List of tallest buildings and structures

The world's tallest human-made structure is the 828-metre-tall (2,717 ft) Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The building gained the official title of "tallest building in the world" and the tallest self-supported structure at its opening on January 9, 2010. The second-tallest self-supporting structure and the tallest tower in the world is the Tokyo Skytree. The tallest guyed structure is the KRDK-TV mast in North Dakota, U.S. at 630 metres (2,060 ft).

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 49% 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.

Debate over definition

The assessment of the height of artificial structures has been controversial. Because varying standards have been used by different organizations, the accepted height of these structures or buildings depends on which standards are accepted. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat has changed its definitions over time. Some of the controversy regarding the definitions and assessment of tall structures and buildings has included the following:

  • the definition of a structure, a building and a tower
  • whether a structure, building or tower under construction should be included in any assessment
  • whether a structure, building or tower has to be officially opened before it is assessed
  • whether structures built in and rising above water should have their below-water height included in any assessment.
  • whether a structure, building or tower that is guyed is assessed in the same category as self-supporting structures.

Within an accepted definition of a building further controversy has included the following factors:

  • whether only habitable height of the building 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 a habitable floor should be included in the assessment
  • whether a floor built at a high level of a telecommunications or viewing tower should change the tower's definition to that of a "building"

Tallest structures

Warsaw radio mast, the height record holder from 1974 to 1991
The CN Tower in Toronto, was the world's tallest freestanding structure from 1975 to 2007.

This category does not require the structure to be "officially" open, but does require it to be "topped out."

The tallest artificial structure is Burj Khalifa, a skyscraper in Dubai that reached 829.8 m (2,722 ft) in height on January 17, 2009.[2] By April 8, 2008 it had been built higher than the KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota, US.[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 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, until surpassed by the Burj Khalifa in 2010. However, it is debated whether underwater height should be counted, 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, set records in three of the four skyscraper categories at the time it opened in 2004; at the time the Burj Khalifa opened in 2010 it remained the world's tallest inhabited building 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 surpassed by the Shanghai World Financial Center with corresponding heights of 487 and 474 m (1,598 and 1,555 ft). Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) was the highest in the final category: the greatest height to top of antenna of any building in the world at 527 m (1,729 ft).

Burj Khalifa broke the height record in all four categories for completed buildings.

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 to the rivalry between the Chrysler Building and 40 Wall Street. A modern-day example is that the antenna on top of Willis 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 completed structure in each of the structural categories below. For a list of structures by function see the list later in the article. There can only be one structure in each category, unless the tallest is the same for more than one structure in the same category.

