History of the tallest buildings in the world
Encyclopedia
Through history, the title of "world's tallest building" has been borne by various buildings. Since the invention of the skyscraper
, New York City
has been home to the world's tallest building for roughly 87 years (inside the period of 1870-1974, over nearly a dozen successive buildings). Chicago
accumulated 30 years. This distinction was held exclusively within the United States
for nearly 130 years (1870-1998) before returning to the eastern hemisphere
. Preceding the current era of commercial skyscrapers, there was an era where the tallest buildings were Christian
churches/cathedral
s (1200s-1870), dominated by England
and Germanic
territories. And the era preceding this was the thousands of years where the Great Pyramid
in Cairo
was the tallest structure in the world. Other claims are made to "tallest structure" during the latter two eras, depending upon definitions applied, notably the Washington Monument
(1884), which was surpassed in height by the Eiffel Tower
in Paris
(1889).
, with the Great Pyramid of Giza
, at an original height of 146.5 metres (480.6 ft), being the tallest man–made structure in the world for over 3,800 years, until the construction of Lincoln Cathedral
in 1300. From then until the completion of the Washington Monument
(capped in 1884) the world's tallest buildings were churches or cathedrals. Later, the Eiffel Tower
and, still later, some radio masts and television towers were the world's tallest structures.
However, though all of these are structures, some are not building
s in the sense of being regularly inhabited or occupied. It is in this sense of being regularly inhabited or occupied that the term "building" is generally understood to mean when determining what is the world's tallest building. The non-profit international organization Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
(CTBUH), which maintains a set of criteria for determining the height of tall buildings, defines "building" as "[A] structure that is designed for residential, business or manufacturing purposes" that "has floors".
Tall churches and cathedrals occupy a middle ground: their lower areas are regularly occupied, but much of their height is in bell towers and spires which aren't. Whether a church or cathedral is a "building" or merely a "structure" for the purposes of determining the title of "world's tallest building" is a subjective matter of definition.
with its spire was completed. Completed in early 1300s, the central spire of Lincoln Cathedral
surpassed it. In 1549 this spire collapsed, thus making the shorter St. Olaf's church in Tallinn
the tallest building. In 1625, the spire of this church burnt down, thus making the shorter St. Mary's Church
in Stralsund
the world's tallest building. In 1647, the bell tower of this church burned down, thus making the slightly shorter Strasbourg Cathedral
the world's tallest building. It was not until the completion of Ulm Minster in 1890 that the world's tallest building was again also the tallest building ever, surpassing the original configuration of Lincoln Cathedral.
* - Also set record at time of completion as tallest structure ever built.
The 524 feet (159.7 m) height of Lincoln Cathedral is disputed by some, but accepted by most sources. The completion date for the spire is given as 1311 rather than 1300 by some sources. Also the 489 feet (149 m) height of the spire of Old St Paul's Cathedral
, destroyed by lightning in 1561, is disputed, for example Christopher Wren
(1632–1723) judged that an overestimate and gave height 460 feet (140.2 m).
There is no one building that can be definitely termed the first skyscraper. The Equitable Life Building in New York was completed in 1870. At 7 storeys and 40 meters, it was the first office building to feature passenger elevators and was, at the time of its completion, the tallest non-church building in the world. Some consider the Equitable Life Building with its world-first elevators to be the first skyscraper, while others point to Chicago's Home Insurance Building
with its innovation in using a steel-frame construction. Both design features would become standard in skyscrapers.
The buildings that were the tallest skyscrapers — but still shorter than the tallest church or cathedral — were:
was taller than Ulm Minster and thus the tallest building of any kind. Since 1901, the world's tallest building has always been a secular skyscraper. The tallest structure at the beginning of this period was the Eiffel Tower, which was not surpassed until 1930 with the Chrysler Building
.
* - Also set record at time of completion as tallest structure ever built.
The list of tallest buildings is based on the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) default criteria of measuring to the highest architectural element. Other criteria would generate a different list. Shanghai World Financial Center
is not on the above list, but it surpassed Tapei 101 in 2008 to become the building with the highest occupied floor. Using the criteria of highest tip (including antennae), The World Trade Center was the world's tallest building from 1972 to 2000, when the Sears Tower antenna was extended to give that building the world's tallest tip, a title it held until the 2010 completion of Burj Khalifa (Petronas Towers and Taipei 101 were never the world's tallest buildings by the highest–tip criteria).
