List of tallest buildings and structures in the world

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While determining the world's tallest structure has generally been straightforward, the definition of the world's tallest building or the world's tallest tower is less clear. The disputes generally center on what should be counted as a building or a tower, and what is being measured.

In terms of absolute height, the tallest structures are currently the dozens of radio and television broadcasting towers which measure over 600 meters (about 2,000 feet) in height. There is, however, some debate about:

• whether structures under construction should be included in the list
• whether structures rising out of water should have their below-water height included.

For towers, there is debate over:

• whether guy-wire-supported structures should be counted

For buildings, there is debate over:

• whether communication towers with observation galleries should be considered habitable buildings.
• whether only habitable height is considered.
• whether roof-top antennas should be considered towards height of buildings; with particular interest in whether components that look like spires can be either classified as antennas or architectural detail.

These debates will likely lose some relevance in 2009, as the Burj Dubai, a building currently under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is planned to exceed all other existing above-ground structures in height, including guyed TV towers.

Tallest structures

Main article: List of tallest structures in the world

The tallest standing structure is the KVLY-TV mast 30 miles (48 km) north of Fargo, North Dakota United States, at Modèle:M to ft. It is a transmission antenna, consisting of a bare metal structure supported by guy-wires.

Transmission antennas of this type are not usually included with the world's tallest buildings because they are not self-supporting. The issue is further complicated if all manmade habitable structures are considered. Under that criterion it is possible to claim 'tallest structure' records for deep mine-shafts, or the Mohole drilling rig, which can be several miles (8-10 km) in vertical length.

The CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, standing at Modèle:M to ft, was the world's tallest freestanding structure on land from 1976 until September 12, 2007, when it was overtaken in height by the under construction Burj Dubai.<ref>http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/09/12/cntower-surpassed.html?ref=rss</ref> It has the world's highest public observation deck at Modèle:M to ft. It remains the world's tallest completed freestanding structure, pending the Burj Dubai's completion (projected for late 200Image:Cool.gif.

The Petronius Platform stands Modèle:M to ft, leading some to claim it as the tallest freestanding structure in the world. However, as this oil and natural gas platform is partially supported by wires, critics argue that it is not freestanding, and the below-water height should not be counted, in the same manner as underground 'height' is not taken into account in buildings.

The Troll A platform is Modèle:M to ft, without any part of that height being supported by wires.

Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan is currently the world's tallest inhabited building in three out the four main categories that are commonly measured: at Modèle:M to ft as measured to its architectural height as well as roof height Modèle:M to ft and highest occupied floor Modèle:M to ft. The Sears Tower is highest in the last category: the highest current height to the top of antenna of any building in the world at Modèle:M to ft.

However, the Burj Dubai, which is scheduled for completion in 2008 or 2009, will break most existing records, being taller than any building in all four categories by a wide margin. The CN Tower will maintain its record of the world's highest observation deck as Burj Dubai's deck will be at Modèle:M to ft.<ref>CTV.ca Dubai building surpasses CN Tower in height, September 13, 2007</ref> While the final height has not been released to the public, the developers state that the building will be at least Modèle:M to ft. The 'Symbol of Dubai', will have more than 160 floors, 56 elevators, apartments, shops, swimming pools, spas, corporate suites, and will be Modèle:M to ft tall. With the spire included, the final height will be more than Modèle:Formatnum:817 metres ({{formatnum:{{rnd/+|817*1/0.3048|0|Modèle:Rnd/00}}}} ft) , but Emaar, the developer, is keeping structural details secret due to competition for the "world's tallest" with other proposed buildings, including the nearby Al Burj. <ref>BBC News, Dubai skyscraper world's tallest</ref> As of 24 October 2007, the tower's developers reported the Burj Dubai's height to be Modèle:Convert/LoffAonDbSoff, with 156 completed floors <ref name="Burj Dubai Height"> Current height as reported at www.burjdubai.com/</ref>, surpassing Taipei 101 as the tallest high-rise building in the world.<ref>Burjdubaiskyscarper.com</ref> On September 14, 2007, the Burj Dubai became the world's tallest freestanding structure when it reached 555.3m (1821.85 ft) in height and 150 stories. The Burj Dubai was only two metres taller than the previous tallest freestanding structure, the CN Tower in Toronto, which held the record since 1976. Burj Dubai is also set to surpass the KVLY/KTHI television mast in Blanchard, North Dakota, which is the tallest structure on earth at 628.8 meters.

Tallest structure by category

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

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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.

Tallest building by function

* Mixed Use is defined as having both residential and office space.