Category Structure Country Location Height (meters) Height (feet) Year built Coordinates
Building[4] (list)Burj Khalifa United Arab EmiratesDubai829.82,722201025°11′50.0″N 55°16′26.6″E
Compliant towerPetronius (oil platform) United StatesGulf of Mexico6402,100200029°06′30″N 87°56′30″W
Self-supporting tower[5] (list)Tokyo Skytree JapanTokyo6342,080201135°42′36.5″N 139°48′39″E
Guyed steel lattice mastKVLY-TV mast United StatesBlanchard, North Dakota6292,063196347°20′32″N 97°17′21″W
Hyperboloid structureCanton Tower ChinaGuangzhou6041,982201023°6′32″N 113°19′8″E
Clock tower (multi-functional structure)Abraj Al Bait Saudi ArabiaMecca6011,972201921°25′08″N 39°49′35″E
Self-supporting tower[5] (list) Ostankino Tower  Russian Federation Moscow 540 1,772 1967 55°49′11″N 37°36′42″E
Fixed steel structureBullwinkle (oil platform) United StatesGulf of Mexico5291,736198827°53′01″N 90°54′04″W
Moveable objectTroll A platform NorwayNorth Sea4721,549199660°40′N 3°40′E
Mast radiatorLualualei VLF transmitter United StatesLualualei, Hawaii4581,503197221°25′11.87″N 158°08′53.67″W ; 21°25′13.38″N 158°09′14.35″W
Twin buildingPetronas Twin Towers MalaysiaKuala Lumpur4521,48319983°09′27.45″N 101°42′40.7″E; 3°09′29.45″N 101°42′43.4″E
Steel building[6]Willis Tower United StatesChicago, Illinois4421,450197441.8789°N 87.6358°W / 41.8789; -87.6358
RadarDimona Radar Facility IsraelDimona4001,312200830°58′6.93″N 35°05′49.64″E ; 30°58′32.46″N 35°05′55.25″E
Partially guyed towerIndosiar TV Tower IndonesiaJakarta3951,29620066°11′37.95″S 106°46′5.59″E
Electricity pylonJintang-Cezi Overhead Powerline Link ChinaJintang Island3801,247201930°05′0.88″N 121°53′10.5″E ; 30°05′47.16″N 121°54′34.3″E
Partially guyed towerGerbrandy Tower NetherlandsIJsselstein366.81,203196152°00′36.24″N 05°03′12.87″E
BridgeMillau Viaduct FranceMillau3421,122200444°05′09.97″N 03°01′17.94″E
Blaw-Knox tower (diamond cantilever tower)Lakihegy Tower HungarySzigetszentmiklós3141,031194647°22′23″N 19°00′16″E
Steel BuildingThe Shard United KingdomLondon3091,016201251°30′9.59″N 0°05′7.20″E
Landmark Tower designStar Tower United StatesCincinnati291954199139°12′01″N 84°31′22″W
Elevator test towerH1 Tower ChinaGuangzhou273.8898202023°01′03″N 113°17′30″E
Wind turbineHaliade-X Prototype NetherlandsRotterdam270886201951°57′44.8″N 4°0′41.96″E
MinaretDjamaa el Djazaïr AlgeriaAlgiers265870201936°44′09″N 3°08′17″E
Solar power towerMohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park United Arab EmiratesSaih Al-Dahal262860202024.7547°N 55.365°E / 24.7547; 55.365
Ferris wheelAin Dubai UAEBluewater Island Dubai2508202021
Crane (machine)LR 13000[7] Germany2488142013(movable)
Aerial tramway support towerCat Hai – Phu Long cable car towers[8] VietnamHạ Long214.87042020
Jackup rigNoble Lloyd Noble[9] Liberia2147022016(movable)
Cooling towerPingshan Power Station ChinaHuaibei210689202033°49′53.7″N 116°49′39.7″E
FlagpoleCairo Flagpole EgyptNew Administrative Capital201.952[10]662.5722021
MonumentGateway Arch United StatesSt. Louis, Missouri192630196538°37′28.62″N 90°11′5.87″W
Water towerMain tower of Kuwait Towers KuwaitKuwait City187614197929°23′22.75″N 48°00′11.57″E
StatueStatue of Unity IndiaNarmada district, Gujarat182597201821.8380°N 73.7191°E / 21.8380; 73.7191 (Statue of Unity)
Masonry towerAnaconda Smelter Stack United StatesAnaconda, Montana178.3585191946°06′36.53″N 112°54′48.8″W
Inclined structureOlympic Stadium CanadaMontreal175574197645°33′33.53″N 73°33′7.61″W
ObeliskSan Jacinto Monument United StatesLa Porte, Texas173.7570193929°44′59.46″N 95°04′50.52″W
Power station buildingNiederaussem Power Station GermanyBergheim172564200250°59′44″N 06°40′09″E
Masonry buildingMole Antonelliana ItalyTorino167.5550188945°04′8.45″N 7°41′35.62″E
Church towerUlmer Münster GermanyUlm162530189048°23′55″N 9°59′30.78″E
Industrial hallVehicle Assembly Building United StatesKennedy Space Center, Florida160525196628°35′9.64″N 80°39′2.11″W
Memorial crossSanta Cruz del Valle de los Caídos SpainEl Escorial152.4500195740°38′31.46″N 4°9′19.6″W
Air traffic control towerKuala Lumpur International Airport 2 Control Tower MalaysiaSepang141.3463.62013[11]

2.740486°N 101.679069°E / 2.740486; 101.679069 (Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 Control Tower)

Tallest swing rideBollywood Skyflyer[12] United Arab EmiratesDubai140460202125°5′0.0″N 55°18′0″E
Roller coasterKingda Ka United StatesJackson, New Jersey138.98456200540°08′26.54″N 74°25′59.83″W
TombGreat Pyramid of Giza EgyptGiza138.8455.22560 BCE29°58′44.93″N 31°08′3.09″E
Drop towerZumanjaro: Drop of Doom United StatesJackson Township, NJ139456201440.140623°N 74.433543°W / 40.140623; -74.433543
Gantry craneKockums Crane South KoreaUlsan1384531974
StupaJetavanaramaya Sri LankaAnuradhapura122400273–301 CE8°21′06″N 80°24′13″E
Wooden structureGliwice Radio Tower PolandGliwice118387193550°18′48.12″N 18°41′20.26″E
Storage siloSwissmill Tower  SwitzerlandZurich118387201647.389628°N 8.527086°E / 47.389628; 8.527086
GasometerGasometer Oberhausen GermanyOberhausen117.53861929Currently used as an exhibition and event hall
Vertical axis wind turbineÉole[13] CanadaGaspésie110361198749°04′35″N 66°44′06″W
Clock tower (single function structure)Joseph Chamberlain Memorial Clock Tower United KingdomBirmingham100328190852.4499°N 1.9307°W / 52.4499; -1.9307
Wooden buildingAscent MKE United StatesMilwaukee872842022
SphereSphere at the Venetian Resort United StatesLas Vegas112366202336°07′14″N 115°09′41″W
LighthouseÎle Vierge Lighthouse FranceFinistère82.52711902
GopuramMurudeshwara Temple IndiaMurudeshwara76249200814°05′39.11″N 74°29′6.59″E
Loam buildingWeilburg Pisé House GermanyWeilburg23.276182850°29′13.28″N 8°15′34.11″E

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. There are also destroyed structures omitted from this list that had been surpassed in height prior to being destroyed.

