Architecture-Building & Construction

What is the World's Tallest Building?

A. It depends on who does the measuring! Skyscraper buffs disagree on whether features like flagpoles, antennas, and spires should be included when measuring building height.
Also under dispute is the question of what, exactly, constitutes a building. Technically, observation towers and communications towers are considered structures, not buildings, because they are not habitable. They do not have residential or office space.
Soaring 1,670 feet (509 meters), the Taipei 101 Tower in Taipei, Taiwan appears to be the world's tallest building. But the Taipei 101 Tower's massive 60-foot spire contributes to much of that height.
Before the Taipei 101 Tower was completed, the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia were described as the tallest buildings in the world.
But, like the Taipei 101 Tower, the Petronas Twin Towers get much of their height from spires, not from usable space.
If you count only habitable space and measure from the sidewalk level of the main entrance to the structural top of building (excluding flagpoles and spires), then Chicago's Sears Tower, built in 1974, may still be the tallest building in the world.
But none of these buildings will keep their rankings for long. Even taller buildings are on the drawing board. Freedom Tower at the new World Trade Center in New York City is expected to rise 541 meters (1,776 feet) tall, including its enormous spire.
However, if spires, flagpoles, and antennas can be counted when we measure building heights, perhaps rankings of the World's Tallest Buildings should include all man-made structures,... whether or not they contain habitable space. In this case, the CN Tower in Canada is the world's tallest building. The communications tower and tourist attraction measures 553.33 meters (1,815 ft., 5 inches) tall.
Listed below are vital statistics for the tallest buildings in the world, as reported by skyscraper databases and Web sites.

Important notes:
• Building heights and rankings are often disputed. To find out how building heights are ranked, see: What is the world's tallest building?
• This page lists only buildings with full floors on each story. For information about other very tall structures, see: TV, Radio & Observation Towers.

World's Tallest Buildings Ranked
Buildings in shaded boxes are proposed, not completed,
or no longer standing. For completed buildings, scroll down.

Building & Location Year Stories Height Chief Architect M. Ft.

Burj Dubai ,Dubai, UAE
(under construction) 2008? 160 705 2,313 Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Center of India Tower, Katangi, India (speculative) 2008? 224 677 2,222
Tower of Russia, Moscow, Russia (proposed) 2010? 134 648 2,129

International Business Center, Seoul, S. Korea (proposed) 2008? 130 580 1,903

Freedom Tower at the World Trade Center New York (under construction) 2011? 540 1,776 Daniel Libeskind / Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

Lotte World II Busan S. Korea (proposed) 2012? 107 512 1,680 Steven Huh, ParkerDurrant International

Taipei 101 Tower Taipei, Taiwan 2004 101 509 1,670 C.Y. Lee & Partner

Shanghai World Financial Center, China
(under construction) 2007? 101 492 1,614 Kohn Pederson Fox

Union Square Phase 7, Hong Kong, China (under construction) 2007? 102 474 1,555

Suyong Bay Tower, Busan, S. Korea
(proposed) 2010? 102 462 1,516 Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates

Xujiahui Tower, Shanghai, China
(proposed) 92 460 1,509

Petronas Tower 1, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1998 88 452 1,483 Cesar Pelli

Petronas Twin Tower 2, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1998 88 452 1,483 Cesar Pelli

The Gateway III, Hong Kong, China
(proposed) ? 450 1,476

Sears Tower, Chicago 1974 110 442 1,450 Bruce Graham (SOM)

Asia Plaza, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
(proposed) 2008? 103 431 1,414 TMA Architects & Associates

Jin Mao Building, Shanghai 1999 88 421 1,381 SOM

Dalian International Trade Center, Dalian China (proposed) 2007? 78 420 1,378

World Trade Center, New York Destroyed by terrorists 9/11/01 1973 110 417 1,368 Minoru Yamaski

Two International Finance Centre (IFC), Hong Kong 2003 88 415 Cesar Pelli

Sky Central Plaza (CITI Plaza, China International Trust) Guanzhou 1997 80 391 1,283 DLN Architects

North Bund Tower, Shanghai, China (proposed) ? 72 388 1,273 John Portman & Associates

Shun Hing Square, Shenzhen, China 1996 69 384 1,260 K.Y. Cheung Design Assc.

Empire State Building, New York
1931 102 381 1,250 Shreve, Lamb and Harmon

Abbco Rotana Hotel, Dubai, UAE (proposed) 2006 72 380 1,247 Khatib & Alami

Central Plaza, Hong Kong
1992 78 374 1,227 Ng Chun Man

Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong 1989 70 369 1,209 Ieoh Ming Pei

Bank of America Tower, New York City USA (under construction) 2008? 54 366 1,200 Cook+Fox

Millenium Tower Frankfurt Germany
(proposed) 2011? 91 365 1,198 Albert Speer & Partner GmbH

Emirates Tower One, Dubai 1999 54 355 1,165