Since 2010, Burj Khalifa in 2010 has been unquestionably the tallest building by any criteria. It has the highest architectural element, highest tip, and highest occupied floor, and is indeed the tallest structure of any kind in existence or ever built, surpassing the (now destroyed) 646.38 metres (2,120.7 ft) Warsaw Radio Mast
. However, the 2008 Shanghai World Financial Center
still has the world's highest observation deck
.
Since the completion of the Washington Monument in 1884, the world's tallest building has not usually also been the world's tallest structure. The exceptions are 1930–1954, when the Chrysler Building and then the Empire State building surpassed the Eiffel Tower (to be surpassed in turn in by a succession of broadcast masts, starting with the Griffin Television Tower
in Oklahoma), and again from 2010 with the completion of Burj Khalifa.
, followed by the Empire State Building
, in New York City
. The Empire State Building was the first building in the world to break the 300 metres (984 ft) barrier, and the first building to have more than 100 floors it stands at 381 metres (1,250 ft) and has 102 floors. The next tallest skyscraper was the World Trade Center
, which was completed in 1972. The north tower was 417 m (1,368 ft) and the south 415 m (1,362 ft) tall. It surpassed the height of the Empire State Building by 36 m (118 ft). Two years later the Sears Tower was built in Chicago, standing at 442 m (1,450 ft) with 108 floors. This skyscraper surpassed the height of the World Trade Center by 25 metres (82 ft). The Petronas Towers rose 10 meters above the Sears Tower, standing at a height of 452 m (1,483 ft) and each having 88 floors.
In 2003 the construction of Taipei 101 brought the height of skyscrapers to a new level, standing at 509 m (1,670 ft) with 101 floors. It is 59 metres (194 ft) taller than the previous record holders, the Petronas Towers. Burj Khalifa surpassed the height of Taipei 101
by 319 metres (1,047 ft) in 2009, making it 60 % taller. It has broken several skyscraper records, and it is almost twice tall as the Empire State Building. Burj Khalifa has also broken the record of the world's tallest structure.
, the significant number of skyscrapers in North America have dominated the 100 tallest buildings in the world. In 1930, 99 of the tallest 100 were located in North America, with 51 percent in New York City alone. By future this percentage is expected to be dramatically decreased to only 22 percent and 5 percent respectively. The predominance of skyscrapers in North America is rapidly decreasing due to the explosion of skyscraper construction in other parts of the world, especially in Asia
.
In Asia there has been a dramatic increase in the number of supertall skyscrapers beginning with the construction of Petronas Twin Towers
. There are currently sixty buildings in the world's 100 tallest that are located in Asia (including the Middle East
).
space. From 1930 to 2000 the percentage of office towers never fell below 86 percent and in future it is expected to be as low as 46 percent. In 2010 less than half of the 100 tallest buildings in the world were office towers with the majority utilized as residential and mixed use.
Today, only four out of the ten tallest buildings in the world, and twenty eight out of the fifty tallest in the world, are used primarily as offices.
A mixed-use tall building contains two or more functions (uses), where each of the functions occupies a significant proportion of the tower's total space. Support areas such as car parks and mechanical plant space do not contribute towards mixed-use status.
Skyscrapers used as hotel
s and as residential space are on the low side there are only a few supertall skyscrapers of that type in the 100 tallest skyscrapers in the world. The tallest residential building in the world is Q1
, on the Gold Coast
, Australia
at 323 m (1,060 ft). But in the future, several supertall residential towers will be built globally. Some notable skyscrapers are Pentominium
, the Princess Tower
, and Marina 101
. There are few supertall hotel skyscrapers in the world. The Emirates Park Towers Hotel & Spa, Rose Tower and Burj Al Arab are the three only supertall hotels standing, while the topped out Emirates Park Towers Hotel & Spa, is currently the tallest hotel in the world at 377 m (1,237 ft).
