document_title: List of tallest buildings and structures

question_text: what is the biggest tower in the world today

text: Debate over definitions[edit]

text: The assessment of the height of artificial structures has been controversial. Various standards have been used by different organizations which has meant that the title of world's tallest structure or building has changed depending on which standards have been 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:

text:
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.

tag: ul

text: Within an accepted definition of a building further controversy has included the following factors:

text:
whether only habitable height of the building is considered
whether communication towers with observation galleries should be considered "habitable" in this sense
whether rooftop 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"

text: Tallest structures[edit]

text: This category does not require the structure to be "officially" open but does require it to be "topped out".

text: The tallest artificial structure is Burj Khalifa, a skyscraper in Dubai that reached 828.1 m (2,717 ft) in height on January 17, 2009.[2] By April 7, 2008 it had been built higher than the KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota, USA.[3] That September it officially surpassed Poland's 646.38 m (2,120.7 ft) Warsaw radio mast, which stood from 1974 to 1991, to become the tallest structure ever built. Guyed lattice towers such as these masts had held the world height record since 1954.

text: The Petronius Platform stands 610 m (2,000 ft) off the sea floor leading some, including Guinness World Records 2007, to claim it as the tallest freestanding structure in the world. However, it is debated whether underwater height should be counted, in the same manner as height below ground is ignored on buildings. The Troll A platform is 472 m (1,549 ft), without any part of that height being supported by wires. The tension-leg type of oil platform has even greater below-water heights with several examples more than 1,000 m (3,300 ft) deep. However, these platforms are not considered constant structures as the vast majority of their height is made up of the length of the tendons attaching the floating platforms to the sea floor. Despite this, Guinness World Records 2009 listed the Ursa tension leg platform as the tallest structure in the world with a total height of 1,306 m (4,285 ft). The Magnolia Tension-leg Platform in the Gulf of Mexico is even taller with a total height of 1,432 m (4,698 ft).

text: Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan, set records in three of the four skyscraper categories at the time it opened in 2004; at the time the Burj Khalifa opened in 2010 it remained the world's tallest inhabited building 509.2 m (1,671 ft) as measured to its architectural height (spire). The height of its roof 449.2 m (1,474 ft) and highest occupied floor 439.2 m (1,441 ft) had been surpassed by the Shanghai World Financial Center with corresponding heights of 487 and 474 m (1,598 and 1,555 ft). Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) was the highest in the final category: the greatest height to top of antenna of any building in the world at 527.3 m (1,730 ft).

text: Burj Khalifa broke the height record in all four categories for completed buildings.

text: Tallest structure by category[edit]

text: This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2007) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: Due to the disagreements over how to measure height 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 Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) is not considered part of its architectural height, while the spires on top of the Petronas Twin Towers are counted.

text: Note: The following table is a list of the tallest completed structure in each of the 53 categories below. There can only be one structure in each category, unless the title for the tallest is a draw.

text:
Category
Structure
Country
City
Height (metres)
Height (feet)
Year built
Coordinates

Mixed use
Burj Khalifa
 United Arab Emirates
Dubai
828
2,717
2010
25°11′50.0″N 55°16′26.6″E / 25.197222°N 55.274056°E / 25.197222; 55.274056 (Burj Dubai)

Self-supporting tower
Tokyo Skytree
 Japan
Tokyo
634
2,080
2011
35°42′36.5″N 139°48′39″E / 35.710139°N 139.81083°E / 35.710139; 139.81083 (Tokyo Skytree)

Guyed steel lattice mast
KVLY-TV mast
 United States
Blanchard, North Dakota
628.8
2,063
1963
47°20′32″N 97°17′25″W / 47.34222°N 97.29028°W / 47.34222; -97.29028 (KVLY-TV mast)

Clock building
Abraj Al Bait Towers
 Saudi Arabia
Mecca
601
1,972
2011
21°25′08″N 39°49′35″E / 21.41889°N 39.82639°E / 21.41889; 39.82639 (Abraj Al Bait Towers)

Office
One World Trade Center
 United States
New York, New York
541
1,776
2013
40°42′46.8″N 74°0′48.6″W / 40.713000°N 74.013500°W / 40.713000; -74.013500 (One World Trade Center)