Category Structure Country Location Height (metres) Height (feet) Coordinates Remarks
Guyed mastWarsaw Radio Mast PolandGąbin646.382,12152°22′3.74″N 19°48′8.73″ECompleted in 1974, collapsed on August 8, 1991
Scientific research towerBREN Tower United StatesNevada Test Site4621,51636°46′50.23″N 116°14′36.9″WCompleted in 1962, demolished May 23, 2012[14]
Guyed tubular steel mastShushi-Wan Omega Transmitter JapanTsushima3891,27634°36′53″N 129°27′13″ECompleted in 1973, dismantled in 1998
Structure for scientific experimentSmokey Shot Tower United StatesNevada Test Site21370037°11′13.63″N 116°4′7.93″WGuyed mast, which carried 44 kt yield nuclear bomb "Smokey" (part of operation Plumbbob) on top until its explosion on August 31, 1957
Solar updraft towerManzanares Solar Chimney SpainManzanares19564039°02′34.45″N 3°15′12.21″WCompleted in 1982, the tower's guy-wires were not protected against corrosion and failed due to rust and storm winds causing the tower to collapse in 1989. Small-scale experimental model of a solar draft tower, newer proposals if built could become the tallest structure on earth.
Wooden structureMühlacker Wood Radio Tower GermanyMühlacker19062348°56′27.67″N 8°51′8.24″ECompleted in 1934, destroyed on April 6, 1945, by the Germans to prevent usage by the Allies, replaced by mast radiator
Masonry buildingMole Antonelliana ItalyTurin167.5549.545°04′8.45″N 7°41′35.62″ESpire destroyed by a tornado in 1953 (rebuilt since then)
Pre-Industrial era buildingLincoln Cathedral United KingdomLincoln16052453°14′3.26″N 0°32′10.54″WCompleted in 1311, spire blown off in 1549
TelescopeArecibo Telescope Puerto RicoArecibo, Puerto Rico15049218°20′39″N 66°45′10″WCompleted in 1963, collapsed on December 1, 2020
GasometerGasometer Zeche Nordstern GermanyGelsenkirchen147482Completed in 1938, damaged at an air raid on May 13, 1940 in such a manner, that it was not usable any more and had to be demolished.
Storage siloHenninger Turm GermanyFrankfurt12039450°05′50.18″N 8°41′36.81″EConstructed in 1961, demolished in 2013

Tallest structure by function

Category Structure Country Location Architectural top
(metres) (feet)
Mixed-use*Burj Khalifa United Arab EmiratesDubai8302,722
IndustrialPetronius (oil platform) United StatesGulf of Mexico6402,100
OfficePing An Finance Center ChinaShenzhen5551,821
ResidentialCentral Park Tower United StatesNew York City472.41,550
MilitaryLarge masts of INS Kattabomman IndiaTirunelveli, Tamil Nadu4711,545
HotelGevora Hotel[15] United Arab EmiratesDubai356.31,169
Scientific research towerAmazon Tall Tower Observatory BrazilSão Sebastião do Uatumã325[16]1,066
EducationalMoscow State University RussiaMoscow240787
ReligiousDjamaa el Djazaïr AlgeriaAlgiers265870
HospitalOutpatient Center, Houston Methodist Hospital United StatesHouston156.05511.8
Air cleaningXi'an air purification tower (HSALSCS)[17][18] ChinaXi'an

* "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.[19]

Tallest buildings

Up until the late 1990s, the definition of “tallest building” was not altogether clear. It was generally understood to be the height of the building to the top of its architectural elements including spires, but not including "temporary" structures (such as antennas or flagpoles), which could be added or changed relatively easily without requiring major changes to the building's design. Other criteria for height measurement generally were not considered, which occasionally caused some controversy.

One historic case involved the building now famous for the Times Square Ball. Known as One Times Square (at 1475 Broadway in Midtown Manhattan), it was the headquarters for The New York Times, which gave Times Square its name. Completed in 1905, it reached a height of 364 feet (111 meters) to its roof, or 420 feet (130 meters) including its rooftop flagpole, which the Times hoped would give it a record high status but because a flagpole is not an integral architectural part of a building, One Times Square was not generally considered to be taller than the 390-foot-high (120 m) Park Row Building in Lower Manhattan, which was therefore still New York's tallest.[20]