** As Burj Dubai is still under construction and not yet inhabitable, it currently does not serve a specific function. Upon completion, it will serve as a mixed use building.

*** Although the Rose Tower is complete, it is not currently inhabited. Once the building's hotel opens in April 2008, the tower will become the world's tallest building used exclusively as a hotel.

Tallest buildings

Main article: List of tallest buildings in the world

Up until 1998 the tallest building status was essentially uncontested. Counting buildings as structures with floors throughout, and with antenna masts excluded, the Sears Tower in Chicago was considered the tallest. When the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia were built, controversy arose because the spire extended nine meters higher than the roof of the Sears Tower. Excluding the spire, the Petronas Towers are not taller than the Sears Tower. At their convention in Chicago, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) reduced the Sears Tower from world's tallest and pronounced it not second tallest, but third, and pronounced Petronas as world's tallest. This action caused a considerable amount of controversy, so CTBUH defined four categories in which the world's tallest building can be measured:

1. Height to the structural or architectural top (including spires and pinnacles, but not antennas, masts or flagpoles)
2. Height to the highest occupied floor
3. Height to the top of the roof
4. Height to the top of antenna

The height is measured from the pavement level of the main entrance. At the time, the Sears Tower held first place in the second and third categories. Petronas held the first category, and the original World Trade Towers held the fourth. Within months, however, a new antenna mast was placed on the Sears Tower, giving it hold of the fourth category. On April 20, 2004, the Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan, was completed. Its completion gave it the world record for the first three categories. On July 212007 it was announced that the Burj Dubai had surpassed Taipei 101 in height, reaching 512 m (1,680 feet) tall. However Burj Dubai is still under construction.

Today, Taipei 101 leads in the first category with 509 m (1,671 feet); in the second category with an occupied floor at 439 m (1,441 feet); and in the third category with 449 m (1,474 feet). The first category was formerly held by the Petronas Twin Towers with 452 m (1,483 feet), and before that by Sears Tower with 442 m (1,451 feet). The second and third categories were held by the Sears Tower, with 412 m (1,351 feet) and 442 m (1,451 feet) respectively.

The Sears Tower still leads in the fourth category with 527 m (1,729 feet), previously held by the World Trade Center until the extension of the Chicago tower's western broadcast antenna in 2000, over a year prior to the Trade Center's destruction in 2001. Its antenna mast included, 1 World Trade Center measured 526 m (1,727 feet). The World Trade Center became the world's tallest buildings to be destroyed or demolished; indeed, its site entered the record books twice on September 11, 2001, in that category, replacing the Singer Building, which once stood a block from the WTC site.^{[citation needed]}

The Ostankino Tower and the CN Tower are excluded from these categories because they are not "habitable buildings", which are defined as frame structures made with floors and walls throughout.

History of record holders in each CTBUH category

World's tallest freestanding structure on land

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

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

As of 24 October 2007, the tallest freestanding structure on land is the still under construction Burj Dubai in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The building, which now stands at 585.7 meters (1,922 ft), surpassed the height of the previous record holder, the 553.33 meter (1,815 ft) CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario, on September 12, 2007. It is scheduled to be completed in 2009, and is planned to rise to a height of over 800 meters (2,625 ft).

History

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

Notable mentions include the Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria, built in the third century BC, and estimated between 115 to 135 meters (383–440 ft). It was the world's tallest non-pyramidal building for many centuries. Another notable mention includes the Jetavanaramaya stupa in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, which was built in the third century, and was similarly tall at 122 meters (400 ft). These were both the world's tallest or second tallest non-pyramidal buildings for over a thousand years.

The tallest secular building between the collapse of the Pharos and the erection of the Washington Monument may have been the Torre del Mangia in Siena, which is 102 m tall, and was constructed in the first half of the fourteenth century, and the 97 m tall Torre degli Asinelli in Bologna, also Italy, built between 1109 and 1119.

* This is the current height of Burj Dubai, as of 24 October 2007. When completed, it is expected to rise over Modèle:M to ft

World's highest observation deck

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

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Higher observation decks have existed on mountain peaks or cliffs, rather than on tall structures. For example, the Royal Gorge Bridge in Cañon City, Colorado, USA, was constructed in 1929 spanning the Royal Gorge at a height of 321 m (1095 ft.) above the Arkansas River.

Timeline of guyed structures on land

As most of the tallest structures are guyed masts and the absolute height record of architectural structures on land is since 1954 kept by them, 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 the 365.25 meter (1,200 ft) tall central tower of NSS Annapolis was already built before 1945, it was the tallest guyed structure between 1945 and 1950.

