View source for History of the world's tallest buildings

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{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2022}}
The tallest building in the world, {{As of|2009|lc=y|post=,}} is the [[Burj Khalifa]] in [[Dubai]], United Arab Emirates. The title of "[[List of tallest buildings|world's tallest building]]" has been held  by various buildings in modern times, including [[Lincoln Cathedral]] in [[Lincoln, England]], and the [[Empire State Building]] and the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|original World Trade Center]], both in [[New York City]].

Before the modern [[skyscraper]] era emerged, between {{circa}} 1311 and 1884 the tallest buildings and structures were mostly [[Christianity|Christian]] churches and cathedrals. Prior to then, the tallest buildings in the world cannot be conclusively determined. For instance, the [[Lighthouse of Alexandria]], which was completed in approximately 280 BC, has been estimated to have been {{convert|100|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall,<ref>{{cite book|first=Peter A.|last= Clayton|chapter=Chapter 7: The Pharos at Alexandria|title=The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UU2AAAAAQBAJ|editor1=Peter A. Clayton|editor2=Martin J. Price|location=London|publisher=Routledge|year=2013|isbn=9781135629281|page=147}}</ref> but its true height is not known. For thousands of years, the [[Great Pyramid of Giza|Great Pyramid]] in [[Egypt]] was the tallest ''structure'' in the world until [[Lincoln Cathedral|Lincoln Cathedral of 1311]], but the Great Pyramid is not considered a building since it is not habitable. Similarly, the [[Eiffel Tower]] was the world's tallest structure from 1889, when it was built, but not the tallest building.

The skyscraper was invented in [[Chicago]] in 1884 when [[Home Insurance Building]] was constructed using a [[steel frame]] with [[Curtain wall (architecture)|curtain walls]] instead of [[load-bearing wall]]s. For the next century, the world's tallest building was always in the [[United States]], with [[New York City]] housing the tallest building for  86 years and Chicago housing it for 30 years. After a century (1894–1998), the distinction of the world's tallest building moved to [[Malaysia]], which was the first country to break the United States' record of constructing the tallest buildings in the world when [[Petronas Towers]] was completed in 1998. [[Taiwan]]'s [[Taipei 101]] was the next to hold the record; the building's status as the world's tallest building lasted from 2004 to 2009, when it was transferred to the [[Burj Khalifa]], the current record-holder of 828 meters tall, upon its completion in the United Arab Emirates.

==Definition of terms==
[[File:Tallest buildings in the world.png|thumb|upright=1.1|The world's tallest buildings as of 2015]]

===Meaning of "building"===
The earliest structures now known to be the tallest in the world were the [[Egyptian pyramids]]: the [[Great Pyramid of Giza]], at an original height of {{convert|146.5|m|abbr=on}}, was the tallest structure in the world for over 3,800 years, until the construction of [[Lincoln Cathedral]] in 1311. From then until the completion of the [[Washington Monument]] (capped in 1884) the world's tallest structures 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 applied when determining 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 a "building" as "(A) structure that is designed for residential, business or manufacturing purposes" and that "has floors".<ref name=CTBUH_criteria>{{cite web |url=http://www.ctbuh.org/AboutCTBUH/History/MeasuringTall/tabid/1320/language/en-GB/Default.aspx |title=Height: The History of Measuring Tall Buildings |first=Marshall |last=Gerometta |work=Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat |access-date=29 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129084123/http://www.ctbuh.org/AboutCTBUH/History/MeasuringTall/tabid/1320/language/en-GB/Default.aspx |archive-date=29 January 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

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 are not. 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 (this article treats churches and cathedrals as buildings).

