Editing History of the world's tallest structures

{{Short description|None}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}}
[[File:Burj Khalifa.jpg|thumb|[[Burj Khalifa]], in Dubai, is currently the world's tallest building.]]
{{GeoGroup}}

{{Main|List of tallest structures}}
This is the '''History of the world's tallest structures'''.

==Overall==
From around 2650 BC to 1240 AD, the [[Egyptian pyramids]] (culminating in the [[Great Pyramid of Giza]]) were the tallest structures in the world.  Then from 1240-1884, the tallest structures were European churches.  From 1954-2008 the tallest structures on dry land were [[Guyed mast|guyed radio or TV masts]], although [[oil platform]]s supported by the sea have been the [[Oil platform#Particularly large examples|tallest structures]] since [[Oil platform#History of deepest offshore oil wells|about 1980]].  This is a list of the tallest structures on dry land:
{|
|width=20%| {{Color box|#CEF2E0|border=darkgray}} Taller than all past structures (including destroyed structures)
|}

{| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align: center;" cellpadding="2"
|- style="background: #ececec;"
!Record from
!Record held (years)
!Name and location
!Constructed<!--Sorted by completion date-->
!Height (metres)
!Height (feet)
! class="unsortable" | Coordinates
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|data-sort-value="-9500" |c.&nbsp;9500&nbsp;BC<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Clare |first1=Lee |title=Göbekli Tepe, Turkey. A brief summary of research at a new World Heritage Site (2015–2019) |journal=E-Forschungsberichte |date=12 October 2020 |pages=§ 1–13–§ 1–13 |doi=10.34780/efb.v0i2.1012 |url=https://publications.dainst.org/journals/index.php/efb/article/view/2596 |language=de}}</ref>
|1,500
|style="text-align:left" | [[Göbekli Tepe]], [[Turkey]]
|data-sort-value="-9500" |c.&nbsp;9500&nbsp;BC
|5-6
|18
|{{Coord|37|13|23|N|38|55|21|E|type:landmark|name=Göbekli Tepe}}
|style="text-align:left;"| Possibly one of the earliest known temples.
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|data-sort-value="-8000" |c.&nbsp;8000&nbsp;BC
|4,000
|style="text-align:left" | [[Tower of Jericho]], [[West Bank]], [[Palestine]]
|data-sort-value="-8000" |c.&nbsp;8000&nbsp;BC
|8.5
|27.9
|{{coord|31.872041|35.443981|type:landmark|name=Tower of Jericho}}
|style="text-align:left;"| One of the earliest ever stone monuments.
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|data-sort-value="-4000" |c.&nbsp;4000&nbsp;BC
|1,350
|style="text-align:left" | [[Anu ziggurat]], [[Uruk]], [[Iraq]]
|data-sort-value="-4000" |c.&nbsp;4000&nbsp;BC
|13
|40
|{{coord|31|19|28|N|45|38|24.6|E|type:landmark|name=Anu ziggurat}}
|
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|data-sort-value="-2650" |c.&nbsp;2650&nbsp;BC
|40
|style="text-align:left" | [[Pyramid of Djoser]], [[Saqqara]], [[Egypt]]
|data-sort-value="-2650" |c.&nbsp;2650&nbsp;BC
|62.5
|205
|{{Coord|29|52|16.53|N|31|12|59.59|E|type:landmark|name=Pyramid of Djoser}}
|style="text-align:left;"| First Egyptian pyramid, formed of six stacked [[mastaba]]s.
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|data-sort-value="-2610" |c.&nbsp;2610&nbsp;BC
|5
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Meidum Pyramid]], Egypt
|data-sort-value="-2610" |c.&nbsp;2610&nbsp;BC
|91.65
|301
|{{Coord|29|23|17|N|31|09|25|E|type:landmark|name=Meidum Pyramid}}
|style="text-align:left;"| Shortly after completion Meidum Pyramid collapsed due to bad design/instability and is now {{convert|65|m|ft|abbr=on}}.
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|data-sort-value="-2605" |c.&nbsp;2605&nbsp;BC
|5
| style="text-align:left;"| [[Bent Pyramid]], [[Dahshur|Dashur]], Egypt
|data-sort-value="-2605" |c.&nbsp;2605&nbsp;BC
|104.71
|343.5
|{{Coord|29|47|25|N|31|12|33|E|type:landmark|name=Bent Pyramid}}
|style="text-align:left;"| Angle of slope decreased during construction to avoid collapse.
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|data-sort-value="-2600" |c.&nbsp;2600&nbsp;BC
|30
|style="text-align:left" | [[Red Pyramid]] of [[Sneferu]], Egypt
|data-sort-value="-2600" |c.&nbsp;2600&nbsp;BC
|105
|344.5
|{{Coord|29|48|31.39|N|31|12|22.49|E|type:landmark|name=Red Pyramid}}
|&nbsp;
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|data-sort-value="-2570" |c.&nbsp;2570&nbsp;BC
|3,810
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Great Pyramid of Giza]] in Egypt
|data-sort-value="-2570" |c.&nbsp;2570&nbsp;BC
|146.6
|481
|{{Coord|29|58|44.93|N|31|08|3.09|E|type:landmark|name=Great Pyramid of Giza}}
|style="text-align:left;"| By 1647, the Great Pyramid's height had decreased to {{convert|139|m|ft|abbr=on}} after its top was removed.
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1240
|71
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Old St Paul's Cathedral]] in [[London]], [[England]]
|data-sort-value="1666" |1087–1666
|149
|489