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
has been home to the world's tallest building for roughly 87 years (inside the period of 1870-1974, over nearly a dozen successive buildings). Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
accumulated 30 years. This distinction was held exclusively within the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for nearly 130 years (1870-1998) before returning to the eastern hemisphere
Eastern Hemisphere
The Eastern Hemisphere, also Eastern hemisphere or eastern hemisphere, is a geographical term for the half of the Earth that is east of the Prime Meridian and west of 180° longitude. It is also used to refer to Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australasia, vis-à-vis the Western Hemisphere, which includes...
. Preceding the current era of commercial skyscrapers, there was an era where the tallest buildings were Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
churches/cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
s (1200s-1870), dominated by England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Germanic
Germanic
Germanic may refer to* The Germanic languages, descended from Proto-Germanic.* The Germanic peoples**List of Germanic peoples**List of confederations of Germanic tribes* German people* Germanic mythology...
territories. And the era preceding this was the thousands of years where the Great Pyramid
Great Pyramid of Giza
The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now El Giza, Egypt. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact...
in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
was the tallest structure in the world. Other claims are made to "tallest structure" during the latter two eras, depending upon definitions applied, notably the Washington Monument
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington...
(1884), which was surpassed in height by the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(1889).
Meaning of "building"
The earliest structures now known to be the tallest in the world were the Egyptian pyramidsEgyptian pyramids
The Egyptian pyramids are ancient pyramid-shaped masonry structures located in Egypt.There are 138 pyramids discovered in Egypt as of 2008. Most were built as tombs for the country's Pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods.The earliest known Egyptian pyramids are found...
, with the Great Pyramid of Giza
Great Pyramid of Giza
The Great Pyramid of Giza is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now El Giza, Egypt. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and the only one to remain largely intact...
, at an original height of 146.5 metres (480.6 ft), being the tallest man–made structure in the world for over 3,800 years, until the construction of Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral is a historic Anglican cathedral in Lincoln in England and seat of the Bishop of Lincoln in the Church of England. It was reputedly the tallest building in the world for 249 years . The central spire collapsed in 1549 and was not rebuilt...
in 1300. From then until the completion of the Washington Monument
Washington Monument
The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington...
(capped in 1884) the world's tallest buildings were churches or cathedrals. Later, the Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
and, still later, some radio masts and television towers were the world's tallest structures.
However, though all of these are structures, some are not building
Building
In architecture, construction, engineering, real estate development and technology the word building may refer to one of the following:...
s in the sense of being regularly inhabited or occupied. It is in this sense of being regularly inhabited or occupied that the term "building" is generally understood to mean when determining what is the world's tallest building. The non-profit international organization Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat is an international body in the field of tall buildings and sustainable urban design...
(CTBUH), which maintains a set of criteria for determining the height of tall buildings, defines "building" as "[A] structure that is designed for residential, business or manufacturing purposes" that "has floors".
Tall churches and cathedrals occupy a middle ground: their lower areas are regularly occupied, but much of their height is in bell towers and spires which aren't. Whether a church or cathedral is a "building" or merely a "structure" for the purposes of determining the title of "world's tallest building" is a subjective matter of definition.
Determination of height
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat uses three different criteria for determining the height of a tall building, each of which may give a different result. "Height of the highest floor" is one criterion, and "height to the top of any part of the building" is another, but the default criterion used by the CTBUH is "height of the architectural top of the building", which includes spires but not antennae, masts, or flag poles.Churches and cathedrals
From 1200s until 1901, the world's tallest building was always a church or cathedral. In 1200s Old St Paul's CathedralOld St Paul's Cathedral
Old St Paul's Cathedral is a name used to refer to the medieval cathedral of the City of London which until 1666 stood on the site of the present St Paul's Cathedral. Built between 1087 and 1314 and dedicated to St Paul, the cathedral was the fourth church on the site at Ludgate Hill...
with its spire was completed. Completed in early 1300s, the central spire of Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln Cathedral is a historic Anglican cathedral in Lincoln in England and seat of the Bishop of Lincoln in the Church of England. It was reputedly the tallest building in the world for 249 years . The central spire collapsed in 1549 and was not rebuilt...