Military structure
Large masts of INS Kattabomman
 India
Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu
471
1,545
2014
8°22′42.52″N 77°44′38.45″E / 8.3784778°N 77.7440139°E / 8.3784778; 77.7440139 (INS Kattabomman, Large Mast West) ; 8°22′30.13″N 77°45′21.07″E / 8.3750361°N 77.7558528°E / 8.3750361; 77.7558528 (INS Kattabomman, Large Mast East)

Mast radiator
Lualualei VLF transmitter
 United States
Lualualei, Hawaii
458
1,503
1972
21°25′11.87″N 158°08′53.67″W / 21.4199639°N 158.1482417°W / 21.4199639; -158.1482417 (VLF transmitter Lualualei, Mast 1) ; 21°25′13.38″N 158°09′14.35″W / 21.4203833°N 158.1539861°W / 21.4203833; -158.1539861 (VLF transmitter Lualualei, Mast 2)

Twin towers
Petronas Twin Towers
 Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur
452
1,482
1998
3°09′27.45″N 101°42′40.7″E / 3.1576250°N 101.711306°E / 3.1576250; 101.711306 (Petronas Tower 1); 3°09′29.45″N 101°42′43.4″E / 3.1581806°N 101.712056°E / 3.1581806; 101.712056 (Petronas Tower 2)

Mixed use
Milad tower
 Iran
Tehran
435
1,427
2009

Residential
432 Park Avenue
 United States
New York, New York
425.5
1,396
2015

Chimney
Ekibastuz GRES-2 Power Station
 Kazakhstan
Ekibastuz
419.7
1,377
1987
52°1′26.3″N 75°28′34.5″E / 52.023972°N 75.476250°E / 52.023972; 75.476250 (GRES-2 Power Station)

Radar
Dimona Radar Facility
 Israel
Dimona
400
1,312
2008
30°58′6.93″N 35°05′49.64″E / 30.9685917°N 35.0971222°E / 30.9685917; 35.0971222 (Dimona Radar Facility) ; 30°58′32.46″N 35°05′55.25″E / 30.9756833°N 35.0986806°E / 30.9756833; 35.0986806 (Dimona Radar Facility)

Lattice tower
Kiev TV Tower
 Ukraine
Kiev
385
1,263
1973
50°28′16.49″N 30°27′11.97″E / 50.4712472°N 30.4533250°E / 50.4712472; 30.4533250 (Kiev TV Tower)

Electricity pylon
Zhoushan Island Overhead Powerline Tie
 China
Zhoushan
370
1,214
2009
29°56′2.78″N 122°2′10.12″E / 29.9341056°N 122.0361444°E / 29.9341056; 122.0361444 (Zhoushan Island Overhead Powerline Tie, 370 metres tower) ; 29°54′41.39″N 122°1′26.38″E / 29.9114972°N 122.0239944°E / 29.9114972; 122.0239944 (Zhoushan Island Overhead Powerline Tie, 370 metres tower)

Partially guyed tower
Gerbrandy Tower
 Netherlands
IJsselstein
366.8
1,203
1961
52°00′36.24″N 05°03′12.87″E / 52.0100667°N 5.0535750°E / 52.0100667; 5.0535750 (Gerbrandy Tower)

Guyed tubular steel mast
TV Tower Vinnytsia
 Ukraine
Vinnytsia
354
1,161
1961
49°14′30.04″N 28°25′25.25″E / 49.2416778°N 28.4236806°E / 49.2416778; 28.4236806 (TV Tower Vinnytsia)

Bridge pillar
Millau Viaduct
 France
Millau
342
1,122
2004
44°05′09.97″N 03°01′17.94″E / 44.0861028°N 3.0216500°E / 44.0861028; 3.0216500 (Viaduc de Millau)

Scientific research tower
Amazon Tall Tower Observatory
 Brazil
160 km NE of Manaus
325[4]
1,066
2015
02°29′06″S 59°35′33″W / 2.48500°S 59.59250°W / -2.48500; -59.59250 (Amazon Tall Tower Observatory)

Blaw-Knox Tower (diamond cantilever tower)
Lakihegy Tower
 Hungary
Szigetszentmiklós
314
1,031
1968
47°22′23″N 19°00′16″E / 47.37306°N 19.00444°E / 47.37306; 19.00444 (Lakihegy Tower)

Dam
Jinping-I Dam
 China
Liangshan
305
1,001
2013
28°11′07″N 101°37′42″E / 28.18528°N 101.62833°E / 28.18528; 101.62833 (Jinping-I Dam)