|{{Coord|51|30|49|N|0|5|54|W|type:landmark|name=Old St Paul's Cathedral}}
|style="text-align:left;"| The spire was destroyed by a lightning strike in 1561.
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1311
|237
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Lincoln Cathedral]] in England
|data-sort-value="1311" |1092–1311
|160
|525
|{{Coord|53|14|3.26|N|0|32|10.54|W|type:landmark|name=Lincoln Cathedral}}
|style="text-align:left;"| The central spire was destroyed in a storm in 1549. While the reputed height of {{convert|525|ft|m|abbr=on}} is accepted by most sources,<ref name="Haughton, Brian 2007 p.167">Haughton, Brian (2007), ''Hidden History: Lost Civilizations, Secret Knowledge, and Ancient Mysteries'', p. 167</ref><ref name="Michael Woods 2009 p.41">Michael Woods, Mary B. Woods (2009), ''Seven Wonders of the Ancient World'', p. 41</ref><ref name=skyscrapernews>{{cite web|url=http://www.skyscrapernews.com/buildings.php?id=384|title=Lincoln Cathedral|access-date=May 5, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Darwin Porter 2010 p.588">Darwin Porter, Danforth Prince (2010), ''Frommer's England 2010'', p. 588</ref><ref name="Mary Jane Taber 1905 p.100">Mary Jane Taber (1905), ''The cathedrals of England: an account of some of their distinguishing characteristics'', p. 100</ref><ref name="time.com">{{Cite web |date=2010-01-07 |title=A Brief History of the World's Tallest Buildings – Photo Essays |magazine=Time |url=http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1950812_2018362,00.html |access-date=2023-06-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107044454/http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1950812_2018362,00.html |archive-date=January 7, 2010 }}</ref> others consider it doubtful<ref name="Kendrick 1902 60">{{cite book |last=Kendrick |first=A. F. |url=https://archive.org/details/cathedralchurcho00kend |title=The Cathedral Church of Lincoln: A History and Description of its Fabric and a List of the Bishops |publisher=George Bell & Sons |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-178-03666-4 |location=London |page=[https://archive.org/details/cathedralchurcho00kend/page/60 60] |chapter=2: The Central Tower |quote=The tall spire of timber, covered with lead, which originally crowned this tower reached an altitude, it is said, of 525 feet; but this is doubtful. This spire was blown down during a tempest in January 1547–1548.}}</ref>
|-
|1549
|20 (first run)
|style="text-align:left;"| [[St. Mary's Church, Stralsund|St. Mary's Church]] in [[Stralsund]], [[Germany]]
|data-sort-value="1478" |1384–1478
|151
|495
|{{Coord|54|18|36.01|N|13|5|14.81|E|type:landmark|name=St. Mary's church, Stralsund}}
|style="text-align:left;"| (See also resumption 1573–1647). Today its church tower has a dome and stands at {{convert|104|m|ft|abbr=on|1}} tall.
|-
|1569
|4
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Beauvais Cathedral]] in [[France]]
|data-sort-value="1569" |1272–1569
|153
|502
|{{Coord|49.4326|N|2.0814|E|type:landmark|name=Beauvais Cathedral}}
|style="text-align:left;"| Spire collapsed in 1573; today, the church stands at a height of 67.2 metres (220.5 ft).
|-
|1573
|94 (prior 20 + new 74)
|style="text-align:left;"| [[St. Mary's Church, Stralsund|St. Mary's Church]] in Stralsund, Germany
|data-sort-value="1478" |1384–1478
|151
|495
|{{Coord|54|18|36.01|N|13|5|14.81|E|type:landmark|name=St. Mary's church, Stralsund}}
|style="text-align:left;"| See also 1549–1569. The church tower's spire burnt down after a lightning strike in 1647. Today the tower has a dome and stands at a height of {{convert|104|m|ft|abbr=on}}.
|-
|1647
|227
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Strasbourg Cathedral]] in France
|1439
|142
|466
|{{Coord|48|34|54.22|N|7|45|1.48|E|type:landmark|name=Strasbourg Cathedral}}
|style="text-align:left;"| By 1647, the [[Pyramid of Khafre]]'s height had decreased from {{convert|143.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} to {{convert|136.4|m|ft|abbr=on}} after its top was removed.
|-
|1874
|2
|style="text-align:left;"| [[St. Nicholas Church, Hamburg|St. Nikolai]] in [[Hamburg]], Germany
|data-sort-value="1874" |1846–1874
|147
|483
|{{Coord|53|32|50.94|N|9|59|26.12|E|type:landmark|name=St. Nikolai, Hamburg}}
|style="text-align:left;"| The nave was demolished by aerial bombing during World War II; only the spire remains.
|-
|1876
|4
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Rouen Cathedral|Cathédrale Notre Dame]] in [[Rouen]], France
|data-sort-value="1876" |1202–1876
|151
|495
|{{Coord|49|26|24.54|N|1|5|41.85|E|type:landmark|name=Rouen Cathedral}}
|&nbsp;
|-
|1880
|4
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Cologne Cathedral]] in Germany
|data-sort-value="1880" |1248–1880
|157.38
|516
|{{Coord|50|56|28.08|N|6|57|25.73|E|type:landmark|name=Cologne Cathedral, Tower South}} ;{{Coord|50|56|29.11|N|6|57|25.85|E|type:landmark|name=Cologne Cathedral, Tower North}}