surpassed it. In 1549 this spire collapsed, thus making the shorter St. Olaf's church in Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
the tallest building. In 1625, the spire of this church burnt down, thus making the shorter St. Mary's Church
St. Mary's church, Stralsund
St. Mary's Church is located in Stralsund, northern Germany.Built some time before 1298, it is architecturally Gothic, and was loosely modelled on St. Mary's Church in Lübeck. Between 1625 and 1647, it was the world's second tallest building at tall, after 160 m tall Lincoln Cathedral.The bell...
in Stralsund
Stralsund
- Main sights :* The Brick Gothic historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.* The heart of the old town is the Old Market Square , with the Gothic Town Hall . Behind the town hall stands the imposing Nikolaikirche , built in 1270-1360...
the world's tallest building. In 1647, the bell tower of this church burned down, thus making the slightly shorter Strasbourg Cathedral
Strasbourg Cathedral
Strasbourg Cathedral or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Strasbourg, France. Although considerable parts of it are still in Romanesque architecture, it is widely consideredSusan Bernstein: , The Johns Hopkins University Press to be among the finest...
the world's tallest building. It was not until the completion of Ulm Minster in 1890 that the world's tallest building was again also the tallest building ever, surpassing the original configuration of Lincoln Cathedral.
| Years tallest | Name | Location | Height | Increase |
| 1200s–1300* | Old St Paul's Cathedral Old St Paul's Cathedral Old St Paul's Cathedral is a name used to refer to the medieval cathedral of the City of London which until 1666 stood on the site of the present St Paul's Cathedral. Built between 1087 and 1314 and dedicated to St Paul, the cathedral was the fourth church on the site at Ludgate Hill... |
 LondonLondon London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
149 metres (488.8 ft) | 1.66% |
| 1300–1549* | Lincoln Cathedral Lincoln Cathedral Lincoln Cathedral is a historic Anglican cathedral in Lincoln in England and seat of the Bishop of Lincoln in the Church of England. It was reputedly the tallest building in the world for 249 years . The central spire collapsed in 1549 and was not rebuilt... |
Lincoln |
159.7 metres (524 ft) | 7.16% |
| 1549–1625 | St. Olaf's Church |  TallinnTallinn Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list... |
159 metres (521.7 ft) | |
| 1625–1647 | St. Mary's Church St. Mary's church, Stralsund St. Mary's Church is located in Stralsund, northern Germany.Built some time before 1298, it is architecturally Gothic, and was loosely modelled on St. Mary's Church in Lübeck. Between 1625 and 1647, it was the world's second tallest building at tall, after 160 m tall Lincoln Cathedral.The bell... |
 StralsundStralsund - Main sights :* The Brick Gothic historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.* The heart of the old town is the Old Market Square , with the Gothic Town Hall . Behind the town hall stands the imposing Nikolaikirche , built in 1270-1360... |
151 metres (495.4 ft) | |
| 1647–1874 | Strasbourg Cathedral Strasbourg Cathedral Strasbourg Cathedral or the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Strasbourg, France. Although considerable parts of it are still in Romanesque architecture, it is widely consideredSusan Bernstein: , The Johns Hopkins University Press to be among the finest... |
 StrasbourgStrasbourg Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,... |
142 metres (465.9 ft) | |
| 1874–1876 | Church of St. Nicholas St. Nikolai, Hamburg The Gothic Revival Church of St. Nicholas was formerly one of the five Lutheran Hauptkirchen in the city of Hamburg. It is now in ruins, serving as a memorial and an important architectural landmark. When Hamburg residents mention the Nikolaikirche, it is generally to this church that they are... |
 HamburgHamburg -History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808... |
147 metres (482.3 ft) | |
| 1876–1880 | Rouen Cathedral Rouen Cathedral Rouen Cathedral is a Roman Catholic Gothic cathedral in Rouen, in northwestern France. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Rouen and Normandy.-History:... |
 RouenRouen Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages... |
151 metres (495.4 ft) | |
| 1880–1890 | Cologne Cathedral Cologne Cathedral Cologne Cathedral is a Roman Catholic church in Cologne, Germany. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne and the administration of the Archdiocese of Cologne. It is renowned monument of German Catholicism and Gothic architecture and is a World Heritage Site... |
Cologne Cologne Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the... |
157.38 metres (516.3 ft) | |
| 1890–1901 | Ulm Minster | Ulm Ulm Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the River Danube. The city, whose population is estimated at 120,000 , forms an urban district of its own and is the administrative seat of the Alb-Donau district. Ulm, founded around 850, is rich in history and... |
161.53 metres (530 ft) | 1.15% |
The 524 feet (159.7 m) height of Lincoln Cathedral is disputed by some, but accepted by most sources. The completion date for the spire is given as 1311 rather than 1300 by some sources. Also the 489 feet (149 m) height of the spire of Old St Paul's Cathedral
Old St Paul's Cathedral
Old St Paul's Cathedral is a name used to refer to the medieval cathedral of the City of London which until 1666 stood on the site of the present St Paul's Cathedral. Built between 1087 and 1314 and dedicated to St Paul, the cathedral was the fourth church on the site at Ludgate Hill...