University
Main building of Moscow State University
 Russia
Moscow
240
787.4
1953
55°42′11″N 37°31′49″E / 55.70306°N 37.53028°E / 55.70306; 37.53028 (Moscow State University)

Wind turbine
Hausbay Nordex N131/3300 Wind Turbine [1]
 Germany
Hausbay
229.5
753
2016
50°06′58.59″N 7°32′36.98″E / 50.1162750°N 7.5436056°E / 50.1162750; 7.5436056 (Hausbay Nordex N131/3300 Wind Turbine)

Minaret
Hassan II Mosque
 Morocco
Casablanca
210
689
1993
33°36′28.71″N 7°37′58.16″W / 33.6079750°N 7.6328222°W / 33.6079750; -7.6328222 (Hassan II Mosque)

Cooling tower
Kalisindh Thermal Power Station
 India
Jhalawar
202[5]
663
2012
24°32′04.97″N 76°05′57.89″E / 24.5347139°N 76.0994139°E / 24.5347139; 76.0994139 (Kalisindh Power Station cooling tower) ; 24°31′58.33″N 76°06′06.81″E / 24.5328694°N 76.1018917°E / 24.5328694; 76.1018917 (Kalisindh Power Station cooling tower)

Monument
Gateway Arch
 United States
St. Louis, Missouri
192
630
1965
38°37′28.62″N 90°11′5.87″W / 38.6246167°N 90.1849639°W / 38.6246167; -90.1849639 (Gateway Arch)

Water tower
Main tower of Kuwait Towers
 Kuwait
Kuwait City
187
614
1979
29°23′22.75″N 48°00′11.57″E / 29.3896528°N 48.0032139°E / 29.3896528; 48.0032139 (Kuwait Towers)

Wooden structure
ATLAS-I at Kirtland Air Force Base
 United States
Albuquerque
180
600
1980
35°01′48″N 106°33′27″W / 35.029898°N 106.557574°W / 35.029898; -106.557574 (ATLAS-I)

Masonry tower
Anaconda Smelter Stack
 United States
Anaconda, Montana
178.3
585
1919
46°06′36.53″N 112°54′48.8″W / 46.1101472°N 112.913556°W / 46.1101472; -112.913556 (Anaconda Smelter Stack)

Inclined structure
Olympic Stadium
 Canada
Montreal
175
574
1976
45°33′33.53″N 73°33′7.61″W / 45.5593139°N 73.5521139°W / 45.5593139; -73.5521139 (Montreal Olympic Stadium)

Obelisk
San Jacinto Monument
 United States
La Porte, Texas
173.7
570
1939
29°44′59.46″N 95°04′50.52″W / 29.7498500°N 95.0807000°W / 29.7498500; -95.0807000 (San Jacinto Monument)

Ferris wheel
High Roller
 United States
Las Vegas
167.6
550
2014
36°07′03″N 115°10′05″W / 36.117402°N 115.168127°W / 36.117402; -115.168127 (High Roller)

Masonry building
Mole Antonelliana
 Italy
Torino
167
548
1889
45°04′8.45″N 7°41′35.62″E / 45.0690139°N 7.6932278°E / 45.0690139; 7.6932278 (Mole Antonelliana)

Masonry building
Philadelphia City Hall
 United States
Philadelphia
167
548
1901
39°57′9.79″N 75°09′48.72″W / 39.9527194°N 75.1635333°W / 39.9527194; -75.1635333 (Philadelphia City Hall)

Flagpole
Jeddah Flagpole
 Saudi Arabia
Jeddah
171[6]
561
2014
21°30′28.23″N 39°10′11.04″E / 21.5078417°N 39.1697333°E / 21.5078417; 39.1697333 (Jeddah Flagpole)

Church tower
Ulmer Münster
 Germany
Ulm
162
530
1890
48°23′55″N 9°59′30.78″E / 48.39861°N 9.9918833°E / 48.39861; 9.9918833 (Ulmer Münster)

Industrial hall
Vehicle Assembly Building
 United States
Kennedy Space Center, Florida
160
525
1966
28°35′9.64″N 80°39′2.11″W / 28.5860111°N 80.6505861°W / 28.5860111; -80.6505861 (Vehicle Assembly Building)