|style="text-align:left;"|
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1884
|5
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Washington Monument]] in [[Washington, D.C.]], [[United States]]
|data-sort-value="1888" |1848–1888
|169.29
|555
|{{Coord|38|53|22.08|N|77|2|6.89|W|type:landmark|name=Washington Monument}}
|style="text-align:left;"| The world's tallest all-stone structure, as well as the tallest [[obelisk]]-form structure.
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1889
|42
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Eiffel Tower]] in [[Paris]], France
|data-sort-value="1889" |1887–1889
|312
|1,024
|{{Coord|48|51|29.77|N|2|17|40.09|E|type:landmark|name=Eiffel Tower}}
|style="text-align:left;"| The addition of a telecommunications tower in the 1950s brought the overall height to {{convert|330|m|ft|abbr=on}}.
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1930
|1
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Chrysler Building]] in [[New York City]], United States
|data-sort-value="1930" |1928–1930
|319
|1,046
|{{Coord|40|45|5.78|N|73|58|31.52|W|type:landmark|name=Chrysler Building}}
| style="text-align:left;"|
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1931
|23
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Empire State Building]] in New York City, United States
|data-sort-value="1931" |1930–1931
|381
|1,250
|{{Coord|40|44|54.95|N|73|59|8.71|W|type:landmark|name=Empire State Building}}
|style="text-align:left;"| First building with 100+ stories. The addition of a pinnacle and antennas later increased its overall height to {{convert|448.7|m|ft|abbr=on}}. This was subsequently lowered to {{convert|443.1|m|ft|abbr=on}}.
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1954
|2
|style="text-align:left" | [[Griffin Television Tower Oklahoma]] (AKA [[KWTV]] Transmission Tower), [[Oklahoma City]], [[Oklahoma]], United States
|1954
|480.5
|1,576
| {{coord|35|32|58.59|N|97|29|50.27|W|type:landmark|name=Griffin Television Tower Oklahoma}}
|
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1956
|3
|style="text-align:left" | [[KOBR-TV Tower]], [[Caprock, New Mexico|Caprock]], [[New Mexico]], United States
|1956
|490.7
|1,610
| {{coord|33|22|31.31|N|103|46|14.3|W|type:landmark|name=KOBR-TV Tower}}
|style="text-align:left;"| Collapsed in 1960; rebuilt
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1959
|1
|style="text-align:left" | [[WGME-TV#WGME TV Tower|WGME TV Tower]], [[Raymond, Maine|Raymond]], [[Maine]], United States
|1959
|495
|1,624
| {{coord|43|55|28.43|N|70|29|26.72|W|type:landmark|name=WGME TV Tower}}
|
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1960
|2
|style="text-align:left" | [[KFVS TV Mast]], [[Cape Girardeau County]], [[Missouri]], United States
|1960
|511.1
|1,677
| {{coord|37|25|44.5|N|89|30|13.84|W|type:landmark|name=KFVS TV Mast}}
|
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1962
|1
|style="text-align:left" | [[WTVM/WRBL-TV & WVRK-FM Tower]], [[Cusseta, Georgia|Cusseta]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], United States
|1962
|533
|1,749
| {{coord|32|19|25.09|N|84|46|45.07|W|type:landmark|name=WTVM/WRBL-TV & WVRK-FM Tower}}
|
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1963
|0
|style="text-align:left" | [[WIMZ-FM-Tower]], [[Knoxville]], [[Tennessee]], United States
|1963
|534.01
|1,752
| {{coord|36|08|05.49|N|83|43|28.01|W|type:landmark|name=WIMZ-FM-Tower}}
|
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1963
|11 (first run)
|style="text-align:left" | [[KVLY-TV mast]], [[Blanchard, North Dakota|Blanchard]], [[North Dakota]], United States
|1963
|628.8
|2,063
| {{coord|47|20|31.85|N|97|17|21.13|W|type:landmark|name=KVLY-TV mast}}
|style="text-align:left;"| (See also resumption 1991–2000). 75-foot analog antenna was removed from the top of the structure in 2018 in digital repack construction{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}}
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|1974
|17
|style="text-align:left" | [[Warsaw Radio Mast]], [[Gąbin]], [[Poland]]
|1974
|646.4
|2,121
| {{Coord|52|22|3.74|N|19|48|8.73|E|type:landmark|name=Konstantynow Radio Mast (destroyed)}}
|style="text-align:left;"| Mast radiator insulated against ground, collapsed in 1991
|-
|1991
|28 (prior 11 + new 17)
|style="text-align:left" | [[KVLY-TV mast]], Blanchard, North Dakota, U.S.
|1963
|628.8
|2,063
| {{coord|47|20|31.85|N|97|17|21.13|W|type:landmark|name=KVLY-TV mast}}
|style="text-align:left;"| See also 1963–1974. 75-foot analog antenna was removed from the top of the structure in 2018 in digital repack construction{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}}
|- style="background-color:#CEF2E0
|2008
|{{Age|2008|04|07}}
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Burj Khalifa]] in [[Dubai]], [[United Arab Emirates]]
|data-sort-value="2009" |2004–2009
|829.8
|2,722
|{{coord|25|11|50.0|N|55|16|26.6|E|type:landmark|name=Burj Dubai}}
|
|}