Tallest structures, freestanding structures, and buildings

See also: List of tallest buildings in the world, List of tallest structures in the world

• The structures list uses pinnacle height and includes architectural structures of any type. Only the four tallest are listed, as more than fifty US TV masts have stated heights of 600-610m (1969-2000 ft).
• The freestanding structures list uses pinnacle height and includes structures over Modèle:M to ft that do not use guy- wires or other external supports.
• The building list uses architectural height (excluding antennas) and includes only buildings, defined as consisting of habitable floors. Both of these follow CTBUH guidelines. All supertall buildings (300 m and higher) are listed.
• Seven buildings appear on the freestanding structures list with higher heights, given the different measurement specifications of the two lists.
• Collapsed historical structures are not included.

Source: Emporis

Future record-breaking structures

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

Under construction

• Burj Dubai in Dubai, UAE is expected to be an Modèle:M to ft tall skyscraper. It is currently under construction, and as of 24 October, 2007, it is Modèle:M to ft tall, with 156 completed floors. Upon completion (projected for 2009) this will be the tallest manmade structure of any kind in history. However, it might not hold that record for long; see the proposals section below.

• The Russia Tower, under construction in Moscow, Russia, is expected to be Modèle:M to ft with 118 floors.

• The Guangzhou TV & Sightseeing Tower, being built in Guangzhou, China, is expected to be Modèle:M to ft tall.

• The Modèle:M to ft, 150 floor Chicago Spire (formerly Fordham Spire) is currently under construction in Chicago. If completed, it would surpass the nearby Sears Tower as the tallest tower in North America, and would be the tallest all-residential building in the world. <ref>http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=23109</ref> Construction began in June 2007, and is expected to be completed in late 2010.

• The Modèle:M to ft 108 floor (82 for office and occupied space) Freedom Tower of the new World Trade Center began construction in August 2006. <ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/04/weekinreview/04ouroussoff.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin</ref> It is expected to completed in 2010, with an opening in early 2011. If completed, it would stand as the tallest building in New York City. It would also stand as the tallest building in the United States if completed before the Chicago Spire.

• The Modèle:M to ft tall, 101 floor Shanghai World Financial Center in Shanghai, People's Republic of China has a proposed completion date of 2008. The SWFC had reached its final height in September 2007.

• The Modèle:M to ft International Commerce Centre in Hong Kong, is scheduled for completion in 2009. As of August, 2007, the construction had reached 77 floors and Modèle:M to ft.

• The Modèle:M to ft (roof will be at Modèle:M to ft) Burj al Alam in Dubai, is scheduled for completion in 2010. When completed, it will have 108 stories and have the 5th highest roof in the world.

• APIIC Tower, under construction in Hyderabad, India is proposed to the tallest building in India upon completion in 2010 with a height of Modèle:M to ft and 100 floors.

Proposed

• The proposed Space Elevator for launching cargo would be more than 38000 km tall; while the CNT cable is beyond the current state of the art, the gap has been narrowing in recent years.<ref>Space Elevator conference</ref>

• The Launch loop concept has been proposed for the purposes of orbital launch which would be 80 km high, and would have a cost of around $10 billion.<ref>PDF version of Lofstrom's 1985 launch loop publication (AIAA 1985)</ref>

• The Al Jabar Tower is a proposed skyscraper, for a new planned mixed development in Bahrain named "Ethics city" designed by Italian architect Amero Marchetti to be 1,852 meters tall.<ref>http://www.bahraintribune.com/ArticleDetail.asp?CategoryId=1&ArticleId=118916</ref>

• Al Burj is a proposed skyscraper, also planned for Dubai, UAE, expected to be approximately Modèle:M to ft tall.<ref name="skyscraper page-Al Burj"> Nakheel designs 1km-high tower

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• Murjan Tower is a Swedish company's proprosal for a supertall skyscraper in Bahrain. Designed by the Danish architect Henning Larsens Tegnestue A/S, it is expected to be Modèle:M to ft in height and comprise 200 floors. <ref>http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=murjantower1-manama-bahrain</ref>

• The proposed Mubarak al-Kabir Tower in Madinat al-Hareer (City Of Silk), (Kuwait) is projected to be Modèle:M to ft in height.

• Solar updraft tower, Buronga, Australia, planned height between Modèle:M to ft and Modèle:M to ft metres, state uncertain.

• Solar updraft tower, Ciudad Real, Spain, Modèle:M to ft.