===Determination of height===
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has been generally recognized as the arbiter on the building height of skyscrapers since the mid-20th century. In the early 1970's they promulgated the criteria that height is measured "from the sidewalk of the main entrance to the structural top of the building including penthouse and tower." In 1996, during the controversy over whether the [[Petronas Twin Towers]] or the [[Sears Tower]] should be considered the world's tallest building, the CTBUH adopted three new height criteria. When determining the height of a tall building, each of the three criteria 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 antennas, masts or flag poles.<ref name=CTBUH_criteria />

==Before the 20th century==
{{Further|List of tallest structures built before the 20th century}}

===Before the 13th century===
[[File:Flickr - archer10 (Dennis) - Guatemala 1828 - La Danta at the Mayan site of El Mirador.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|La Danta in [[El Mirador]], Guatemala, a {{convert|72|m|abbr=on|adj=on}} tall temple built in 300 BC.]] 
[[File:Thanjavur,_Brihadishwara_Temple_(7013915633).jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Vimana of [[Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur]], [[Tamilnadu]] at {{convert|66|m|abbr=on|adj=on}}]]
[[File:Marokko0112 (retouched).jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|[[Kutubiyya Mosque]] at {{Convert|77|m|abbr=on}}]]
Early tall buildings were similar to the record-setting Egyptian pyramid structures. In 1400 BC the {{convert|70|m|abbr=on|adj=on}} [[ziggurat]] of [[Dur-Kurigalzu]] was constructed in [[Mesopotamia]], and in 601 BC the [[Etemenanki]] ziggurat of [[Babylon]] ({{convert|91|m|abbr=on}}) followed. The {{convert|70|m|abbr=on|adj=on}} [[La Danta]] of [[El Mirador]] ([[Guatemala]]) and the {{convert|73|m|abbr=on|adj=on}} [[Amaravati Stupa]] of [[Amaravati]] ([[India]]) were constructed in around 300 BC.

The [[Lighthouse of Alexandria]] in [[Egypt]] had a height of between {{convert|103|and|118|m|abbr=on}}{{citation needed|date=May 2024}} and existed between the 3rd century BC and 14th century AD.

The [[Pantheon, Rome|Pantheon]] in Rome, finished in the early 2nd century AD, has an [[List of Greek and Roman architectural records|ancient Roman height record]] from floor to top of {{convert|43.45|m|abbr=on}},<ref name="Rasch 1985, 119">*{{Citation| last = Rasch| first = Jürgen|title = Die Kuppel in der römischen Architektur. Entwicklung, Formgebung, Konstruktion| journal = Architectura| volume = 15| pages = 117–139 (119)| year = 1985}}</ref> which exactly corresponds to the diameter of its interior space and was only slightly surpassed by the [[Pont du Gard]] ''structure''. The [[Hagia Sophia]], built in AD 537 in [[Constantinople]], reaches a height of {{convert|55|m|abbr=on}}.

The ancient [[Kushan Empire|Kushan]] [[Kanishka Stupa|stupa of Kanishka]], located in the present-day [[Pakistan]], near [[Peshawar]], completed around AD 200, had a height of between {{convert|120|and|170|m|abbr=on}}. The Chinese explorer [[Xuanzhang]] described it as the tallest building in the world in his book ''Records of the western Region''. The [[Sri Lanka]]n [[Jetavanaramaya]] stupa, constructed in the 3rd century, measured {{convert|122|m|abbr=on}} from its construction until the 11th century. Its current height is {{convert|71|m|abbr=on}}.

Another short-lived structure was the 6th-century wooden [[Yongning Pagoda]] with a height of about {{convert|137|m|abbr=on}} to {{convert|155|m|abbr=on}} in [[Luoyang]], China.

[[Hwangnyongsa]], or Hwangnyong Temple, and sometimes spelled Hwangryongsa, is a former [[Buddhist temple]] in the city of [[Gyeongju]], South Korea. Completed in the 7th century, the enormous nine-storey structure was built entirely of interlocking timbers with no iron nails. It had a standing total height of {{convert|68|to|80|m|abbr=on}},<ref name="Silla1">{{Cite book|title=Silla : Korea's golden kingdom|others=Lee, Soyoung, 1971, Leidy, Denise Patry,, Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, N.Y.), Samsŏng Chŏnja,, National Endowment for the Arts, Han'guk Kukche Kyoryu Chaedan|year=2013|isbn=9781588395023|location=New York|pages=22|oclc=862096677|last1=Lee|first1=Soyoung|last2=Leidy|first2=Denise Patry}}</ref> making it the tallest structure in East Asia and the [[List of tallest wooden buildings|tallest wooden structure]] in the world at the time of its construction. It was destroyed by invading Mongol forces in 1238.