[[Image:Maszt radiowy w Konstantynowie.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Warsaw radio mast]], the height record holder from 1974 to 1991]]

==Guyed structures==
As many large [[guyed mast]]s were destroyed at the end of World War II, the dates for the years between 1945 and 1950 may be incorrect. If [[Wusung Radio Tower]] survived World War II, it was the tallest guyed structure shortly after World War II.

{| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align: center;" cellpadding="2"
|- style="background: #ececec;"
! rowspan="2" | Record from
! rowspan="2" | Record held (years)
! rowspan="2" | Name and location
! rowspan="2" | Constructed
! colspan="2" | Height
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Coordinates
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Notes
|- style="background: #ececec;"
! m
! ft
|-
|1913
|7
|style="text-align:left" | Central mast of [[Eilvese transmitter]], [[Eilvese]], [[Germany]]
|1913
|250
|820
| {{Coord|52|31|40|N|9|24|24|E|type:landmark|name=Eilvese transmitter (demolished)}}
|Mast was divided in 145&nbsp;m by an insulator, demolished in 1931
|-
|1920
|3
|style="text-align:left" | Central masts of [[Nauen Transmitter Station]], [[Nauen]], Germany
|1920
|260
|853
| {{Coord|52|38|56|N|12|54|30|E|type:landmark|name=Nauen transmitter}}
|2 masts, demolished in 1946
|-
|1923
|10
|style="text-align:left" | Masts of [[Zendmast Ruiselede|Ruiselede transmitter]], [[Ruiselede]], [[Belgium]]
|1923
|287
|942
| {{Coord|51|4|44|N|3|20|6.9|E|type:landmark|name=Zendmast Ruiselede (destroyed) (location unclear)}}?
|8 masts, destroyed in 1940
|-
|1933
|6
|style="text-align:left" |[[Lakihegy Tower]], [[Lakihegy]], [[Hungary]]
|1933
|314
|1,031
| {{coord|47|22|23.45|N|19|0|17.21|E|type:landmark|name=Lakihegy Radio Tower}}
|Blaw-Knox Tower, insulated against ground, destroyed in 1945; rebuilt
|-
|1939
|7
|style="text-align:left" |[[Deutschlandsender Herzberg/Elster]], [[Herzberg (Elster)]], Germany
|1939
|335
|1,099
| {{Coord|51|42|59.76|N|13|15|51.5|E|type:landmark|name=Deutschlandsender III (dismantled)}}
|Insulated against ground, dismantled 1946/1947
|-
|1946
|2
|style="text-align:left" |[[Lakihegy Tower]], [[Lakihegy]], Hungary
|1946
|314
|1,031
| {{coord|47|22|23.45|N|19|0|17.21|E|type:landmark|name=Lakihegy Radio Tower}}
|Blaw-Knox Tower, Insulated against ground, rebuilt after destruction in 1945
|-
|1948
|1
|style="text-align:left" |[[WIVB-TV Tower]], [[Colden, New York|Colden]], [[New York (state)|New York]], United States
|1948
|321.9
|1,056
| {{coord|42|39|33.19|N|78|37|33.91|W|type:landmark|name=WIVB-TV Tower}}
|
|-
|1949
|1
|style="text-align:left" |[[Longwave transmitter Raszyn]], [[Raszyn]], [[Poland]]
|1949
|335
|1,099
| {{Coord|52|4|21.72|N|20|53|2.15|E|type:landmark|name=Raszyn Radio Mast}}
|Insulated against ground
|-
|1950
|4
|style="text-align:left" |[[Forestport Tower]], [[Forestport]], [[New York (state)|New York]], United States
|1950
|371.25
|1,218
| {{coord|43|26|41.9|N|75|5|9.55|W|type:landmark|name=Forestport Tower (demolished)}}
|Insulated against ground, demolished
|-
|1954
| colspan="7" | From 1954-2008 [[guyed mast]]s held the record for tallest structure overall, as seen in the table above.
|-
|1963
|11 (first run)
|style="text-align:left" | [[KVLY-TV mast]], [[Blanchard, North Dakota|Blanchard]], [[North Dakota]], United States
|1963
|628.8
|2,063
| {{coord|47|20|31.85|N|97|17|21.13|W|type:landmark|name=KVLY-TV mast}}
|style="text-align:left;"| (See also resumption 1991–2018). 75-foot analog antenna was removed from the top of the structure in 2018 in digital repack construction{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}}
|-
|1974
|17
|style="text-align:left" | [[Warsaw Radio Mast]], [[Gąbin]], [[Poland]]
|1974
|646.4
|2,121
| {{Coord|52|22|3.74|N|19|48|8.73|E|type:landmark|name=Konstantynow Radio Mast (destroyed)}}
|style="text-align:left;"| Mast radiator insulated against ground, collapsed in 1991
|-
|1991
|38 (prior 11 + new 27)
|style="text-align:left" | [[KVLY-TV mast]], Blanchard, North Dakota, U.S.
|1963
|628.8
|2,063
| {{coord|47|20|31.85|N|97|17|21.13|W|type:landmark|name=KVLY-TV mast}}
|style="text-align:left;"| See also 1963–1974. 75-foot analog antenna was removed from the top of the structure in 2018 in digital repack construction{{Citation needed|date=August 2020}}
|-
|2018
|{{Age|2018|01|01}}<!--Used January 1st for lack of the real date.-->
|style="text-align:left" | [[KRDK-TV mast]], [[Galesburg, North Dakota|Galesburg]], [[North Dakota]], United States
|1997
|628.0
|2,060
| {{coord|47|16|45.06|N|97|20|25.68|W|type:landmark|name=KRDK-TV mast}}
|
|}

==Freestanding structures==
{{See also|Skyscraper#History of the tallest skyscrapers}}
Freestanding structures must not be supported by guy wires (like [[guyed mast]]s or partially guyed towers), or built underground or on the [[seabed]] and supported by the sea (such as the [[Petronius Platform]]). They include towers, chimneys, and skyscrapers (listed based on their pinnacle height). Until 1954, freestanding structures held the record for tallest structures overall, as seen in the Overall table above.  Here are the records for freestanding structures after that point:

{| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align: center;" cellpadding="2"
|- style="background: #ececec;"
!Record from
!Record held (years)
!Name and location
!Constructed<!--Sorted by completion date-->
!Height (metres)
!Height (feet)
! class="unsortable" | Coordinates
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1931
|36
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Empire State Building]] in [[New York City]], [[United States]]
|data-sort-value="1931" |1930–1931
|381
|1,250
|{{Coord|40|44|54.95|N|73|59|8.71|W|type:landmark|name=Empire State Building}}
|style="text-align:left;"| First building with 100+ stories. The addition of a pinnacle and antennas later increased its overall height to {{convert|448.7|m|ft|abbr=on}}. This was subsequently lowered to {{convert|443.1|m|ft|abbr=on}}.
|-
|1967
|8
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Ostankino Tower]] in [[Moscow]], [[Soviet Union]]
|data-sort-value="1967" |1963–1967
|540
|1,762
|{{Coord|55|49|10.94|N|37|36|41.79|E|type:landmark|name=Ostankino Tower}}
|style="text-align:left;"| Remains the tallest in Europe. Fire in 2000 led to extensive renovation.
|-
|1975
|32
|style="text-align:left;"| [[CN Tower]] in [[Toronto]], [[Canada]]
|data-sort-value="1976" |1973–1976
|553.33
|1,815.39
|{{coord|43|38|33.22|N|79|23|13.41|W|type:landmark|name=CN Tower}}
|style="text-align:left;"| The tallest in the [[Western Hemisphere]].
|-
|2007
|{{Age|2007|09|12}}
|style="text-align:left;"| [[Burj Khalifa]] in [[Dubai]], [[United Arab Emirates]]
|data-sort-value="2009" |2004–2009
|829.8
|2,722
|{{coord|25|11|50.0|N|55|16|26.6|E|type:landmark|name=Burj Dubai}}
|style="text-align:left" | Holder of world's tallest freestanding structure. Topped out at {{convert|829.8|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} in 2009.
|}

[[Image:Worlds tallest buildings, 1884.jpg|thumb|upright=2|right|Diagram of the principal high buildings of the Old World, 1884]]
Notable mentions include the [[Lighthouse of Alexandria|Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria]], built in the third century BC and estimated between {{convert|115|–|135|m|ft|abbr=on}}. It was the world's tallest non-pyramidal structure 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 {{convert|122|m|ft|abbr=on}}. These were both the world's tallest or second-tallest non-pyramidal structure 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]], Italy, which is {{convert|102|m|ft|abbr=on}} tall, and was constructed in the first half of the fourteenth century; and the {{convert|97|m|ft|adj=mid|-tall}} [[Torre degli Asinelli]] in [[Bologna]], Italy, built between 1109 and 1119.

==Freestanding towers==
[[File:TaroTokyo20110213-TokyoTower-01.jpg|right|thumb|[[Tokyo Tower]] held the record of being the tallest tower in the world from 1958 to 1967. In addition, it held the record of being the tallest structure in Japan from 1958 to 2011, when the [[Tokyo Skytree]] (the current tallest tower in the world) surpassed it.]]
Towers include observation towers, monuments and other structures not generally considered to be "habitable buildings", they are meant for "regular access by humans, but not for living in or office work", meaning it excludes from this list of continuously habitable buildings and skyscrapers. [[List of masts|Radio and TV masts]] with guy-wires for support are also excluded, since they aren't freestanding.

[[List of tallest bridges in the world|Bridge tower]]s or pylons, [[List of chimneys|chimneys]], [[transmission tower]]s, and most large [[List of statues by height|statue]]s allow human access for maintenance, but not as part of their normal operation, and are therefore not considered to be towers.

[[File:Toronto's CN Tower.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[CN Tower]] in Toronto was the world's tallest freestanding structure from 1975 to 2007.]]
The following is a list of structures that have historically held the title as the tallest towers in the world.
{| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align: center;" cellpadding="2"
|- style="background: #ececec;"
! Record from
! Tower
! Location 
! Pinnacle height 
|-
| 280 BC || [[Lighthouse of Alexandria|Pharos Lighthouse]] || [[Alexandria]], [[Egypt]] || 122 m
|-
| 1180 || [[Malmesbury Abbey]] Tower || [[Malmesbury]], [[UK]] || 131.3 m
|-
| 1240
| colspan="3" | From 1240-1930 towers held the record for tallest structure overall, as seen in the Overall table above.
|-
| 1889 || [[Eiffel Tower]] || [[Paris]], [[France]] || 312.3 m
|-
| 1956 || [[KCTV Broadcast Tower]] || [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]], [[Missouri]], [[United States]] || 317.6 m
|-
| 1957 || [[Eiffel Tower]] (with addition) || [[Paris]], [[France]] || 320.75 m
|-
| 1958 || [[Tokyo Tower]] || [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]] || 332.6 m
|-
| 1967 || [[Ostankino Tower]] || [[Moscow]], [[Russia]] || 540.1 m
|-
| 1975 || [[CN Tower]] || [[Toronto]], [[Canada]] || 553.33 m
|-
| 2010 || [[Canton Tower]] || [[Guangzhou]], [[China]] || 600 m
|-
| 2011 || [[Tokyo Skytree]] || [[Tokyo]], [[Japan]] || 634 m
|}

== Buildings ==
{{Main|List of tallest buildings}}

The [[Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat]], an organization that certifies buildings as the "World's Tallest", recognizes a building only if at least 50% of its height is made up of floor plates containing habitable floor area.<ref name="ctbuh criteria">{{cite web |title=CTBUH Height Criteria for Measuring & Defining Tall Buildings |url=https://cloud.ctbuh.org/CTBUH_HeightCriteria.pdf |page=5 |publisher=[[Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat]] |access-date=November 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241109162341/https://cloud.ctbuh.org/CTBUH_HeightCriteria.pdf |archive-date=November 9, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> Structures that do not meet this criterion, such as the [[CN Tower]], are defined as "[[tower]]s".

Up until the late 1990s, the definition of "tallest building" was not altogether clear. It was generally understood to be the height of the building to the top of its architectural elements including spires, but not including "temporary" structures (such as antennas or flagpoles), which could be added or changed relatively easily without requiring major changes to the building's design. Varying standards have been used by different organizations, so the accepted height of these structures or buildings depends on which standards are accepted. The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat has changed its definitions over time. Some of the controversy regarding the definitions and assessment of tall structures and buildings has included the following:
* the definition of a structure, a building and a tower 
* whether a structure, building or tower under construction should be included in any assessment
* whether a structure, building or tower has to be officially opened before it is assessed
* whether structures built in and rising above water should have their below-water height included in any assessment.
* whether a structure, building or tower that is guyed is assessed in the same category as self-supporting structures.