Dome
Dome of the Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro
 Ivory Coast
Yamoussoukro
158
518
1990
6°48′40″N 5°17′47″W / 6.81111°N 5.29639°W / 6.81111; -5.29639 (Dome of Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro)

Memorial cross
Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos
 Spain
El Escorial
152.4
500
1957
40°38′31.46″N 4°9′19.6″W / 40.6420722°N 4.155444°W / 40.6420722; -4.155444 (Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos)

Telescope
Arecibo Telescope
 Puerto Rico
Arecibo, Puerto Rico
150
492
1963
18°20′39″N 66°45′10″W / 18.34417°N 66.75278°W / 18.34417; -66.75278 (Arecibo Telescope)

Roller coaster
Kingda Ka
 United States
Jackson, New Jersey
138.98
456
2005
40°08′26.54″N 74°25′59.83″W / 40.1407056°N 74.4332861°W / 40.1407056; -74.4332861 (Kingda Ka)

Tomb
Great Pyramid of Giza
 Egypt
Giza
138.8
455.2
2560 BCE
29°58′44.93″N 31°08′3.09″E / 29.9791472°N 31.1341917°E / 29.9791472; 31.1341917 (Great Pyramid of Giza)

Lighthouse
Jeddah Light
 Saudi Arabia
Jeddah
133
436
1990[7]
21°28′07.14″N 39°08′58.98″E / 21.4686500°N 39.1497167°E / 21.4686500; 39.1497167 (Jeddah Light)

Air traffic control tower
Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 Control Tower
 Malaysia
Sepang
141.3
463.6
2013[8]

2°44′26″N 101°40′45″E / 2.740486°N 101.679069°E / 2.740486; 101.679069 (Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 Control Tower)

Statue (incl. pedestal)
Spring Temple Buddha
 China
Lushan
128
420
2002
33°46′31″N 112°27′04″E / 33.775150°N 112.451016°E / 33.775150; 112.451016 (Spring Temple Buddha)

Stupa
Jetavanaramaya
 Sri Lanka
Anuradhapura
122
400

Wooden lattice tower
Gliwice Radio Tower
 Poland
Gliwice
118
387
1935
50°18′48.12″N 18°41′20.26″E / 50.3133667°N 18.6889611°E / 50.3133667; 18.6889611 (Gliwice Radio Tower)

Storage silo
Schapfen Mill Tower
 Germany
Ulm
115
377
2005
48°25′57″N 9°58′58″E / 48.43250°N 9.98278°E / 48.43250; 9.98278 (Schapfen Mill Tower)

Aerial tramway support tower
Pillar of third section of Gletscherbahn Kaprun
 Austria
Kaprun
113.6
373
1966
47°11′58.62″N 12°41′16.96″E / 47.1996167°N 12.6880444°E / 47.1996167; 12.6880444 (Glacial Aerial Tramway Kaprun III Support Pillar)

Sphere
Ericsson Globe
 Sweden
Stockholm
85
279
1989
59°17′36.92″N 18°04′58.79″E / 59.2935889°N 18.0829972°E / 59.2935889; 18.0829972 (Ericsson Globe)

Brick lighthouse
Lighthouse of Genoa
 Italy
Genoa
77
253
1543
44°24′16.25″N 8°54′16.67″E / 44.4045139°N 8.9046306°E / 44.4045139; 8.9046306 (Torre della Lanterna)

Gopuram
Murudeshwara Temple
 India
Murudeshwara
76
249
2008
14°05′39″N 74°29′07″E / 14.094197°N 74.485163°E / 14.094197; 74.485163 (Murudeshwara Temple)

Wooden church
Church of the Săpânța-Peri Monastery
 Romania
Săpânța
75
246
2003
47°58′59.5″N 23°42′02.5″E / 47.983194°N 23.700694°E / 47.983194; 23.700694 (Church of the Săpânța-Peri Monastery)

text: Tallest destroyed structures by category, not surpassed by existing structures[edit]

text: There are some destroyed architectural structures which were taller than the tallest existing structure of their type. There are also destroyed structures omitted from this list that had been surpassed in height prior to being destroyed.

text:
Category
Structure
Country
City
Height (metres)
Height (feet)
Coordinates
Remarks

Guyed mast
Warsaw Radio Mast
 Poland
Gąbin
646.38
2,121
52°22′3.74″N 19°48′8.73″E / 52.3677056°N 19.8024250°E / 52.3677056; 19.8024250 (Konstantynow Radio Mast (destroyed))
completed in 1974, collapsed on August 8, 1991