In the 8th century, two seven-storied pagodas with a height of {{convert|100|m|abbr=on|adj=on}} were constructed at [[Tōdai-ji|Todaiｰji (東大寺)]] in [[Nara, Nara|Nara]], [[Japan]]. They were one of the tallest wooden buildings in the world at the time. By the 14th century, both were burned down by fires caused by war or lightning strikes.

In 1057, the {{convert|100|m|abbr=on|adj=on}} wooden [[Shwesandaw Pagoda (Bagan)|Shwesandaw Pagoda]] of [[Bagan]], [[Myanmar]], was constructed.

The Vimana of the [[Brihadisvara Temple, Thanjavur]], [[Tamil Nadu]], completed in 1010 is {{convert|66|m|abbr=on}} tall, slightly taller and older than [[Angkor Wat]], [[Cambodia]]. The entire complex is built of [[granite]].

The {{Convert|77|m|abbr=on|adj=on}} [[minaret]] of [[Koutoubia Mosque]] in [[Marrakesh]], [[Morocco]], includes a spire and orbs.  It was completed under the reign of the Berber [[Almohad]] [[Caliph]] [[Yaqub al-Mansur]] around 1195. The minaret of Isa in the [[Umayyad Mosque]] was most likely originally built in the 9th century and also had a height of 77 m (253 ft).

The eastern spires of the Romanesque [[Speyer Cathedral]], completed in 1106, reach a height of {{convert|71.3|m|abbr=on}}. The still-standing [[Torre Asinelli]], completed some time before 1185, was originally {{convert|70|m|abbr=on}} tall, later raised to {{convert|92|m|abbr=on}}. [[Malmesbury Abbey]] was built in 1180 and reached a height of {{convert|131|m|abbr=on}}.

===Churches and cathedrals: tallest buildings between the 13th and 20th centuries===
{{Main|List of tallest church buildings}}
[[File:1850 - James Reynolds & John Emslie - Buildings.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|An 1850 comparison of the height of 30 notable world structures]]
The world's tallest ''structures'' were churches or cathedrals from the 13th/14th century until 1884, and ''buildings'' until the beginning of the 20th century. The [[Old St Paul's Cathedral]] ({{convert|149|m|abbr=on}}) in London and [[Lincoln Cathedral]] ({{convert|160|m|abbr=on}}) both surpassed not only any older tallest building, but also the tallest structures until then, the Pyramids. They were constructed from the 12th century, reaching completion and their maximum height in the 1310s (1314 and 1311 respectively). Lincoln Cathedral's spire collapsed in 1549, and its previous height was not surpassed elsewhere for a long time. [[St. Mary's Church, Stralsund|St. Mary's Church]] in [[Stralsund]] became the world's tallest building after the collapse of the Lincoln spire. The {{convert|153|m|abbr=on|adj=on}} central tower of [[Beauvais Cathedral|St. Pierre's Cathedral]] in Beauvais was tallest from 1569 until it collapsed in 1573, making St. Mary's the tallest once again. In 1647, the bell tower of St. Mary's burned down, making the shorter [[Strasbourg Cathedral]] the world's tallest building.

It was not until the completion of the [[Ulm Minster]] in 1890 that the world's tallest building was again also the tallest building ever constructed, surpassing the original configuration of Lincoln Cathedral.