, destroyed by lightning in 1561, is disputed, for example Christopher Wren
Christopher Wren
Sir Christopher Wren FRS is one of the most highly acclaimed English architects in history.He used to be accorded responsibility for rebuilding 51 churches in the City of London after the Great Fire in 1666, including his masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, on Ludgate Hill, completed in 1710...
(1632–1723) judged that an overestimate and gave height 460 feet (140.2 m).
Skyscrapers
In the 19th Century, a new kind of structure was developed, using an iron or steel internal structure (instead of the outer walls) to bear the building's weight. The taller of these buildings are called skyscrapers.There is no one building that can be definitely termed the first skyscraper. The Equitable Life Building in New York was completed in 1870. At 7 storeys and 40 meters, it was the first office building to feature passenger elevators and was, at the time of its completion, the tallest non-church building in the world. Some consider the Equitable Life Building with its world-first elevators to be the first skyscraper, while others point to Chicago's Home Insurance Building
Home Insurance Building
The Home Insurance Building was built in 1884 in Chicago, Illinois, USA and destroyed in 1931 to make way for the Field Building . It was the first building to use structural steel in its frame, but the majority of its structure was composed of cast and wrought iron...
with its innovation in using a steel-frame construction. Both design features would become standard in skyscrapers.
The buildings that were the tallest skyscrapers — but still shorter than the tallest church or cathedral — were:
| Years tallest | Name | Location | Height | Increase |
| 1870–1884 | Equitable Life Building |  New YorkNew York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... |
40 metres (131.2 ft) | |
| 1884–1890 | Home Insurance Building Home Insurance Building The Home Insurance Building was built in 1884 in Chicago, Illinois, USA and destroyed in 1931 to make way for the Field Building . It was the first building to use structural steel in its frame, but the majority of its structure was composed of cast and wrought iron... |
Chicago Chicago Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles... |
42 metres (137.8 ft) | 6.15% |
| 1890–1894 | New York World Building New York World Building The New York World Building was a skyscraper in New York City designed by early skyscraper specialist George Browne Post and built in 1890 to house the now-defunct newspaper, The New York World. It was razed in 1955.-History:... |
New York |
94 metres (308.4 ft) | 136.92% |
| 1894–1895 | Manhattan Life Insurance Building Manhattan Life Insurance Building The Manhattan Life Insurance Building was a tower at 64-66 Broadway in New York City completed in 1894 to the designs of the architects of Kimball & Thompson and slightly extended north in 1904 making its new address 64-70 Broadway... |
New York |
100 metres (328.1 ft) | 7.14% |
| 1895–1899 | Milwaukee City Hall Milwaukee City Hall City Hall is the scene of the largest Socialist victory ever registered in an American city, when in 1910 Emil Seidel and a majority Socialist Common Council swept into office. Although the Socialist majority on the Common Council was short-lived, the city was led by Socialist mayors from 1916 to... |
Milwaukee |
108 metres (354.3 ft) | 7.27% |
| 1899–1901 | Park Row Building Park Row Building The Park Row Building is a building on Park Row in the Financial District of the New York City borough of Manhattan also known as 15 Park Row... |
New York |
119 metres (390.4 ft) | 10.17% |
Tallest buildings (from 1901)
At 167 meters, the 1901 Philadelphia City HallPhiladelphia City Hall
Philadelphia City Hall is the house of government for the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At , including the statue, it is the world's second-tallest masonry building, only shorter than Mole Antonelliana in Turin...