Within an accepted definition of a building further controversy has included the following factors:
* whether only habitable height of the building is considered
* whether communication towers with [[Observation gallery|observation galleries]] should be considered "habitable" in this sense
* whether rooftop [[antenna (electronics)|antennas]], viewing platforms or any other architecture that does not form a habitable floor should be included in the assessment
* whether a floor built at a high level of a telecommunications or viewing tower should change the tower's definition to that of a "building"

One historic case involved the building now famous for the [[Times Square Ball]]. Known as [[One Times Square]] (at 1475 [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]] in [[Midtown Manhattan]]), it was the headquarters for'' [[The New York Times]], ''which gave [[Times Square]] its name. Completed in 1905, it reached a height of {{convert|364|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} to its roof, or {{convert|420|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} including its rooftop flagpole, which the ''Times'' hoped would give it a record high status but because a flagpole is not an integral architectural part of a building, One Times Square was not generally considered to be taller than the {{convert|390|ft|m|adj=mid|-high|sp=us}} [[Park Row Building]] in [[Lower Manhattan]], which was therefore still [[List of tallest buildings in New York City#Timeline of tallest buildings|New York's tallest]].<ref name="ctbuh defs history">{{cite web|url=http://ctbuh.org/AboutCTBUH/History/MeasuringTall/tabid/1320/language/en-US/Default.aspx|title=History of Measuring Tall Buildings|access-date=May 3, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120410072709/http://www.ctbuh.org/AboutCTBUH/History/MeasuringTall/tabid/1320/language/en-US/Default.aspx|archive-date=April 10, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A bigger controversy was the rivalry between two New York City [[skyscrapers]] built in the [[Roaring Twenties]]—the [[Chrysler Building]] and [[40 Wall Street]]. The latter was {{convert|927|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} tall, had a shorter pinnacle, and had a much higher top occupied floor (the second category in the 1996 criteria for tallest building).<ref name="ctbuh defs history"/> In contrast, the Chrysler Building employed a very long {{convert|125|ft|m|adj=on}} spire secretly assembled inside the building to claim the title of world's tallest building with a total height of {{convert|1048|ft|m}}, despite having a lower top occupied floor and a shorter height when both buildings' spires are not counted in their heights.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1929/10/20/archives/denies-altering-plans-for-tallest-building-starrett-says-height-of.html|title=Denies Altering Plans for Tallest Building; Starrett Says Height of Bank of Manhattan Structure Was Not Increased to Beat Chrysler.|date=October 20, 1929|work=The New York Times|access-date=April 26, 2020|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Although the [[architect of record|architects of record]] for 40 Wall were [[H. Craig Severance]] and [[Yasuo Matsui]], the firm of [[Shreve & Lamb]] (who also designed the [[Empire State Building]]) served as consulting architects. They wrote a newspaper article claiming that 40 Wall was actually the tallest, since it contained the world's highest usable floor. They pointed out that the observation deck of 40 Wall was nearly {{convert|100|ft|m}} higher than the top floor of the Chrysler, whose surpassing spire was strictly ornamental and essentially inaccessible.<ref>Binders, George (August 2006). 101 of the World's Tallest Buildings. p. 102.</ref> Despite the protest, the Chrysler Building was generally accepted as the tallest building in the world for almost a year, until it was surpassed by the [[Empire State Building]]'s {{convert|1250|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} in 1931.

That was in turn surpassed by the {{convert|1368|ft|m|adj=mid|-high|sp=us}} Twin Towers of New York's original [[World Trade Center (1973–2001)|World Trade Center]] in 1972, which were in turn surpassed by the Sears Tower in Chicago in 1974. Now called the [[Willis Tower]] since 2009, it was {{convert|1451|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} to its flat rooftop, or {{convert|1518|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}} including its original antennas.<ref name="skyscraperpage.com">{{cite web |title=Willis Tower, Chicago – SkyscraperPage.com |url=http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=5/ |access-date=May 5, 2015 |website=SkyscraperPage.com}}</ref> But in 1978 One World Trade Center (commonly known as the North Tower) attained a taller absolute height when it added its {{convert|360|ft|m|adj=on}} new broadcasting antenna, for a total height of {{convert|1728|ft|m|1|abbr=off|sp=us}}. The WTC North Tower maintained this height record (including its antenna) from 1978 until 2000, when the owners of the Willis Tower extended its broadcasting antennae for a total height of {{convert|1729|ft|m|1|abbr=off|sp=us}}.<ref name="skyscraperpage.com"/> Thus the status of the Willis Tower as the "totally" tallest was restored in the face of a new threat looming in the Far East—the "[[Petronas Towers|Siamese Twins]]".

[[File:Petronas Twin Towers 2010 April.jpg|thumb|right|The Petronas Towers remain the tallest twin towers in the world.]]

A major controversy erupted upon completion of the [[Petronas Towers]] in [[Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia]] in 1998. These Twin Towers, at {{convert|1483|ft|m|abbr=off|sp=us}}, had a higher architectural height (spires, not antennas), but a lower absolute pinnacle height and a lower top occupied floor than the [[Willis Tower]] in Chicago. Counting buildings as structures with floors throughout, and with antenna masts excluded, the Willis was still considered the tallest at that time. Excluding their spires, which are {{convert|9|m|ft|abbr=off|sp=us}} higher than the flat roof of Willis, the Petronas Towers are not taller than Willis. At their convention in Chicago, the [[Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat]] (CTBUH) found the Willis Tower (without its antennas) to be the third-tallest building, and the Petronas Towers (with their spires) to be the world's two tallest buildings.<ref name="ctbuh defs history"/>