{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
! style="width:15%" | Years tallest
! style="width:30%" | Name
! style="width:15%" | Location
! style="width:10%" | Height
! style="width:10%" | Increase
! style="width:20%" | Notes
|-
| 13th century – 1311{{citation needed|date=February 2022}}
| [[Old St Paul's Cathedral]]
| London
| {{convert|149|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| 0%
| Final completion in 1314. Spire collapsed 1561
|-
| 1311–1549
| [[Lincoln Cathedral]]
| [[Lincoln, England|Lincoln]]
| {{convert|159.7|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| 7.2%
| Tallest building ever until 1890. Spire collapsed 1549
|-
| 1549–1569
| [[St. Mary's Church, Stralsund|St. Mary's Church]]
| [[Stralsund]]
| {{convert|151|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| −5.4%
|
|-
| 1569–1573
| [[Beauvais Cathedral|St. Pierre's Cathedral]]
| [[Beauvais]]
| {{convert|153|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| 1.3%
| Tower collapsed 1573
|-
| 1573–1647
| [[St. Mary's Church, Stralsund|St. Mary's Church]]
| [[Stralsund]]
| {{convert|151|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| −1.3%
| Bell tower burned down in 1647
|-
| 1647–1874
| [[Strasbourg Cathedral|Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg]]
| [[Strasbourg]]
| {{convert|142|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| −6%
| 
|-
| 1874–1876
| [[St. Nicholas' Church, Hamburg|Church of St. Nicholas]]
| [[Hamburg]]
| {{convert|147|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| 3.5%
|
|-
| 1876–1880
| [[Rouen Cathedral]]
| [[Rouen]]
| {{convert|151|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| 2.7%
|
|-
| 1880–1890
| [[Cologne Cathedral]]
| [[Cologne]]
| {{convert|157.38|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| 4.2%
| Tallest structure [[Washington Monument]] from 1884
|-
| 1890–present
| [[Ulm Minster]]
| [[Ulm]]
| {{convert|161.53|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| 2.6%
| Tallest structure [[Eiffel Tower]] from 1889
|}

The {{convert|159.7|m|abbr=on|adj=on}} height of Lincoln Cathedral is disputed by some,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/43477/pg43477-images.html |title=The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Cathedral Church of Lincoln |first=A. F. |last=Kendrick |publisher=George Bell & Son |access-date=2023-02-12}}</ref> but accepted by most sources.<ref>{{cite book |last=Haughton |first=Brian |date=2007 |title=Hidden History: Lost Civilizations, Secret Knowledge, and Ancient Mysteries |page=167}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first1=Michael |last1=Woods |first2=Mary B. |last2=Woods |date=2009 |title=Seven Wonders of the Ancient World |page=41}}</ref><ref name=skyscrapernews>{{cite web|url=http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=384|title=Lincoln Cathedral|access-date=29 March 2011|archive-date=10 November 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051110003002/http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=384|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first1=Darwin |last1=Porter |first2=Danforth |last2=Prince |date=2010 |title=Frommer's England 2010 |page=588}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Mary Jane |last=Taber |date=1905 |title=The Cathedrals of England: an account of some of their distinguishing characteristics |page=100}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://content.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1950812,00.html |title=A Brief History of the World's Tallest Buildings |date= |website= |publisher=Time magazine}}</ref> The completion date for the spire is given as 1311 rather than 1300 by some sources.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ipa.org.au/publications/1374/cathedrals-and-the-birth-of-freedom/pg/88|title=Cathedrals and the birth of freedom |publisher=Institute of Public Affairs Australia|access-date=6 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303171857/http://www.ipa.org.au/publications/1374/cathedrals-and-the-birth-of-freedom/pg/88|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Also the {{convert|149|m|abbr=on|adj=on}} height of the spire of [[Old St Paul's Cathedral]], destroyed by lightning in 1561, is disputed, for example by [[Christopher Wren]] (1632–1723), who suggested a height of {{convert|140|m|ft|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{Gutenberg |bullet=none |no=16531|first=William |last=Benham |author-link=William Benham (priest) |name=Old St. Paul's Cathedral |location=London|publisher=Seeley & Co |year=1902}}</ref>

====Turn of the century====
In 1890, [[Ulm Minster]] became the tallest church ever built, but it was the last church to claim the position of tallest building, which eventually went to the [[Philadelphia City Hall]] in 1894, the first skyscraper taller than {{convert|150|m|abbr=on}} (or, depending on definition, the [[Mole Antonelliana]] in 1889).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.museocinema.it/mole.php?l=en |title=Mole Antonelliana |work=Museo Nazionale del Cinema (Italian National Film Museum) website |publisher=Maria Adriana Prolo Foundation |access-date=18 March 2014 |quote=Construction was completed in 1889... At the time of its completion, at 167.5 meters in height, it was the tallest masonry building in all of Europe.}}</ref>