• Noida Tower Modèle:M to ft is proposed for a small metro city in Delhi's NCR region with a target date for completion of 2013.

• Incheon Tower is a proposal in South Korea for a Modèle:M to ft tall building.

• Sumida Tower Modèle:M to ft has been proposed in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. It is planned to be finished by 2011. <ref>http://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=602</ref>

• The Port Tower Complex is a proposed Modèle:M to ft, Rs. 20 billion ($330 million (USD)) project being financed by the Karachi Port Trust.<ref>http://www.kpt.gov.pk/Projects/Proj.html</ref> It is projected for completion by 2013.

• The Jakarta Tower (Menara Jakarta) in Jakarta, Indonesia is projected to be a Modèle:M to ft skyscraper in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta Jakarta, Indonesia. Site preparation began in the 1990s, but construction never began and the project has been on hold since 2003.

• The Gates of Taipei are a pair of twin towers that are proposed to be built in Taipei, Taiwan.

Never-built record-breaking structures

• Watkin's Tower in Wembley, London was planned in 1891 to surpass the Eiffel Tower by Modèle:Convert/LoffAonDbSoff, but construction stopped before that height was reached due to unstable land. The tower remnants were dismantled in the 1900s, and the site was redeveloped as Wembley Stadium.

• During the Russian October Revolution of 1917, Vladimir Tatlin designed a structure named The Monument to the Third International, which was to serve as the international headquarters of the Komintern. Better known as the Tatlin Tower, the structure was to rise to a height of Modèle:Convert/LoffAonDbSoff, which would have made it by far the tallest building in the world at that time, but the time and resource shortages that resulted from the Russian Civil War halted the project.

• The Palace of Soviets in Moscow, planned in 1932, was to be 415 m (including a 100 m Lenin statue), and would have been the tallest building in the world at the time if completed. Construction was halted during World War II, during which the uncompleted structure was partially dismantled; its foundations were later to serve as the world's largest open-air swimming pool before being razed in 1995.

• The Illinois, envisioned by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1956, was to be a mile high (1609 m / 5280 ft) skyscraper in Chicago.

• Eaton's / John Maryon Tower was a planned Modèle:Convert/LoffAonDbSoff (686m to spire) tall building in Toronto in 1971.

• The Miglin-Beitler Skyneedle in Chicago was to be Modèle:Convert/LoffAonDbSoff<ref>http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=103012</ref> tall in 1988.

• Until late 1995, there were plans to rebuild the collapsed Modèle:Convert/LoffAonDbSoff Warsaw Radio Mast to its previous height on the same site, using the basements of the old mast. Although some refurbishment of the basements started, work was canceled after violent protests by local residents, who feared harmful radiation effects from the high-power transmitter served by the antenna. A new transmission facility with two smaller masts measuring 330 and 289 m was built as a replacement in 1998-99 at Solec Kujawski.

• 7 South Dearborn in Chicago was planned in 1999 to be Modèle:Convert/LoffAonDbSoff.

• Construction was scheduled to begin in 2006 on the now-canceled Strait of Messina Bridge. It would have been the world's largest suspension bridge as well as the tallest, as the proposed height of the two towers, Modèle:Formatnum:382.6 metres ({{formatnum:{{rnd/+|382.6*1/0.3048|0|Modèle:Rnd/00}}}} ft), exceeded the Modèle:Convert/LoffAonDbSoff of current record-holder Millau Viaduct in France.

• Construction was cancelled on the Grollo Tower (named after the architect) in Melbourne's developing Dockland precinct in April 2001 after Melbourne's Docklands Authority ruled it out of the tender for development of the Batman Hill's precinct. The area is now occupied by a mixture of smaller commercial and residential buildings. The Grollo Tower would have been the world's tallest building at the time at 560m (1837ft) tall.

• A series of super-tall sky-scrapers were planned for the major Australian cities of Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney and Perth from 1985-95 but were all cancelled. The plans included (in order of height) the Grollo Tower (mentioned above), Bribane Central Tower (450m/1476ft, Brisbane), Minuzzo Tower (450m/1476ft, Brisbane), CBD-1 (445m/1459ft, Sydney), Melbourne Plaza (338m/1109ft, Melbourne), City Tower (305m100ft, Sydney) and the Westralia Tower (287m/941ft, Perth). The buildings would have been some of the tallest buildings in the world at the time, but were cancelled mainly due to their unnecessary heights which would have dwarfed all surrounding buildings

References

External links

• Collection of many record holders on Skyscraperpage

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