Scientific research tower
BREN Tower
 United States
Nevada Test Site
462
1,516
36°46′50.23″N 116°14′36.9″W / 36.7806194°N 116.243583°W / 36.7806194; -116.243583 (BREN-Tower)
completed in 1962, demolished May 23, 2012[9]

Guyed tubular steel mast
Shushi-Wan Omega Transmitter
 Japan
Tsushima
389
1,276
34°36′53″N 129°27′13″E / 34.61472°N 129.45361°E / 34.61472; 129.45361 (Shushi-Wan Omega Transmitter (dismantled))
completed in 1973, dismantled in 1998

Structure for scientific experiment
Smokey Shot Tower
 United States
Nevada Test Site
213
700
37°11′13.63″N 116°4′7.93″W / 37.1871194°N 116.0688694°W / 37.1871194; -116.0688694 (Smokey Shot Tower(destroyed))
Guyed mast, which carried 44 kt yield nuclear bomb "Smokey" (part of operation Plumbbob) on top until its explosion on August 31, 1957

Wooden structure
Mühlacker Wood Radio Tower
 Germany
Mühlacker
190
623
48°56′27.67″N 8°51′8.24″E / 48.9410194°N 8.8522889°E / 48.9410194; 8.8522889 (Mühlacker Wood Radio Tower (replaced by guyed mast))
completed in 1934, destroyed on April 6, 1945, by the Germans to prevent usage by the Allies, replaced by mast radiator

Masonry building
Mole Antonelliana
 Italy
Torino
167.5
549.5
45°04′8.45″N 7°41′35.62″E / 45.0690139°N 7.6932278°E / 45.0690139; 7.6932278 (Mole Antonelliana)
spire destroyed by a tornado in 1953 (rebuilt since then)

Pre-Industrial Era building
Lincoln Cathedral
 United Kingdom
Lincoln
160
524
53°14′3.26″N 0°32′10.54″W / 53.2342389°N 0.5362611°W / 53.2342389; -0.5362611 (Lincoln Cathedral)
completed in 1311, spire blown off in 1549

Storage silo
Henninger Turm
 Germany
Frankfurt
120
394
50°05′50.18″N 8°41′36.81″E / 50.0972722°N 8.6935583°E / 50.0972722; 8.6935583 (Henninger Turm)
constructed in 1961, demolished in 2013

text: Tallest building by function[edit]

text:
Category
Structure
Country
City
Architectural top (metres)
Architectural top (feet)

Mixed-Use*
Burj Khalifa
 United Arab Emirates
Dubai
830
2,722

Office
One World Trade Center
 United States
New York City
541
1,776

Residential
432 Park Avenue
 United States
New York City
425.5
1,396

Hotel
JW Marriott Marquis Dubai
 United Arab Emirates
Dubai
355
1,166

Educational
Moscow State University
 Russia
Moscow
240
787

Religious
Hassan II Mosque
 Morocco
Casablanca
210
689

Hospital
Outpatient Center, Houston Methodist Hospital
 United States
Houston
156.05
511.8

text: * Mixed-Use is defined as having three or more real estate uses (such as retail, office, hotel, etc.) that are physically and functionally integrated in a single property and are mutually supporting.[10]

text: Tallest buildings[edit]

text: Prior to 1998, the tallest building status was determined by 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. Other criteria for height measurement were not used. For this reason, the originally 1,451-foot (442-meter) to rooftop or 1518 feet with original antennas[11] Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) was generally accepted as being the tallest building continuously after its completion in 1973, and being taller than both World Trade Center towers, in spite of the fact the 1 World Trade Center Tower (North Tower) possessed a higher pinnacle absolute height after it added its 360-foot (110 m) radio antenna (total height of 1730 feet or 527.3 meters) in 1978. The 1 World Trade Center building maintained a higher absolute height to antenna top until the Sears Tower enlarged its own radio antenna in 2000 to a total height of 1730 feet.[11] However, the Willis Tower was always considered the taller building because it still possessed a greater height to its architectural top (1451 feet vs. 1362 feet), and thus its status as the world's tallest was generally not contested.