Among all structures, in 1884 the {{convert|169|m|adj=on|abbr=on}} [[Washington Monument]] had already overtaken the long-standing record held by churches. But five years later in 1889 it was significantly surpassed by the [[Eiffel Tower]], which reached completely new heights at {{convert|300|m|abbr=on}} (its {{convert|24|m|abbr=on|adj=on}} antennas were added after 1957),<ref name="Lieber 2022">{{cite web | last=Lieber | first=John | title=Which is taller, the Chrysler Building or the Eiffel Tower? | website=BindleyHardware & Co | date=5 January 2022 | url=https://bindleyhardwareco.com/which-is-taller-the-chrysler-building-or-the-eiffel-tower | access-date=19 February 2022}}</ref> leaving heights of skyscrapers behind and opening up the [[supertall]] era, whose heights were only reached by the pinnacle of the [[Chrysler Building]] ({{convert|319|m|abbr=on}}) in 1930 and fully overtaken by the [[Empire State Building]] in 1931.

==Tallest structures since the 20th century==
{{Main|History of the world's tallest structures}}
{{wide image|History of tallest buildings chart.jpg|800px|A history of the world's tallest buildings}}
Since the completion of the [[Washington Monument]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] in 1884, the world's tallest structure has generally not simultaneously been the world's tallest building. The exception is 1930 through 1954 when the [[Eiffel Tower]] in [[Paris]] was surpassed by the [[Chrysler Building]] in 1930, and in 1931 the Chrysler Building was surpassed by the [[Empire State Building]], which was later surpassed by a succession of structures, starting with the [[Griffin Television Tower Oklahoma|Griffin Television Tower]] in Oklahoma. The [[CN Tower]] in [[Toronto]] held the record for the world's tallest free-standing structure for 32 years from 1975 until 2007 when it was surpassed by [[Burj Khalifa]], and was the world's tallest tower until 2009 when it was surpassed by [[Canton Tower]].

Since the completion of the [[Burj Khalifa]] in 2010, it is the world's tallest building and world's tallest structure of any kind.

==Skyscrapers: tallest buildings since 1908==
{{See also|List of tallest buildings}}
Since the completion of the first skyscraper taller than {{convert|150|m|abbr=on}} (depending on the definition of skyscraper, 1894 with the [[Philadelphia City Hall]] or 1908 with the [[Singer Building]]), skyscrapers have consistently been the tallest ''buildings''.

===High-rise blocks and early skyscrapers===
{{main|Early skyscrapers}}
Before skyscrapers, [[tower block]]s reached at various times and locations heights of {{convert|30|m|abbr=on}} (as in the city of [[Shibam]]) or even up to {{convert|100|m|abbr=on}} among the [[Towers of Bologna]]. Buildings that have been specifically called the first skyscrapers include:

* [[E. V. Haughwout Building]], {{sort|016|{{convert|24|m|ft|abbr=on}}}} tall, 5 floors, first use of a passenger elevator, built in 1857
* [[Equitable Life Building (Manhattan)|Equitable Life Building]],<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|date=2017-10-07|title=The Birth of Height: What was the World's First Skyscraper?|url=https://buildingtheskyline.org/birth-of-height/|access-date=2020-07-17|website=Building the Skyline|language=en-US}}</ref> at least {{sort|40|{{convert|40|m|abbr=on}}}} tall, 9 floors, built in 1870
* [[New York Tribune Building]],<ref name=":0" /> {{sort|79|{{convert|79|m|abbr=on}}}} tall, 9 floors, built in 1875, expanded in 1907 to 19 floors
* [[Montauk Building]],<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Kamin|first=Blair|title=Column: The same people who demoted Willis Tower could strip Chicago of another skyscraper title|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/columns/blair-kamin/ct-biz-first-skyscraper-kamin-20191107-kl6e5af6gvgcllgfy4ikhe52dm-story.html|access-date=2020-11-19|website=Chicago Tribune|date=7 November 2019 }}</ref> {{sort|040|{{convert|40|m|abbr=on}}}} tall, 10 floors, built in 1883
* [[Home Insurance Building]],<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/930796742|title=100 of the world's tallest buildings|publisher=The Images Publishing Group|year=2015|isbn=978-1-86470-651-2|editor-last=Wood|editor-first=Anthony|location=Victoria, Australia|oclc=930796742}}</ref> {{sort|042|{{convert|42|m|abbr=on}}}} tall, 12 floors, built in 1885
* [[Lancashire Insurance Building]],<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news|last=Gray|first=Christopher|date=1988-05-15|title=IN THE NEW YORK REGION; The Lost Skyscrapers of Bygone New York|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/05/15/realestate/in-the-new-york-region-the-lost-skyscrapers-of-bygone-new-york.html|access-date=2020-07-17|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> 10 floors, built in 1890
* [[Manhattan Building (Chicago, Illinois)|Manhattan Building]] in [[Chicago]],<ref name=":0" /> {{convert|68.3|m|abbr=on}} tall, 16 floors, built in 1891
* [[Monadnock Building]],<ref name=":2" /> {{convert|66|m|abbr=on}} tall, 17 floors, built in 1891