Responding to the ensuing controversy, the CTBUH then revised their criteria and defined four categories in which the world's tallest building can be measured, retaining the old criterion of height to architectural top, and adding three new categories:<ref name="ctbuh defs history"/>

# Highest occupied floor
# Height to top of roof (omitted from criteria from November 2009 onwards)<ref name="ctbuh defs change">{{cite news|url=http://www.ctbuh.org/NewsMedia/PR_091117_ChangeHeightCriteria/tabid/1273/language/en-US/Default.aspx|title=CTBUH changes height criteria, Burj Khalifa height increases|date=November 17, 2009|publisher=[[Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat]]|access-date=November 18, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180105123138/http://www.ctbuh.org/NewsMedia/PR_091117_ChangeHeightCriteria/tabid/1273/language/en-US/Default.aspx|archive-date=January 5, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref>
# Height to architectural top (including [[spire]]s and pinnacles, but not antennas, masts or flagpoles). This measurement is the most widely used and is used to define the rankings of the 100 Tallest Buildings in the World.
# Height to tip

The height-to-roof criterion was discontinued because relatively few modern tall buildings possess flat rooftops, making this criterion difficult to determine and measure.<ref name="ctbuh defs change"/> The CTBUH has further clarified their definitions of building height, including specific criteria concerning subbasements and ground level entrances (height measured from lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance rather than from a previously undefined "main entrance"), building completion (must be topped out both structurally and architecturally, fully clad, ''and'' able to be occupied), condition of the highest occupied floor (must be continuously used by people living or working and be conditioned, thus including [[observation deck]]s, but not [[mechanical floor]]s) and other aspects of tall buildings.<ref name="ctbuh defs change"/><ref name="ctbuh current defs">{{cite web |title=CTBUH Height Criteria for Measuring & Defining Tall Buildings |url=https://cloud.ctbuh.org/CTBUH_HeightCriteria.pdf |pages=3–4 |publisher=[[Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat]] |access-date=November 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241109162341/https://cloud.ctbuh.org/CTBUH_HeightCriteria.pdf |archive-date=November 9, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>  The height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance.

A different superlative for skyscrapers is their [[List of buildings with 100 floors or more|number of floors]]. The original World Trade Center set that record at 110 in the early 1970s, and this was not surpassed until the Burj Khalifa opened in 2010.

[[List of tallest freestanding structures|Tall freestanding structures]] such as the [[CN Tower]], the [[Ostankino Tower]] and the [[Oriental Pearl Tower]] are excluded from these categories because they are not "habitable buildings", which are defined as frame structures made with floors and walls throughout.<ref name="ctbuh criteria"/>

Here are the world records by category since the [[Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat|CTBUH]] defined them in 1996:
{|
|width=10%| {{Color box|#CEF2E0|border=darkgray}} World record at the time
|width=10%| {{Color box|#D3D3D3|border=darkgray}} Category omitted by CTBUH in 2009
|}
{| class="sortable wikitable"
|-
!Building!!Highest occupied floor!!Roof!!Architectural top!!Tip
|-
|[[1 World Trade Center (1971–2001)|1 World Trade Center]] (with its antenna added in 1979) || 386 m (1,268 ft) || 417 m (1,368 ft) || 417 m (1,368 ft) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 526.7 m (1,728 ft)
|-
|[[Willis Tower]] (with its antennas added in 1982) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 413 m (1,354 ft) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 442 m (1,450 ft) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 442 m (1,451 ft) || 520 m (1,707 ft)
|-
|[[Petronas Towers]] (completed 1998) || 375 m (1,230 ft) || 405 m (1,329 ft) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 452 m (1,483 ft) || 452 m (1,483 ft)
|-
|[[Willis Tower]] (with its antenna extension in 2000) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 413 m (1,354 ft) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 442 m (1,450 ft) || 442 m (1,451 ft) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 527.0 m (1,729 ft)
|-
|[[Taipei 101]] (completed 2003)|| style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 438 m (1,437 ft) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 449 m (1,474 ft) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 508 m (1,667 ft) || 509 m (1,671 ft)
|-
|[[Shanghai World Financial Center]] (completed 2008)|| style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 474 m (1,555 ft) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 487 m (1,599 ft) || 492 m (1,614 ft) || 494 m (1,622 ft)
|-
|[[Burj Khalifa]] (completed 2010)|| style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 585 m (1,921 ft) || style="background-color:#D3D3D3 | 739 m (2,426 ft) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 828 m (2,717 ft) || style="background-color:#CEF2E0 | 830 m (2,722 ft)
|}

==Observation decks==
{{Main|Observation deck}}
Timeline of development of world's highest [[observation deck]] since opening of the [[Washington Monument]] in 1888.

{| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Record from
! rowspan="2" | Record held (years)
! rowspan="2" | Name and location
! rowspan="2" | Building constructed
! colspan="2" | Height above ground
! rowspan="2"  class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
! m
! ft
|-
|1888
|1
|style="text-align:left" | [[Washington Monument]], [[Washington, D.C.]], [[United States]]
|1884
|152
|500
|style="text-align:left" | Was the world's tallest structure when completed.
|-
|1889
|42
|style="text-align:left" | [[Eiffel Tower]], [[Paris]], [[France]]
|1889
|275
|902
|style="text-align:left" | Two lower observation decks at {{convert|57|and|115|m|ft|abbr=on}}.
|-
|1931
|42
|style="text-align:left" | [[Empire State Building]], [[New York City]], [[United States]]
|1931
|369<ref name="The Empire State Building">{{cite web|url=http://wirednewyork.com/landmarks/esb/|title=The Empire State Building|access-date=December 23, 2007|publisher=Wired New York|archive-date=August 22, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120822163039/http://wirednewyork.com/landmarks/esb/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|1,211
|style="text-align:left" | On the 102nd floor – a second observation deck is located on the 86th floor at {{convert|320|m|ft|abbr=on}}.
|-
|1973
|1
|style="text-align:left" | [[2 World Trade Center (1971–2001)|2 World Trade Center]], New York City, United States
|1973
|399.4
|1,310
|style="text-align:left" | Measured from [[sea level]], street level was 10 feet above sea level.  Indoor observation deck on the 107th floor of South Tower opened on April 4, 1973.  Destroyed during the [[September 11 attacks]].
|-
|1974
|1
|style="text-align:left" | [[Willis Tower]], [[Chicago]], United States
|1974
|412.4
|1,353
|style="text-align:left" | Measured from the Franklin Street entrance, 103rd floor observation deck opened on June 22, 1974
|-
|1975
|1
|style="text-align:left" | [[2 World Trade Center (1971–2001)|2 World Trade Center]], New York City, United States
|1973
|419.7
|1,377
|style="text-align:left" | Measured from [[sea level]], street level was 10 feet above sea level.  Outdoor observation deck on rooftop of the South Tower opened on December 15, 1975.  Destroyed during the [[September 11 attacks]].
|-
|1976
|28
|style="text-align:left" | [[CN Tower]], [[Toronto]], [[Canada]]
|1976
|446.5
|1,464.9
|style="text-align:left" | Two further observation decks at {{convert|342|and|346|m|ft|abbr=on}}.
|-
|2004
|4
|style="text-align:left" | [[Taipei 101]], [[Taipei]], [[Taiwan|Republic of China (Taiwan)]]
|2004
|449
|1,474
|style="text-align:left" | Two other observation decks are at {{Convert|392|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} (91st-floor outdoor observation deck) and {{Convert|383|m|ft|0|abbr=on}} (89th-floor indoor observation deck).
|-
|2008
|3
|style="text-align:left" | [[Shanghai World Financial Center]], [[Shanghai]], [[China]]
|2008
|474
|1,555
|style="text-align:left" | Two further observation decks at {{convert|423|and|439|m|ft|abbr=on}}.
|-
|2011
|3
|style="text-align:left" | [[Canton Tower]], [[Guangzhou]], China
|2011
|488
|1,601
|style="text-align:left" | The rooftop outdoor observation deck opened in December 2011. There are also several other indoor observation decks in the tower, the highest at {{convert|433.2|m|ft|abbr=on}}.
|-
|2014
|2
|style="text-align:left" | [[Burj Khalifa]], [[Dubai]], [[United Arab Emirates]]
|2010
|555
|1,821
|style="text-align:left" | Opened on October 15, 2014, on the 148th floor.
|-
|2016
|3
|style="text-align:left" | [[Shanghai Tower]], [[Shanghai]], China
|2015
|562
|1,841
|style="text-align:left" | Opened on July 1, 2016. there are also 2 more observation decks on the 118th and 119th floor, at 546 and 552 meters respectively.
|-
|2019
|{{Age|2019|02|18}}
|style="text-align:left" | [[Burj Khalifa]], [[Dubai]], [[United Arab Emirates]]
|2010
|585
|1,919
|style="text-align:left" | Opened on February 18, 2019, on the 154th floor. There are other observation decks on floors 153, 152, 148 (listed above), 125, and 124 (at {{convert|452.1|m|ft|abbr=on}}).
|}

Higher observation decks have existed on [[Summit (topography)|mountain tops]] or cliffs, rather than on tall structures. The [[Grand Canyon Skywalk]], constructed in 2007, protrudes {{convert|70|ft|m|abbr=on|order=flip}} over the west rim of the Grand Canyon and is approximately {{convert|1100|m|ft|abbr=on}} above the [[Colorado River]], making it the highest of these types of structures.{{Citation needed|date=January 2011}}

==See also==
{{cols|colwidth=15em}}
* [[List of elevator test towers]]
* [[List of hyperboloid structures]]
* [[List of tallest bridges]]
* [[List of tallest church buildings]]
* [[List of tallest chimneys]]
* [[List of tallest clock towers]]
* [[List of tallest cooling towers]]
* [[List of tallest dams]]
* [[List of tallest educational buildings]]
* [[List of tallest freestanding steel structures]]
* [[List of tallest hospitals]]
* [[List of tallest hotels]]
* [[List of tallest minarets]]
* [[List of tallest oil platforms]]
* [[List of tallest residential buildings]]
* [[List of tallest statues]]
* [[List of tallest structures built before the 20th century]]
* [[List of tallest wooden buildings]]
* [[Tallest industrial buildings]]
{{colend}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://materiaislamica.com/index.php/Tallest_Buildings_in_the_Islamic_World_(2017) Tallest Buildings in the Islamic World (2017)]
* [http://skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?b7787,46244,471,23522,21,5,18,576,57183,1297,56833,1541,121691,871,35051,19525,65501,113108,51951,80782,1656,103791,93,40728,116831,47,959,281,12795,178,1815,242,1027,116377,1006,62763,54345,24546,10609,765,26123,27136,46049,40682,80783,3424,1924,10436,71997,128172 Collection] of many record holders on [http://www.skyscraperpage.com Skyscraperpage]
* [http://tallestbuildingintheworld.net/ tallestbuildingintheworld.net] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170516055735/http://tallestbuildingintheworld.net/ |date=May 16, 2017 }}
* [http://aroundtheworld80maps.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/worlds-tallest-buildings_22.html A map visualization of each country's tallest building]
* [http://your-photography.com/thailand/bangkok-unique/ The highest abandoned skyscraper in the world]

{{TBSW}}
{{SE}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tallest buildings and structures in the world}}
[[Category:Lists of construction records|Structures]]
[[Category:Lists of buildings and structures|Tallest]]
[[Category:Lists of tallest structures|*]]
[[Category:Lists of tallest buildings| ]]