text: Other historic cases in which a building with a taller absolute pinnacle height was not considered the tallest building include, in 1905 when the former New York Times building or The Times Square Building (at 229 West 43rd Street in New York) was completed at 111 m (364 ft) to the roof with 128 m (420 ft) including a flagpole. That building was never considered to be taller than the 119-metre-high (390 ft) then-current record-holder Park Row Building of New York because a flagpole is not an integral architectural part of a building.[12]

text: Prior to 1998 the tallest building status had been contested on occasion, but the disputes did not result in a change of the criteria used to determine the world's tallest building. An example was the rivalry between the Trump Building (then known as the Bank of Manhattan Building) and the Chrysler Building. The Bank of Manhattan Building employed only a short spire and was 927 ft (283 m) tall and had a much higher top occupied floor (the second category in the 1996 criteria for tallest building). In contrast, the Chrysler Building employed a very large 125-foot (38 m) spire secretly assembled inside the building to claim the title of world's tallest building with a total height of 1,048 feet (319 m), despite having a lower top occupied floor and a shorter height when both buildings' spires are not counted in their heights. Upset by Chrysler’s victory, Shreve & Lamb, the consulting architects of Bank of Manhattan building, wrote a newspaper article claiming that their building was actually the tallest, since it contained the world's highest usable floor. They pointed out that the observation deck in the Bank of Manhattan Building was nearly 100 feet (30 m) above the top floor in the Chrysler Building, whose surpassing spire was strictly ornamental and essentially inaccessible.[13] However, the Chrysler Building was generally accepted as the tallest building in the world despite their protests.

text: However, none of the previous discrepancies or disputes in criteria to measure height (spires vs antennas, absolute pinnacle height vs. architectural height, height of highest occupied floor, etc.) resulted in the controversy that occurred upon the completion of the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1998. The Petronas Towers possessed a higher architectural height (spires, but not antennas), but a lower absolute pinnacle height and lower top occupied floor than the previous record-holder Willis Tower in Chicago, United States. Counting buildings as structures with floors throughout, and with antenna masts excluded, Willis Tower was still considered the tallest at that time. When the Petronas Twin Towers were built, controversy arose because their spires extended nine metres higher than the roof of Willis Tower. Excluding their spires, the Petronas Towers are not taller than Willis Tower. At their convention in Chicago, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) found the Willis Tower to be the third-tallest building, and the Petronas Towers to be the world's tallest buildings. This decision caused a considerable amount of controversy in the news media because this was the first time a country outside the United States had held the world’s tallest building record.[12] Therefore, the CTBUH revised their criteria and defined four categories in which the world's tallest building can be measured,[14] by retaining the old criterion of height to architectural top, and adding three new categories:[12]

text:
Height to Architectural Top (including spires 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.
Highest Occupied Floor
Height to Top of Roof (omitted from criteria from November 2009 onwards)[15]
Height to Tip

tag: ol

text: The height-to-roof criterion was discontinued because relatively few modern tall buildings possess flat rooftops, making this criterion difficult to determine and measure.[16] 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 decks, but not mechanical floors) and other aspects of tall buildings.[16][17]

text: The height is measured from the level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance. At the time, the Willis Tower held first place in the second and third categories, the Petronas Towers held the first category, and the 1 World Trade Center building held the fourth with its antenna height to top of pinnacle.[12] In 2000, however, a new antenna mast was placed on the Willis Tower, giving it hold of the fourth category. On April 20, 2004, Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan, was completed. Its completion gave it the world record for the first three categories. On July 21, 2007 it was announced that Burj Khalifa had surpassed Taipei 101 in height, reaching 512 m (1,680 ft).

text: Since being completed in early 2010, Burj Khalifa leads in all categories (the first building to do so). With a spire height of 829.8 m (2,722 ft), Burj Khalifa surpassed Taipei 101 as the tallest building to architectural detail and the Willis Tower as the tallest building to tip. It also leads in the category of highest occupied floor.

text: Before Burj Khalifa was completed, Willis Tower led in the fourth category with 527 m (1,729 ft), 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 World Trade Center's destruction in 2001. Its antenna mast included, One World Trade Center measured 527.3 m (1,730 ft). The World Trade Center became the world's tallest building 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 World Trade Center site.[citation needed] A different superlative for skyscrapers is their number of floors. The World Trade Center set that at 110, and this was not surpassed for nearly four decades until the Burj Khalifa, which opened in 2010.