A bigger controversy was the rivalry between two New York City skyscrapers built in the Roaring Twenties—the Chrysler Building and 40 Wall Street. The latter was 927 feet (283 meters) tall, had a shorter pinnacle, and had a much higher top occupied floor (the second category in the 1996 criteria for tallest building).[21] In contrast, the Chrysler Building employed a very long 125-foot (38 m) spire secretly assembled inside the building to claim the title of world's tallest building with a total height of 1,048 feet (319 m), despite having a lower top occupied floor and a shorter height when both buildings' spires are not counted in their heights.[22] Although the architects of record for 40 Wall were H. Craig Severance and Yasuo Matsui, the firm of Shreve & Lamb (who also designed the Empire State Building) served as consulting architects. They wrote a newspaper article claiming that 40 Wall was actually the tallest, since it contained the world's highest usable floor. They pointed out that the observation deck of 40 Wall was nearly 100 feet (30 m) higher than the top floor of the Chrysler, whose surpassing spire was strictly ornamental and essentially inaccessible.[23] Despite the protest, the Chrysler Building was generally accepted as the tallest building in the world for almost a year, until it was surpassed by the Empire State Building’s 1,250 feet (380 meters) in 1931.

That was in turn surpassed by the 1,368-foot-high (417 m) twin towers of New York’s original World Trade Center in 1972, which were in turn surpassed by the Sears Tower in Chicago in 1974. Now called the Willis Tower since 2009, it was 1,451 feet (442 meters) to its flat rooftop, or 1,518 feet (463 meters) including its original antennas.[24] But in 1978 One World Trade Center (commonly known as the north tower) attained a taller absolute height when it added its 360-foot (110 m) new broadcasting antenna, for a total height of 1,728 feet (527 meters). The WTC north tower maintained this height record (including its antenna) from 1978 until 2000, when the owners of the Willis Tower extended its broadcasting antennae for a total height of 1,729 feet (527 meters).[24] Thus the status of the Willis Tower as the “totally” tallest was restored in the face of a new threat looming in the Far East—the “Siamese Twins.”

The Petronas Towers remain the tallest twin towers in the world.

A major controversy erupted upon completion of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1998. These twin towers, at 1,483 feet (452 meters), had a higher architectural height (spires, not antennas), but a lower absolute pinnacle height and a lower top occupied floor than the Willis Tower in Chicago. Counting buildings as structures with floors throughout, and with antenna masts excluded, the Willis was still considered the tallest at that time. Excluding their spires, which are 9 meters (30 feet) higher than the flat roof of Willis, the Petronas Towers are not taller than Willis. At their convention in Chicago, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) found the Willis Tower (without its antennas) to be the third-tallest building, and the Petronas Towers (with their spires) to be the world's two tallest buildings.[20]

Responding to the ensuing controversy, the CTBUH then revised their criteria and defined four categories in which the world's tallest building can be measured,[25] retaining the old criterion of height to architectural top, and adding three new categories:[20]

  1. Height to Architectural Top (including spires and pinnacles, but not antennas, masts or flagpoles). This measurement is the most widely used and is used to define the rankings of the 100 Tallest Buildings in the World.
  2. Highest Occupied Floor
  3. Height to Top of Roof (omitted from criteria from November 2009 onwards)[26]
  4. Height to Tip

The height-to-roof criterion was discontinued because relatively few modern tall buildings possess flat rooftops, making this criterion difficult to determine and measure.[27] The CTBUH has further clarified their definitions of building height, including specific criteria concerning subbasements and ground level entrances (height measured from lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance rather than from a previously undefined "main entrance"), building completion (must be topped out both structurally and architecturally, fully clad, and able to be occupied), condition of the highest occupied floor (must be continuously used by people living or working and be conditioned, thus including observation decks, but not mechanical floors) and other aspects of tall buildings.[27][28]

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 WTC north tower held the fourth (height to tip) category with its antenna.[20] In 2000, however, a new antenna mast was placed on the Willis Tower, giving it the record in the fourth category. On April 20, 2004, the 101-story Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan, was completed, taking the world record for the first three categories. On July 21, 2007, it was announced that Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE, had surpassed Taipei 101. Since its completion in early 2010, Burj Khalifa leads in all categories (the first building to do so) with its spire height of 2,722 feet (830 meters).

Before Burj Khalifa was completed, Willis Tower led in the height-to-tip category with 1,729 feet (527 meters) after its antenna was extended in 2000, making Willis Tower slightly taller height-to-tip than the World Trade Center (WTC) north tower's antenna that measured 1,728 feet (527 meters). After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the WTC became the world's tallest two buildings to be destroyed or demolished. They took that distinction from the Singer Building, which stood 612 feet (187 meters) tall until the late 1960s where One Liberty Plaza now stands right across Church Street from the WTC site.

A different superlative for skyscrapers is their number of floors. The original World Trade Center set that record at 110 in the early 1970s, and this was not surpassed until the Burj Khalifa opened in 2010.