was taller than Ulm Minster and thus the tallest building of any kind. Since 1901, the world's tallest building has always been a secular skyscraper. The tallest structure at the beginning of this period was the Eiffel Tower, which was not surpassed until 1930 with the Chrysler Building
Chrysler Building
The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco style skyscraper in New York City, located on the east side of Manhattan in the Turtle Bay area at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. Standing at , it was the world's tallest building for 11 months before it was surpassed by the Empire State...
.
| Years tallest | Name | Location | Height | Increase |
| 1901–1908 | Philadelphia City Hall Philadelphia City Hall Philadelphia City Hall is the house of government for the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At , including the statue, it is the world's second-tallest masonry building, only shorter than Mole Antonelliana in Turin... |
Philadelphia |
167 metres (547.9 ft) | 3.40% |
| 1908–1909 | Singer Building Singer Building The Singer Building or Singer Tower at Liberty Street and Broadway in Manhattan, was a 47-story office building completed in 1908 as the headquarters of the Singer Manufacturing Company. It was demolished in 1968 and is now the site of 1 Liberty Plaza.... |
New York |
186.57 metres (612.1 ft) | 11.70% |
| 1909–1913 | Metropolitan Life Tower Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower The Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower, also known as the Metropolitan Life Tower or Met Life Tower, is a landmark skyscraper located on East 23rd Street between Madison Avenue and Park Avenue South, off of Madison Square Park. in the borough of Manhattan in New York City... |
New York |
213.36 metres (700 ft) | 14.36% |
| 1913–1930 | Woolworth Building Woolworth Building The Woolworth Building is one of the oldest skyscrapers in New York City. More than a century after the start of its construction, it remains, at 57 stories, one of the fifty tallest buildings in the United States as well as one of the twenty tallest buildings in New York City... |
New York |
241 metres (790.7 ft) | 13.00% |
| 1930 | Bank of Manhattan Trust Building 40 Wall Street 40 Wall Street is a 70-story skyscraper in New York City. Originally known as the Bank of Manhattan Trust building, and also known as Manhattan Company Building, it was later known by its street address when its founding tenant merged to form the Chase Manhattan Bank and today is known as the... |
New York |
283 metres (928.5 ft) | 17.32% |
| 1930–1931* | Chrysler Building Chrysler Building The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco style skyscraper in New York City, located on the east side of Manhattan in the Turtle Bay area at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. Standing at , it was the world's tallest building for 11 months before it was surpassed by the Empire State... |
New York |
319.9 metres (1,049.5 ft) | 13.15% |
| 1931–1972* | Empire State Building Empire State Building The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived... |
New York |
381 metres (1,250 ft) | 19.05% |
| 1972–1974 | World Trade Center #1 World Trade Center The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new... |
New York |
417 metres (1,368.1 ft) | 9.44% |
| 1974–1998 | Sears Tower Sears Tower Sears' optimistic growth projections were not met. Competition from its traditional rivals continued, with new competition by retailing giants such as Kmart, Kohl's, and Wal-Mart. The fortunes of Sears & Roebuck declined in the 1970s as the company lost market share; its management grew more... |
Chicago |
442 metres (1,450.1 ft) | 5.99% |
| 1998–2003 | Petronas Towers |  Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million... |
451.9 metres (1,482.6 ft) | 2.28% |
| 2003–2010 | Taipei 101 Taipei 101 Taipei 101 , formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building ranked officially as the world's tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010... |
 TaipeiTaipei Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean... |
509.2 metres (1,670.6 ft) | 12.68% |
| 2010–present* | Burj Khalifa |  DubaiDubai Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi... |
828 metres (2,716.5 ft) | 62.60% |
The list of tallest buildings is based on the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) default criteria of measuring to the highest architectural element. Other criteria would generate a different list. Shanghai World Financial Center
Shanghai World Financial Center
The most distinctive feature in the design of the building is an aperture at the peak. The original design specified a circular aperture, in diameter, to reduce the stresses of wind pressure, as well as serve as a subtext for the design, since "Chinese mythology represents the earth with a square...