text: 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.[1]

text: History of record holders in each CTBUH category[edit]

text:
Date (event)
Architectural top
Highest occupied floor
Roof
Tip

2010: Burj Khalifa completed
Burj Khalifa
Burj Khalifa

Burj Khalifa

2009: CTBUH omits Height to Roof category
Taipei 101
Shanghai World Financial Center

Willis Tower

2008: Shanghai World Financial Center completed
Taipei 101
Shanghai World Financial Center
Shanghai World Financial Center
Willis Tower

2003: Taipei 101 completed
Taipei 101
Taipei 101
Taipei 101
Willis Tower

2000: Willis Tower antenna extension
Petronas Towers
Willis Tower
Willis Tower
Willis Tower

1998: Petronas Towers completed
Petronas Towers
Willis Tower
Willis Tower
World Trade Center

1996: CTBUH defines categories
Willis Tower
Willis Tower
Willis Tower
World Trade Center

text: Tallest freestanding structures on land[edit]

text: Freestanding structures must not be supported by guy wires, the sea or other types of support. It therefore does not include guyed masts, partially guyed towers and drilling platforms but does include towers, skyscrapers (pinnacle height) and chimneys. (See also history of tallest skyscrapers.)

text: The world's tallest freestanding structure on land is defined as the tallest self-supporting artificial structure that stands above ground. This definition is different from that of world's tallest building or world's tallest structure based on the percentage 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.

text: The tallest freestanding structure on land is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The building surpassed the height of the previous record holder, the 553.3 m (1,815 ft) CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario, on September 12, 2007. It was completed in 2010, with final height of 829.8 m (2,722 ft).

text: History[edit]

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

text:
Tallest historical structures

Record from
Record held (years)
Name and location
Constructed
Height (metres)
Height (feet)
Coordinates
Notes

c. 2650 BC
40
Pyramid of Djoser, Egypt
c. 2650 BC
62
203
29°52′16.53″N 31°12′59.59″E / 29.8712583°N 31.2165528°E / 29.8712583; 31.2165528 (Pyramid of Djoser)

c. 2610 BC
5
Meidum Pyramid in Egypt
c. 2610 BC
93.5
307
29°23′17″N 31°09′25″E / 29.38806°N 31.15694°E / 29.38806; 31.15694 (Meidum Pyramid)
Shortly after completion Meidum Pyramid collapsed due to bad design/instability and is now 65 m (213 ft).

c. 2605 BC
5
Bent Pyramid in Egypt
c. 2605 BC
101.1
332
29°47′25″N 31°12′33″E / 29.79028°N 31.20917°E / 29.79028; 31.20917 (Bent Pyramid)
Angle of slope decreased during construction to avoid collapse.

c. 2600 BC
40
Red Pyramid of Sneferu, Egypt
c. 2600 BC
105
345
29°48′31.39″N 31°12′22.49″E / 29.8087194°N 31.2062472°E / 29.8087194; 31.2062472 (Red Pyramid)

c. 2560 BC
3871
Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt
c. 2560 BC
146
481
29°58′44.93″N 31°08′3.09″E / 29.9791472°N 31.1341917°E / 29.9791472; 31.1341917 (Great Pyramid of Giza)
By 1647, the Great Pyramid had eroded to a height of approximately 139 m (456 ft).

 1311
238
Lincoln Cathedral in the United Kingdom
1092–1311
160
525
53°14′3.26″N 0°32′10.54″W / 53.2342389°N 0.5362611°W / 53.2342389; -0.5362611 (Lincoln Cathedral)
The central spire was destroyed in a storm in 1549. While the reputed height of 525 ft (160 m) is accepted by most sources,[18][19][20][21][22][23] others consider it doubtful[24]

1549
20
St. Mary's Church in Stralsund, Germany
1384–1478
151
495
54°18′36.01″N 13°5′14.81″E / 54.3100028°N 13.0874472°E / 54.3100028; 13.0874472 (St. Mary's church, Stralsund)

1569
4
Beauvais Cathedral in France
1225 - 1604
153
502
49°25′49″N 2°05′43″E / 49.43028°N 2.09528°E / 49.43028; 2.09528 (Beauvais Cathedral)
Spire collapsed in 1573 (the cross was removed in 1572); today, the church stands at a height of 67.2 m (220.5 ft).