Tall freestanding structures such as the CN Tower, the Ostankino Tower and the Oriental Pearl Tower are excluded from these categories because they are not "habitable buildings", which are defined as frame structures made with floors and walls throughout.[1]

History of record holders in each CTBUH category

Date (event)Architectural topHighest occupied floorRoofTip
2010: Burj Khalifa completedBurj KhalifaBurj KhalifaBurj Khalifa
2009: CTBUH omits Height to Roof categoryTaipei 101Shanghai World Financial CenterWillis Tower
2008: Shanghai World Financial Center completedTaipei 101Shanghai World Financial CenterShanghai World Financial CenterWillis Tower
2003: Taipei 101 completedTaipei 101Taipei 101Taipei 101Willis Tower
2000: Willis Tower antenna extensionPetronas TowersWillis TowerWillis TowerWillis Tower
1998: Petronas Towers completedPetronas TowersWillis TowerWillis TowerWorld Trade Center
1996: CTBUH defines categoriesWillis TowerWillis TowerWillis TowerWorld Trade Center

Tallest freestanding structures on land

Freestanding structures must not be supported by guy wires, the sea or other types of support. It therefore does not include guyed masts, partially guyed towers and drilling platforms but does include towers, skyscrapers (pinnacle height) and chimneys. (See also history of tallest skyscrapers.)

The world's tallest freestanding structure on land is defined as the tallest self-supporting artificial structure that stands above ground. This definition is different from that of world's tallest building or world's tallest structure based on the percentage 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.

The tallest freestanding structure on land is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The building 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, with final height of 829.8 m (2,722 ft).

History

The following is a list of structures that have held the title as the tallest freestanding structure on land.

Tallest historical structures
Record from Record held (years) Name and location Constructed Height (metres) Height (feet) Coordinates Notes
c. 9500 BCE[29] 1,500 Göbekli Tepe, Anatolia c. 9500 BCE 5-6 18 37°13′23″N 38°55′21″E The earliest temple of humankind.
c. 8000 BCE 4,000 Tower of Jericho, West Bank, Palestine c. 8000 BCE 8.5 27.9 31.872041°N 35.443981°E / 31.872041; 35.443981
c. 4000 BCE 1,350 Anu Ziggurat, Uruk c. 4000 BCE 13 40
c. 2650 BCE 40 Pyramid of Djoser, Egypt c. 2650 BCE 62.5 205 29°52′16.53″N 31°12′59.59″E  
c. 2610 BCE 5 Meidum Pyramid in Egypt c. 2610 BCE 91.65 301 29°23′17″N 31°09′25″E Shortly after completion Meidum Pyramid collapsed due to bad design/instability and is now 65 m (213 ft).
c. 2605 BCE 5 Bent Pyramid in Egypt c. 2605 BCE 104.71 344 29°47′25″N 31°12′33″E Angle of slope decreased during construction to avoid collapse.
c. 2600 BCE 30 Red Pyramid of Sneferu, Egypt c. 2600 BCE 105 344 29°48′31.39″N 31°12′22.49″E  
c. 2570 BCE 3,881 Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt c. 2570 BCE 146.6 481 29°58′44.93″N 31°08′3.09″E By 1647, the Great Pyramid had eroded to a height of approximately 139 m (456 ft).
 1311 237 Lincoln Cathedral in England 1092–1311 160 525 53°14′3.26″N 0°32′10.54″W The central spire was destroyed in a storm in 1549. While the reputed height of 525 ft (160 m) is accepted by most sources,[30][31][32][33][34][35] others consider it doubtful[36]
1549 20 St. Mary's Church in Stralsund, Germany 1384–1478 151 495 54°18′36.01″N 13°5′14.81″E (See also resumption 1573–1647). Today its church tower has a dome and stands at 104 m (341.2 ft) tall.
1569 4 Beauvais Cathedral in France 1225–1604 153 502 49°25′49″N 2°05′43″E Spire collapsed in 1573 (the cross was removed in 1572); today, the church stands at a height of 67.2 m (220.5 ft).
1573 94 (20+74) St. Mary's Church in Stralsund, Germany 1384–1478 151 495 54°18′36.01″N 13°5′14.81″E (See also 1549–1569). The church tower's spire burnt down after a lightning strike in 1647. Today the tower has a dome and stands at a height of 104 m (341 ft).
1647 227 Strasbourg Cathedral in France 1439 142 466 48°34′54.22″N 7°45′1.48″E By 1647, the Great Pyramid had eroded to a height of approximately 139 m (456 ft) hence Strasbourg Cathedral was higher.
1874 2 St. Nikolai in Hamburg, Germany 1846–1874 147 483 53°32′50.94″N 9°59′26.12″E
1876 4 Cathédrale Notre Dame in Rouen, France 1202–1876 151 495 49°26′24.54″N 1°5′41.85″E  
1880 4 Cologne Cathedral in Germany 1248–1880 157.38 515 50°56′28.08″N 6°57′25.73″E ;50°56′29.11″N 6°57′25.85″E
1884 5 Washington Monument in Washington D.C., United States 1884 169.29 555 38°53′22.08″N 77°2′6.89″W The world's tallest all-stone structure, as well as the tallest obelisk-form structure.
1889 42 Eiffel Tower in Paris, France 1887–1889 312 1,024 48°51′29.77″N 2°17′40.09″E First structure to exceed 300 metres in height. The addition of a telecommunications tower in the 1950s brought the overall height to 330 m (1,080 ft).
1930 1 Chrysler Building in New York, United States 1928–1930 319 1,046 40°45′5.78″N 73°58′31.52″W
1931 36 Empire State Building in New York, United States 1930–1931 381 1,250 40°44′54.95″N 73°59′8.71″W 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 8 Ostankino Tower in Moscow, Soviet Union 1963–1967 540 1,762 55°49′10.94″N 37°36′41.79″E Remains the tallest in Europe. Fire in 2000 led to extensive renovation.
1975 32 CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario, Canada 1973–1976 553.33 1,815.39 43°38′33.22″N 79°23′13.41″W The tallest in the Western Hemisphere.
2007 present Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates 2004–2009 829.8 2,722 25°11′50.0″N 55°16′26.6″E Holder of world's tallest freestanding structure. Topped out at 829.8 m (2,722 ft) in 2009.
Diagram of the principal high buildings of the Old World, 1884

