The Tallest Buildings In The World
This list of tallest buildings includes skyscrapers with continuously occupiable floors and a height of at least 350 m. Non-building structures, such as towers, are not included in this list (see list of tallest buildings and structures).
Historically, the world’s tallest man-made structure was the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, which held the position for over 3,800 years until the construction of Lincoln Cathedral in England in 1311. Until the completion of the Washington Monument in 1884 the world’s tallest buildings were churches and cathedrals, Christian places of worship, in Europe. The early skyscraper was pioneered in Chicago, forming the basis for which the United States would hold the position of the world’s tallest building for much of the 20th century until 1998, when the Petronas Towers were completed. Since then only two more buildings have held the title: Taipei 101 and Burj Khalifa.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, Western Asia, China, as well as Southeast Asia have seen a boom in skyscraper construction.
Burj Khalifa
The Burj Khalifa, known as the Burj Dubai prior to its inauguration in 2010, is a skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With a total height of 829.8 m (2,722 ft) and a roof height (excluding antenna, but including a 244 m spire) of 828 m (2,717 ft), the Burj Khalifa has been the tallest structure and building in the world since its topping out in 2009.
Shanghai Tower
The Shanghai Tower literally: 'Shanghai Center Building') is a 632-metre (2,073 ft), 128-story megatall skyscraper in Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai. It shares the record (along with the Ping An Finance Center) of having the world's highest observation deck within a building or structure at 562 m.
Abraj Al Bait
The Abraj Al-Bait is a government-owned complex of seven skyscraper hotels in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. These towers are a part of the King Abdulaziz Endowment Project that aims to modernize the city in catering to its pilgrims. The central hotel tower, the Makkah Royal Clock Tower, has the world's largest clock face and is the third-tallest building and fifth-tallest freestanding structure in the world.
Ping An Finance Centre
The Ping An International Finance Center (also known as the Ping An IFC) is a 115-story, 599 m (1,965 ft) supertall skyscraper in Shenzhen, Guangdong. The building was commissioned by Ping An Insurance and designed by the American architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. It was completed in 2017, becoming the tallest building in Shenzhen, the 2nd tallest building in China and the 4th tallest building in the world.
Goldin Finance 117
Goldin Finance 117, also known as China 117 Tower, is a skyscraper under construction in Tianjin, China. The tower is expected to be 597 m (1,959 ft) with 117 stories. Construction began in 2008, and the building was scheduled to be completed in 2014, becoming the second tallest building in China, surpassing the Shanghai World Financial Center. Construction was suspended in January 2010, but resumed in 2011, with completion estimated in 2020