Later record-setting early skyscrapers include:
* [[New York World Building]], {{convert|94|m|abbr=on}}, 1890
* [[Manhattan Life Insurance Building]], {{convert|106|m|abbr=on}}, 1894

=== The height of skyscrapers ===
[[File:comparison_of_vanity_height.svg|thumb|upright=1.1|Comparison of the vanity height as defined as the difference between the pinnacle height and the height to the floor of the highest occupied top floor of some buildings that have at one point registered as the world's tallest]]
After the construction of the first skyscraper taller than {{convert|150|m|abbr=on}}, depending on definition the [[Philadelphia City Hall]] in 1894 or the [[Singer Building]] in 1908, the incrementation in the height category of supertall skyscrapers began with the construction of the [[Chrysler Building]], followed by the [[Empire State Building]], in New York City. The Chrysler Building was the first building in the world to break the {{convert|300|m|abbr=on|adj=on}} barrier, and the Empire State Building was the first building to have more than 100 floors. It stands at {{convert|381|m|abbr=on}} and has 102 floors. The next tallest skyscraper was the [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]], which was completed in 1971. The North Tower was {{convert|417|m|abbr=on}} and the South Tower {{convert|415|m|abbr=on}} tall. It surpassed the height of the Empire State Building by {{convert|36|m|abbr=on}}. Two years later the [[Willis Tower|Sears Tower]] was built in Chicago, standing at {{convert|442|m|abbr=on}} with 110 floors, surpassing the height of the World Trade Center by {{convert|25|m|abbr=on}}. Counting the [[Petronas Towers]]' antenna spires yet discounting the Sears Tower's antennae, the former rose 10 meters above the latter, standing at a height of {{convert|452|m|abbr=on}} and each having 88 floors.

In 2004, the construction of Taipei 101 brought the height of skyscrapers to a new level, standing at {{convert|508|m|abbr=on}} with 101 floors. It is {{convert|59|m|abbr=on}} taller than the previous record-holders, the Petronas Towers. Burj Khalifa surpassed the height of [[Taipei 101]] by {{convert|319|m|abbr=on}} in 2009, making it 60% taller.<ref name="ct208">{{cite web |url=http://www.ctbuh.org/AboutCTBUH/History/HistoryMeasuringTallBuildings/tabid/1320/language/en-GB/Default.aspx |year=2008 |title=The History of Measuring Tall Buildings |publisher=Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat |access-date=16 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611040533/http://www.ctbuh.org/AboutCTBUH/History/HistoryMeasuringTallBuildings/tabid/1320/language/en-GB/Default.aspx |archive-date=11 June 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It has broken several skyscraper records, and it is almost twice as tall as the Empire State Building. Burj Khalifa, however has not broken the record of [[world's tallest structure]]. In 2009, Guinness World Records recognised the [[Magnolia (oil platform)|Magnolia]] oil platform as the tallest structure. It has a record-breaking height of 1,432 metres (4,698 feet).<ref name="geology.com">{{cite web | url=https://geology.com/stories/13/magnolia-oil-platform/ | title=Magnolia TLP Oil Platform - the World's Tallest Structure? }}</ref> However the majority of the [[Burj Khalifa|Burj Khalifa's]] height difference (29%) is gained from [[vanity height]], the Burj Khalifa's highest occupiable floor is only {{convert|585|m|abbr=on}} above ground. This would still make it the tallest building in the world but only by 2 meters over the [[Shanghai Tower]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/shanghai-tower/56|title=Shanghai Tower - The Skyscraper Center|website=skyscrapercenter.com|access-date=23 August 2020}}</ref> a substantially smaller margin than before.