Notable mentions include the Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria, built in the third century BC and estimated between 115–135 m (377–443 ft). It was the world's tallest non-pyramidal structure for many centuries. Another notable mention includes the Jetavanaramaya stupa in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, which was built in the third century, and was similarly tall at 122 m (400 ft). These were both the world's tallest or second-tallest non-pyramidal structure for over a thousand years.

The tallest secular building between the collapse of the Pharos and the erection of the Washington Monument may have been the Torre del Mangia in Siena, Italy, which is 102 m (335 ft) tall, and was constructed in the first half of the fourteenth century, and the 97-metre-tall (318 ft) Torre degli Asinelli in Bologna, 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.

Record from Record held (years) Name and location Constructed Height above ground Notes
m ft
1889 42 Eiffel Tower, Paris 1889 275 902 Two lower observation decks at 57 and 115 m (187 and 377 ft).
1931 42 Empire State Building, New York City 1931 369[37] 1,250 On the 102nd floor – a second observation deck is located on the 86th floor at 320 m (1,050 ft).
1973 1 World Trade Center, New York City 1973 399.4 1,310 Indoor observatory on the 107th floor of South Tower opened on April 4, 1973. Destroyed on September 11, 2001
1974 1 Willis Tower, Chicago 1974 412.4 1,353 103rd floor Skydeck opened on June 22, 1974
1975 1 World Trade Center, New York City 1973 419.7 1,377 Outdoor observatory on the South Tower rooftop opened on December 15, 1975. Destroyed on September 11, 2001
1976 32 CN Tower, Toronto 1976 446.5 1,464.9 Two further observation decks at 342 and 346 m (1,122 and 1,135 ft).
2008 3 Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai 2008 474 1,555 Two further observation decks at 423 and 439 m (1,388 and 1,440 ft).
2011 3 Canton Tower, Guangzhou 2011 488 1,601 The rooftop outdoor observation deck opened in December 2011. There are also several other indoor observation decks in the tower, the highest at 433.2 m (1,421 ft).
2014 2 Burj Khalifa, Dubai 2010 555 1,821 Opened on October 15, 2014 on the 148th floor. There is another observation deck at 452.1 m (1,483 ft) on the 124th floor, which has been open since the building was opened to the public.
2015 present Shanghai Tower, Shanghai, China 2015 562 1,841 Opened on February 2, 2015.

Higher observation decks have existed on mountain tops or cliffs, rather than on tall structures. The Grand Canyon Skywalk, constructed in 2007, protrudes 21 m (70 ft) over the west rim of the Grand Canyon and is approximately 1,100 m (3,600 ft) above the Colorado River, making it the highest of these types of structures.

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.