is not on the above list, but it surpassed Tapei 101 in 2008 to become the building with the highest occupied floor. Using the criteria of highest tip (including antennae), The World Trade Center was the world's tallest building from 1972 to 2000, when the Sears Tower antenna was extended to give that building the world's tallest tip, a title it held until the 2010 completion of Burj Khalifa (Petronas Towers and Taipei 101 were never the world's tallest buildings by the highest–tip criteria).
Since 2010, Burj Khalifa in 2010 has been unquestionably the tallest building by any criteria. It has the highest architectural element, highest tip, and highest occupied floor, and is indeed the tallest structure of any kind in existence or ever built, surpassing the (now destroyed) 646.38 metres (2,120.7 ft) Warsaw Radio Mast
Warsaw radio mast
The Warsaw radio mast was the world's tallest structure until its collapse on 8 August 1991. It is the second tallest land-based structure ever built, being surpassed as tallest by the Burj Khalifa, completed in 2010....
. However, the 2008 Shanghai World Financial Center
Shanghai World Financial Center
The most distinctive feature in the design of the building is an aperture at the peak. The original design specified a circular aperture, in diameter, to reduce the stresses of wind pressure, as well as serve as a subtext for the design, since "Chinese mythology represents the earth with a square...
still has the world's highest observation deck
Observation deck
__FORCETOC__ An observation deck, observation platform or viewing platform is an elevated sightseeing platform usually situated upon a tall architectural structure such as a skyscraper or observation tower...
.
Since the completion of the Washington Monument in 1884, the world's tallest building has not usually also been the world's tallest structure. The exceptions are 1930–1954, when the Chrysler Building and then the Empire State building surpassed the Eiffel Tower (to be surpassed in turn in by a succession of broadcast masts, starting with the Griffin Television Tower
Griffin Television Tower Oklahoma
Griffin Television Tower Oklahoma is a 480.5 meter high guy-wired aerial mast for the transmission of FM radio and television programs in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA built in 1954...
in Oklahoma), and again from 2010 with the completion of Burj Khalifa.
1300-present
In this chart, time progresses from right to left. Note the early buildings that lost the title as their spires collapsed.History of increment in height of skyscrapers
After the construction of the Home Insurance Building in 19th century, the incrementation in the height of skyscrapers began with the construction of the Chrysler BuildingChrysler Building
The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco style skyscraper in New York City, located on the east side of Manhattan in the Turtle Bay area at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. Standing at , it was the world's tallest building for 11 months before it was surpassed by the Empire State...
, followed by the Empire State Building
Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived...
, in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The Empire State Building was the first building in the world to break the 300 metres (984 ft) barrier, and the first building to have more than 100 floors it stands at 381 metres (1,250 ft) and has 102 floors. The next tallest skyscraper was the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
, which was completed in 1972. The north tower was 417 m (1,368 ft) and the south 415 m (1,362 ft) tall. It surpassed the height of the Empire State Building by 36 m (118 ft). Two years later the Sears Tower was built in Chicago, standing at 442 m (1,450 ft) with 108 floors. This skyscraper surpassed the height of the World Trade Center by 25 metres (82 ft). The Petronas Towers rose 10 meters above the Sears Tower, standing at a height of 452 m (1,483 ft) and each having 88 floors.
In 2003 the construction of Taipei 101 brought the height of skyscrapers to a new level, standing at 509 m (1,670 ft) with 101 floors. It is 59 metres (194 ft) taller than the previous record holders, the Petronas Towers. Burj Khalifa surpassed the height of Taipei 101
Taipei 101
Taipei 101 , formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building ranked officially as the world's tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010...
by 319 metres (1,047 ft) in 2009, making it 60 % taller. It has broken several skyscraper records, and it is almost twice tall as the Empire State Building. Burj Khalifa has also broken the record of the world's tallest structure.
- NOTE: The CTBUH defines a building as a supertall if it is 300 metres (984 ft) or taller.