*Note: The CTBUH defines a building as a ''supertall'' if it is {{convert|300|m|abbr=on}} or taller.<ref name="ct446">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ctbuh.org/resource/height|title=Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat|website=ctbuh.org|access-date=23 August 2020}}</ref> The CTBUH defines a building as a ''megatall'' if it is 600&nbsp;m (1970&nbsp;ft) or taller.

=== Supertall and Megatall skyscrapers by location ===
Since the early skyscraper boom that took place in [[North America]], the significant number of skyscrapers in North America dominated the 100 tallest buildings in the world. In 1930, 99 of the 100 tallest buildings in the world were in North America. In the future, this percentage is expected to decline to only 22 percent.<ref name="ct208"/> The predominance of skyscrapers in North America is decreasing because of skyscraper construction in other parts of the world, especially in Asia. In Asia, there has been an increase in the number of supertall skyscrapers beginning with the completion of the [[Bank of China Tower (Hong Kong)|Bank of China Tower]] in Hong Kong in 1990. Currently, sixty of the world's 100 tallest buildings are in Asia (including the Middle East), while all six megatall skyscrapers reside in Asia. All proposed future megatall skyscrapers are also in Asia with the exception of the Lakhta Center 2 in St. Petersburg.

===Skyscrapers===
Since the skyscraper era began, the great majority of skyscrapers were used predominantly as office space. From 1930 to 2000, the percentage of office towers never fell below 86 percent, but in the future it is expected to be as low as 46 percent.<ref name="ct208"/> By 2010, fewer than half of the 100 tallest buildings in the world were office towers, the majority being for [[residential]] and mixed use.<ref name="ct208"/> Only four of the ten tallest buildings in the world, and twenty-eight of the top fifty, were used primarily as offices.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ctbuh.org/Portals/0/Tallest/CTBUH_TallestOffice.pdf |title=Tallest single-function office buildings in the world (as of December 2009) |website=ctbuh.org |publisher=Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat |date=December 2009 |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/5nTtIeBpj?url=http://www.ctbuh.org/Portals/0/Tallest/CTBUH_TallestOffice.pdf |archive-date=12 February 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

A mixed-use tall building is defined as having two or more functions that occupy a significant proportion of the tower's total space.{{ref label|note01|A|^}} Support areas such as car parks and mechanical plant space do not contribute towards mixed-use status.<ref name="ct446"/>

Skyscrapers used primarily or exclusively as hotels or residential space are generally shorter than office and mixed-use buildings, with only a few supertall buildings of the residential or hotel types among the 100 tallest skyscrapers. The [[List of tallest residential buildings|tallest completed residential buildings]] (minimum 85% residential) are [[Central Park Tower]], [[111 West 57th Street]], and [[432 Park Avenue]], all on [[Billionaires' Row (Manhattan)|Billionaire's Row]] in New York City.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.skyscrapercenter.com/compare-data/submit?type%5B%5D=building&status%5B%5D=COM&function%5B%5D=residential&base_region=0&base_country=0&base_city=0&base_height_range=5&base_company=All&base_min_year=0&base_max_year=9999&comp_region=0&comp_country=0&comp_city=0&comp_height_range=5&comp_company=All&comp_min_year=0&comp_max_year=9999&skip_comparison=on&output%5B%5D=list&dataSubmit=Show+Results |title=Search results - tallest completed residential buildings (as of 2018) |website=skyscrapercenter.com |publisher=Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat |access-date=19 November 2018}}</ref> The [[List of tallest hotels|tallest completed hotels]] (primarily hotel space) are the [[Gevora Hotel]], the [[JW Marriott Marquis Dubai]] twin towers, the [[Rose Rayhaan by Rotana|Rose Tower]], and the [[Burj Al Arab]], all in Dubai.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.skyscrapercenter.com/compare-data/submit?type%5B%5D=building&status%5B%5D=COM&function%5B%5D=hotel&base_region=0&base_country=0&base_city=0&base_height_range=5&base_company=All&base_min_year=0&base_max_year=9999&comp_region=0&comp_country=0&comp_city=0&comp_height_range=5&comp_company=All&comp_min_year=0&comp_max_year=9999&skip_comparison=on&output%5B%5D=list&dataSubmit=Show+Results |title=Search results - tallest completed hotels (as of 2018) |website=skyscrapercenter.com |publisher=Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat |access-date=19 November 2018}}</ref>