Record from Record held (years) Name and location Constructed Height Coordinates Notes
m ft
1913 7 Central mast of Eilvese transmitter, Eilvese, Germany 1913 250 820 52°31′40″N 9°24′24″E Mast was divided in 145 m by an insulator, demolished in 1931
1920 3 Central masts of Nauen Transmitter Station, Nauen, Germany 1920 260 853 52°38′56″N 12°54′30″E 2 masts, demolished in 1946
1923 10 Masts of Ruiselede transmitter, Ruiselede, Belgium 1923 287 942 51°4′44″N 3°20′6.9″E? 8 masts, destroyed in 1940
1933 6 Lakihegy Tower, Lakihegy, Hungary 1933 314 1,031 47°22′23.45″N 19°0′17.21″E Blaw-Knox Tower, insulated against ground, destroyed in 1945; rebuilt
1939 7 Deutschlandsender Herzberg/Elster, Herzberg (Elster), Germany 1939 335 1,099 51°42′59.76″N 13°15′51.5″E Insulated against ground, dismantled 1946/1947
1946 2 Lakihegy Tower, Lakihegy, Hungary 1946 314 1,031 47°22′23.45″N 19°0′17.21″E Blaw-Knox Tower, Insulated against ground, rebuilt after destruction in 1945
1948 1 WIVB-TV Tower, Colden, New York, U.S. 1948 321.9 1,056 42°39′33.19″N 78°37′33.91″W
1949 1 Longwave transmitter Raszyn, Raszyn, Poland 1949 335 1,099 52°4′21.72″N 20°53′2.15″E Insulated against ground
1950 4 Forestport Tower, Forestport, New York, U.S. 1950 371.25 1,218 43°26′41.9″N 75°5′9.55″W Insulated against ground, demolished
1954 2 Griffin Television Tower Oklahoma (AKA KWTV Transmission Tower), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S. 1954 480.5 1,576 35°32′58.59″N 97°29′50.27″W
1956 3 KOBR-TV Tower, Caprock, New Mexico, U.S. 1956 490.7 1,610 33°22′31.31″N 103°46′14.3″W Collapsed in 1960; rebuilt
1959 1 WGME TV Tower, Raymond, Maine, U.S. 1959 495 1,624 43°55′28.43″N 70°29′26.72″W
1960 2 KFVS TV Mast, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, U.S. 1960 511.1 1,677 37°25′44.5″N 89°30′13.84″W
1962 1 WTVM/WRBL-TV & WVRK-FM Tower, Cusseta, Georgia, U.S. 1962 533 1,749 32°19′25.09″N 84°46′45.07″W
1963 0 WIMZ-FM-Tower, Knoxville, Tennessee, U.S. 1963 534.01 1,752 36°08′05.49″N 83°43′28.01″W
1963 11 KVLY-TV mast, Blanchard, North Dakota, U.S. 1963 606.0 1,988 47°20′31.85″N 97°17′21.13″W 75 foot analog antenna was removed from the top of the structure in 2018 in digital repack construction
1974 17 Warsaw Radio Mast, Gąbin, Poland 1974 646.4 2,121 52°22′3.74″N 19°48′8.73″E Mast radiator insulated against ground, collapsed in 1991
2018 present KRDK-TV mast, Galesburg, North Dakota, U.S. 1997 628.0 2,060 47°16′45.06″N 97°20′25.68″W

Tallest towers

Towers include observation towers, monuments and other structures not generally considered to be "habitable buildings", they are meant for "regular access by humans, but not for living in or office work, and are self-supporting or freestanding, which means no guy-wires for support", meaning it excludes from this list of continuously habitable buildings and skyscrapers as well as radio and TV masts.

Bridge towers or pylons, chimneys, transmission towers, and most large statues allow human access for maintenance, but not as part of their normal operation, and are therefore not considered to be towers.

The Tokyo Skytree, completed in February 2012, is 634 m (2,080 ft), making it the tallest tower, and second-tallest freestanding structure in the world.[38][39][40]

History of tallest towers

Tokyo Tower held the record of being the tallest tower in the world from 1958 to 1967. In addition, it held the record of being the tallest structure in Japan from 1958 to 2011, when the Tokyo Skytree (the current tallest tower in the world) surpassed it.

The following is a list of structures that have historically held the title as the tallest towers in the world.

Tallest historical towers
From To Tower Location Pinnacle height
280 BC1180 ADPharos LighthouseAlexandria, Egypt122 m
11801240Malmesbury Abbey TowerMalmesbury, UK131.3 m
12401311Tower of Old St Paul's CathedralLondon, UK150 m
13111549Tower of Lincoln CathedralLincoln, UK159.7 m
15491569Tower of St Mary's churchStralsund, Germany151 m
15691573St. Pierre's Cathedral Beauvais, France153 m
15731647Tower of St Mary's churchStralsund, Germany151 m
16471874Tower of Strasbourg CathedralStrasbourg, France142 m
18741876Tower of St. NikolaiHamburg, Germany147 m
18761880Tower of Rouen CathedralRouen, France151 m
18801889Tower of Cologne CathedralCologne, Germany157.38 m
18891958Eiffel TowerParis, France312.3 m
19581967Tokyo TowerTokyo, Japan332.6 m
19671975Ostankino TowerMoscow, Russia540.1 m
19752010CN TowerToronto, Ontario, Canada553.33 m
20102011Canton TowerGuangzhou, China600 m
2011presentTokyo SkytreeTokyo, Japan634 m

Tallest structures, freestanding structures, and buildings

Burj Khalifa and other tallest structures

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 (1,970–2,000 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 500 metres (1,640 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 (450 m and higher) are listed.