History of supertall skyscrapers by location
Since the early skyscraper boom that took place in North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, the significant number of skyscrapers in North America have dominated the 100 tallest buildings in the world. In 1930, 99 of the tallest 100 were located in North America, with 51 percent in New York City alone. By future this percentage is expected to be dramatically decreased to only 22 percent and 5 percent respectively. The predominance of skyscrapers in North America is rapidly decreasing due to the explosion of skyscraper construction in other parts of the world, especially in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
.
In Asia there has been a dramatic increase in the number of supertall skyscrapers beginning with the construction of Petronas Twin Towers
Petronas Twin Towers
The Petronas Towers are skyscrapers and twin towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
. There are currently sixty buildings in the world's 100 tallest that are located in Asia (including the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
).
Increment in usage of skyscrapers
Since the skyscraper boom, the great majority of skyscrapers in the world were used predominantly as officeOffice
An office is generally a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organization with specific duties attached to it ; the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one's duty. When used as an adjective, the...
space. From 1930 to 2000 the percentage of office towers never fell below 86 percent and in future it is expected to be as low as 46 percent. In 2010 less than half of the 100 tallest buildings in the world were office towers with the majority utilized as residential and mixed use.
Today, only four out of the ten tallest buildings in the world, and twenty eight out of the fifty tallest in the world, are used primarily as offices.
A mixed-use tall building contains two or more functions (uses), where each of the functions occupies a significant proportion of the tower's total space. Support areas such as car parks and mechanical plant space do not contribute towards mixed-use status.
Skyscrapers used as hotel
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s and as residential space are on the low side there are only a few supertall skyscrapers of that type in the 100 tallest skyscrapers in the world. The tallest residential building in the world is Q1
Q1 (building)
Q1 is a supertall skyscraper located in Surfers Paradise, on the Gold Coast. It is the world's third tallest residential tower after the 348 metre building The Marina Torch in Dubai won formal recognition as the tallest residential building in the world on 29 April 2011 by the Emporis...
, on the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
at 323 m (1,060 ft). But in the future, several supertall residential towers will be built globally. Some notable skyscrapers are Pentominium
Pentominium
The Pentominium is a supertall skyscraper currently under construction in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. When completed, the residential tower will be tall, with 122 floors above ground. It was designed by architects Aedas and funded by Trident International Holdings. The AED 1.46...
, the Princess Tower
Princess Tower
The Princess Tower is a residential skyscraper that is under construction in Dubai. It will rise to and have 101 floors. The building was originally proposed at only 90 floors. The supertall will become the tallest residential building in the world and the second tallest building in Dubai upon...
, and Marina 101
Marina 101
Marina 101 is a supertall skyscraper tall with 101 floors under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The skyscraper will have 324 hotel rooms and 516 residential units. The building was designed by National Engineering Bureau. Construction, by Turkish conglomerate TAV Construction, is...
. There are few supertall hotel skyscrapers in the world. The Emirates Park Towers Hotel & Spa, Rose Tower and Burj Al Arab are the three only supertall hotels standing, while the topped out Emirates Park Towers Hotel & Spa, is currently the tallest hotel in the world at 377 m (1,237 ft).
See also
- History of tallest skyscrapers
- List of tallest buildings and structures in the world
- Timeline of three tallest structures in the worldTimeline of three tallest structures in the worldThis is the timeline of the 3 highest man-made structures in the world that have the strength to carry more than their own weight.- Overview :...
- List of tallest buildings in the world
- List of tallest churches in the world
- List of tallest structures built before the 20th century
External links
- CTBUH.org
- Tallest buildings past, present and future
- Illinois.edu
- Capital-chronicle.com
- Tallestbuildingintheworld.com
- Skyscraper.org
- Information of Skyscrapers
- fredmanonthemillhill.com
- Geography.about.com: Worlds Tallest Skyscrapers
- Shift of Skyscrapers from USA to Asia
- A Brief History of the World’s Tallest Skyscrapers
- Facts About Worlds tallest Buildings
- The History of Skyscrapers, A Race at the Top
- Timeline of Worlds Tallest Buildings