101 floors tall and was designed by the American architectural company Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates of New York City. After an 11-year development process, the building was opened in 2008. At the time of its construction, it was the world’s second-tallest structure, trailing only the Taipei 101 skyscraper in Taipei, Taiwan. However, it was later overtaken by larger projects.

This is China’s highest structure.

Shanghai World Financial Center in Shanghai, China; GG001213, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

12. International Commerce Center (Hong Kong, China)

The ICC is a corporate tower in  Hong Kong, that opened in 2010. It’s a key component of the Union Square construction, which is situated above Kowloon station. It was the globe’s fourth-highest skyscraper when it was completed in 2010. It was the ninth highest building in the world by floor number since about June 2019, the tallest building in Hong Kong, and the sixth-highest structure in China if regions are also included. The building of this tower was overseen by Hong Kong’s metro operator and leading property developer.

The height had been reduced from the original designs due to rules that prohibited structures from being taller than the surrounding mountains.

International Commerce Center in Hong Kong, China; Ank Kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

13. Central Park Tower (New York, USA)

The highest residential skyscraper ever built was the culmination of a decade of planning and collaboration between the architects. The refined and distinctive façade reflects a dynamic variety of color and light as the sun moves across the surface of the building. Central Park Tower is the ideal urban resort, with its breathtaking vistas, magnificent architecture, elegant design, and hotel-style service.

The unique footprint of Central Park Tower enables the development of the city’s most magnificent apartments, complete with personalized embellishments, the best natural finishes, and the most spectacular vistas in New York.

The living and leisure areas are located in the corners of the apartments to take advantage of varied panoramas and city views. The globally acclaimed residential and hospitality business, which is the preferred designer for Four Seasons resorts, created detailed living and entertaining rooms as well as principal suites that fit any design sensibility, from classic to contemporary.

Central Park Tower in New York, USA; Percival Kestreltail, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

14. Lakhta Center (St. Petersburg, Russia)

The tower’s design incorporates various green and energy-saving technology. The premises are heated using excess heat generated by technical equipment. The building also employs low-noise technology, noise suppressors, and sound-proof curtain walls.

The likelihood of icing up structures is rather significant due to the features of the excessively humid and windy environment in Russia’s North-Western area.

Engineers used metal gauze instead of glassing to prevent the tower’s spire from completely freezing up. High-rise glass will be heated to avoid ice formation and provide optimal vision. A new freestanding power substation will be built to deliver energy to Lakhta Center and surrounding regions without putting additional strain on current infrastructure.

Lakhta Center in St. Petersburg, Russia; Alexey Komarov, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

15. Vincom Landmark 81 (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

The tower’s groundbreaking ceremony took place on December 13, 2014. In October 2017, work reached level 69, and at a height of 270 meters, it overtook the Bitexco Financial Tower to become Ho Chi Minh City’s highest skyscraper. By January 2018, all levels had been completed, with only the spire and crown left to be erected. The last part of the crown spire was completed on April 10, 2018, completing Landmark 81 architecturally.

The base of the building, which has six stories and a total area of 50,000 meters squared, was formally inaugurated on July 27, 2018, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of its owner’s parent company, Vingroup.

Vincom Landmark 81 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Sketyl none, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

16. Changsha IFS Tower T1 (Changsha, Hunan, China)

This twin-tower Changsha IFS (International Finance Square) Tower T1 skyscraper is modeled on Harbour City, Hong Kong’s hyper-connected retail area. The Changsha complex has an underground network that connects to a projected Changsha metro line interchange point.

The same subterranean route will link to Huang Xing Road Pedestrian Shopping Street, one of China’s busiest pedestrian walkways.

The project includes two towers. One tower is around 452 meters in height and the other around 315 meters. The rectangular shape of the glass-clad towers is broken up by a number of metal fins that provide intricacy to their look while also reducing glare in the inner office areas. Tower 1 has a crown that gradually recedes by several meters at three spots.

Changsha IFS Tower T1 in Changsha, Hunan, China; Yinsanhen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

17. Petronas Twin Tower 1 (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

Originally, the Petraons towers were to be erected at a height of just 427 meters. Fortunately, Dr. Mahathir recognized the building’s potential as one of the world’s tallest buildings and encouraged architects and engineers to incorporate a few extra meters of height in every manner imaginable. Many architectural facts were revised and rechecked in wind tunnels to fulfill his goals. This culminated in the installation of a dome with an incorporated pinnacle atop the towers, allowing them to reach 452m in height, exceeding the Sears Tower in the United States.