Notes:

  • Eight buildings appear on the freestanding structures category list with heights different from 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[41]
(metres)
Architectural top
(feet)
Floors
Structures (supported)
1 KRDK-TV mast, Galesburg, North Dakota United States 1966 627.8 2,060
2 KXTV/KOVR Tower, Walnut Grove, California, United States 2000 624.5 2,049
3 KCAU-TV Tower, Hinton, Iowa, United States 1965 609.6 2,000
Structures (media supported)
1 Petronius Platform, Gulf of Mexico 2000 640 2,100
2 Baldpate Platform, Gulf of Mexico 1998 579.7 1,902
3 Bullwinkle Platform, Gulf of Mexico 1989 529 1,736
Freestanding structures
1 Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 2009 829.8 2,722 163
2 Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo, Japan 2012 634 2,080
3 Shanghai Tower, Shanghai, China 2015 632 2,073 128
4 Abraj Al Bait, Makkah, Saudi Arabia 2011 601 1,972 120
5 Canton Tower, Guangzhou, China 2010 600 1,969
6 Ping An Finance Centre, Shenzhen, China 2016 599 1,965 115
7 Goldin Finance 117, Tianjin, China 2020 596.6 1,957 128
8 Lotte World Tower, Seoul, South Korea 2016 555.7 1,823 123
9 CN Tower, Toronto, Ontario, Canada 1976 553.3 1,815
10 One World Trade Center, New York City, U.S. 2013 546.2 1,792 104
11 Ostankino Tower, Moscow, Russia 1967 540 1,770
12 Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre, Guangzhou, China 2016 530 1,739 111
12 Tianjin CTF Finance Centre, Tianjin, China 2018 530 1,739 98
14 China Zun, Beijing, China 2018 528 1,732 108
15 Willis Tower, Chicago, United States 1974 527 1,729 108
Buildings
1 Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 2010 828 2,717 163
2 Shanghai Tower, Shanghai, China 2015 632 2,073 128
3 Abraj Al Bait, Mecca, Saudi Arabia 2011 601 1,972 120
4 Ping An Finance Centre, Shenzhen, China 2016 599 1,965 115
5 Goldin Finance 117, Tianjin, China 2020 596.6 1,957 128
6 Lotte World Tower, Seoul, South Korea 2016 554.5 1,819 123
7 One World Trade Center, New York City, U.S. 2013 541.3 1,776 104
8 Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre, Guangzhou, China 2016 530 1,739 111
9 Tianjin CTF Finance Centre, Tianjin, China 2018 530 1,739 98
10 China Zun, Beijing, China 2018 528 1,732 108
11 Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan 2004 509 1,670 101
12 Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai, China 2008 492 1,614 101
15 Central Park Tower, New York City, U.S. 2021 472 1,549 98
14 International Commerce Centre, Hong Kong 2010 484 1,588 118
15 Lakhta Center, Saint Petersburg, Russia 2018 462 1,516 86

Source: Emporis

Tallest structures through time

Structure Coordinates Location Country/Region Year built Height (meters) Height (feet)
Burj Khalifa 25°11′50.0″N 55°16′26.6″E Dubai United Arab Emirates 2010 829.8 2,722
Warsaw Radio Mast 52°22′3.74″N 19°48′8.73″E Gąbin Poland 1974 646.38 2,121
Smokey Shot Tower 37°11′13.63″N 116°4′7.93″W Nevada Test Site United States 1870 213 700
Lincoln Cathedral 53°14′3.26″N 0°32′10.54″W Lincolnshire United Kingdom 1311 160 524
Cologne Cathedral 50°56′28.08″N 6°57′25.73″E ;50°56′29.11″N 6°57′25.85″E Cologne Germany 1248 157.38 515
Beauvais Cathedral 49°25′49″N 2°05′43″E France 1225 153 502
Cathédrale Notre Dame 49°26′24.54″N 1°5′41.85″E Rouen France 1202 151 495
Great Pyramid of Giza 29°58′44.93″N 31°08′3.09″E Giza Egypt 2560 BCE 138.8 455.2
Red Pyramid of Sneferu 29°48′31.39″N 31°12′22.49″E Egypt c. 2600 BCE 105 344
Bent Pyramid 29°47′25″N 31°12′33″E Egypt c. 2605 BCE 104.71 344
Meidum Pyramid 29°23′17″N 31°09′25″E Egypt c. 2610 BCE 91.65 301
Pyramid of Djoser 29°52′16.53″N 31°12′59.59″E Egypt c. 2650 BCE 62.5 205
Anu Ziggurat West Bank Uruk Iraq c. 4000 BCE 13 40
Tower of Jericho 31.872041°N 35.443981°E West Bank Palestine c. 8000 BCE 8.5 27.9
Göbekli Tepe 37°13′23″N 38°55′21″E Anatolia Turkey c. 9500 BCE 5-6 18

See also

References

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  41. height for inhabited buildings with floors; does not include TV towers and antennas
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