==List of historically tallest skyscrapers==
{{Main|Skyscraper#History of the tallest skyscrapers}}
The following list of tallest buildings is based on the default metric of CTBUH,<ref name=":1" /> that 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 Taipei 101 in 2008 to become the building with the highest occupied floor. Using the criterion of highest tip (including antennae), the World Trade Center in New York City was the world's tallest building from 1971 to 1973, until the Willis Tower in Chicago (which already had a higher occupied floor than the World Trade Center) had its antenna 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 criterion.
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
! style="width:15%" | Years tallest
! style="width:30%" | Name
! style="width:20%" | Location
! style="width:20%" | Height
! style="width:8%" | Increase
! style="width:7%" | Title Held (Years)
|-
|1894–1908
|[[Philadelphia City Hall]]
|[[Philadelphia]]
|{{convert|167|m|ft|abbr=on}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=Philadelphia City Hall - The Skyscraper Center|url=https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/philadelphia-city-hall/2958|access-date=2022-02-17|website=skyscrapercenter.com}}</ref>
|  0%
| 14
|-
| 1908–1909
|[[Singer Building]]
| rowspan="7" |[[New York City]]
|{{convert|192|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| 15%
|  1
|-
| 1909–1913
|[[Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower|Metropolitan Life Tower]]
| {{convert|213|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| 11%
|  4
|-
| 1913–1930
| [[Woolworth Building]]
| {{convert|241|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| 13%
| 17
|-
| 1930
| [[40 Wall Street]]
| {{convert|283|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| 17%
| <1
|-
| 1930–1931
| [[Chrysler Building]]
|{{convert|318.9|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| 13%
|  1
|-
| 1931–1971
| [[Empire State Building]]
|{{convert|381|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| 19%
| 40
|-
| 1971–1973
|[[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]]
|{{convert|417|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|  9%
|  2
|-
| 1973–1998
| [[Willis Tower|Sears Tower]]
|[[Chicago]]
| {{convert|442|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|  6%
| 25
|-
| 1998–2004
|[[Petronas Towers]]
|[[Kuala Lumpur]]
|{{convert|452|m|ft|abbr=on}}
|  2%
|  6
|-
| 2004–2010
|[[Taipei 101]]
|[[Taipei]]
|{{convert|510|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| 13%
|  6
|-
| 2010–present
|[[Burj Khalifa]]
|[[Dubai]]
|{{convert|828|m|ft|abbr=on}}
| 62%
| {{Years since|2010}}
|}

== See also ==
{{portal|History|Architecture}}
*[[List of tallest buildings]]
*[[List of tallest structures]]
*[[History of the world's tallest structures]]
*[[Tallest structures by category]]

== Notes ==
:'''A.''' {{note label|note01|A|^}}This significant proportion can be judged as 15% or greater of either the total floor area, or the total building height in terms of number of floors occupied for the function. However, care should be taken in the case of supertall buildings. For example, a 20-story hotel function as part of a 150-story tower does not comply with the 15% rule, though this would clearly constitute mixed use.

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2019/09/tallest-historical-structures/ These are the world's tallest structures throughout history], 5 Sep 2019, Visual Capitalist, [[World Economic Forum]]
* [https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/buildings 100 Tallest Completed Buildings in the World], Skyscraper Center
* [https://structurae.net/en/structures/buildings Buildings database], Structurae.net

{{TBSW}}
{{Structural extremes}}
{{Construction overview}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:History of buildings and structures|Tallest buildings]]
[[Category:History of construction|Tallest Buildings]]
[[Category:History of structural engineering]]
[[Category:Lists of tallest buildings]]
[[Category:Record progressions|Tallest buildings]]