The interior designs are inspired by Malaysian handicrafts and weaving patterns, and the structure is finished in a spectacular blend of stainless steel and glass to generate exquisite Islamic patterns.

Petronas Twin Tower 1 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Kambui, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

18. Zifeng Tower (Nanjing, Jiangsu, China)

The Zifeng Tower is a mixed-use development in Nanjing, Jiangsu. Nanjing holds an important role in Chinese culture and history, having served as the capital of several Chinese dynasties, kingdoms, and republics. The structure is designed with landscaped, clear-glass atria, and the top of the tower holds eateries and an observatory.

The Nanjing Greenland Financial Center’s distinctive triangle shape was created to maximize the site’s form, size, and direction.

The design of the structure is inspired by the surrounding landscape: the tower is placed to optimize views of the adjacent mountains, lake, and old Nanjing buildings, and the different kinds that encircle the center core of the tower replicate “dancing dragons,” a prominent theme in Chinese iconography.

Zifeng Tower in Nanjing, Jiangsu, China; Quentin Scouflaire from Berlin, Germany, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

19. The Exchange 106 (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

Exchange 106, with its solitary tower fearlessly soaring into the sky, embodies beautiful refinement and the nation’s goals. It is a magnificent building that commands one’s attention. In doing so, it not only attracts but also develops outstanding ideas, collaborations, and enterprises. Its 106 stories soaring above the city is like a light beacon visible for miles, an iconic representation of a rising nation.

The spectacular architecture and thoughtful design provide unrivaled space, possibilities, and amenities, assuring that it will become one of the most desired after business locations not just in South East Asia, but globally.

The Exchange 106 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Shesmax, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

20. Wuhan Center Tower (Wuhan, Hubei, China)

Several novel design strategies are used in the project to make the building more efficient. The footprint of the tower is tripod-shaped and the tower’s three curving edges have gently rounded glass corners, standing out against the textured curtain wall. They ascend to create the peak of the construction, which is shaped like an arching dome. The tower design was inspired by Wuhan’s unusual geography, which is divided into three sections by two rivers. The skyscraper also has various sustainable elements, as well as an eco-tower.

The Wuhan tower’s flowing conical structure minimizes the overall volume of materials necessary for its construction.

Wuhan Center Tower in Wuhan, Hubei, China; Baycrest, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

21. Willis Tower (Chicago, USA)

In downtown Chicago, the Willis Tower is the prospect of employment and entertainment. The 110-story skyscraper is one of the world’s biggest and North America’s second-highest, making it tough to miss when enjoying the cityscape. The scale of this stunning steel-framed skyscraper may be overwhelming. The Willis Tower project began in 1969 when Sears Roebuck & Company determined it required a central office area for its 350,000 workers.

The redevelopment’s objective is to create an all-season urban destination that draws together the surrounding community and establishes a genuine neighborhood in the center of downtown Chicago.

Willis Tower in Chicago, USA; Daniel Schwen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Today we have explored the largest building in the world. We have also looked at the other tallest buildings in the world and the reason they were built. What are your thoughts on our list of famous tall buildings from around the world?

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Biggest Building in the World?

At the moment, the largest building in the world is the Burj Khalifa. It is 828 meters in height. The design is inspired by the region’s Islamic architecture.

What Is the Second Tallest Building in the World?

The second tallest building is the Shanghai Tower. It is 632 meters in height. It can be found in Shanghai. The skyscraper is composed of nine cylindrical towers built on top of one another, totaling 128 stories, all encased by the inner layers of the glass facade. The government’s purpose in constructing the tower was to diversify the economy away from its reliance on oil and for Dubai to gain international recognition.

Which Building has the Most Floors?

The tallest building in the world, as of 2022, is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It boasts an impressive 163 floors, making it the king of skyscrapers.

What Will be the Next Tallest Building?

The highest building under construction is the Jeddah Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It is set to be over a kilometer tall with more than 170 floors, surpassing the Burj Khalifa in Dubai as the world’s tallest building.