1573
94 (20+74)
St. Mary's Church in Stralsund, Germany
1384–1478
151
495
54°18′36.01″N 13°5′14.81″E / 54.3100028°N 13.0874472°E / 54.3100028; 13.0874472 (St. Mary's church, Stralsund)
The spire burnt down after a lightning strike in 1647. The current spire's height is 104 m (341 ft).

1647
227
Strasbourg Cathedral in France
1439
142
469
48°34′54.22″N 7°45′1.48″E / 48.5817278°N 7.7504111°E / 48.5817278; 7.7504111 (Strasbourg Cathedral)
By 1647, the Great Pyramid had eroded to a height of approximately 139 m (456 ft) hence Strasbourg Cathedral was higher.

1874
2
St. Nikolai in Hamburg, Germany
1846–1874
147
483
53°32′50.94″N 9°59′26.12″E / 53.5474833°N 9.9905889°E / 53.5474833; 9.9905889 (St. Nikolai, Hamburg)

1876
4
Cathédrale Notre Dame in Rouen, France
1202–1876
151
495
49°26′24.54″N 1°5′41.85″E / 49.4401500°N 1.0949583°E / 49.4401500; 1.0949583 (Rouen Cathedral)

1880
4
Cologne Cathedral in Germany
1248–1880
157
515
50°56′28.08″N 6°57′25.73″E / 50.9411333°N 6.9571472°E / 50.9411333; 6.9571472 (Cologne Cathedral, Tower South) ;50°56′29.11″N 6°57′25.85″E / 50.9414194°N 6.9571806°E / 50.9414194; 6.9571806 (Cologne Cathedral, Tower North)

1884
5
Washington Monument in Washington D.C., United States
1884
169
555
38°53′22.08″N 77°2′6.89″W / 38.8894667°N 77.0352472°W / 38.8894667; -77.0352472 (Washington Monument)
The world's tallest all-stone structure, as well as the tallest obelisk-form structure.

1889
41
Eiffel Tower in Paris, France
1889
300
986
48°51′29.77″N 2°17′40.09″E / 48.8582694°N 2.2944694°E / 48.8582694; 2.2944694 (Eiffel Tower)
First structure to exceed 300 metres in height. The addition of a telecommunications tower in the 1950s brought the overall height to 324 m (1,063 ft).

1930
1
Chrysler Building in New York, United States
1928–1930
319
1,046
40°45′5.78″N 73°58′31.52″W / 40.7516056°N 73.9754222°W / 40.7516056; -73.9754222 (Chrysler Building)

1931
36
Empire State Building in New York, United States
1930–1931
381
1,250
40°44′54.95″N 73°59′8.71″W / 40.7485972°N 73.9857528°W / 40.7485972; -73.9857528 (Empire State Building)
First building with 100+ stories. The addition of a pinnacle and antennas later increased its overall height to 448.7 m (1,472 ft). This was subsequently lowered to 443.1 m (1,454 ft).

1967
8
Ostankino Tower in Moscow, Soviet Union
1963–1967
540
1,762
55°49′10.94″N 37°36′41.79″E / 55.8197056°N 37.6116083°E / 55.8197056; 37.6116083 (Ostankino Tower)
Remains the tallest in Europe. Fire in 2000 led to extensive renovation.

1975
32
CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
1973–1976
553
1,815
43°38′33.22″N 79°23′13.41″W / 43.6425611°N 79.3870583°W / 43.6425611; -79.3870583 (CN Tower)
Remains the tallest in the Western Hemisphere

2007
present
Burj Khalifa in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
2004–2009
829.8
2,722
25°11′50.0″N 55°16′26.6″E / 25.197222°N 55.274056°E / 25.197222; 55.274056 (Burj Dubai)
Holder of world's tallest freestanding structure. Topped out at 829.8 m (2,722 ft) in 2009.

text: Notable mentions include the Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria, built in the third century BC and estimated between 115–135 m (377–443 ft). 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 122 m (400 ft). These were both the world's tallest or second-tallest non-pyramidal structure for over a thousand years.

text: 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 (335 ft) tall, and was constructed in the first half of the fourteenth century, and the 97-metre-tall (318 ft) Torre degli Asinelli in Bologna, also Italy, built between 1109 and 1119.

text: World's highest observation deck[edit]

text: Timeline of development of world's highest observation deck since inauguration of Eiffel Tower.

text:
Record from
Record held (years)
Name and location
Constructed
Height above ground
Notes

m
ft

1889
42
Eiffel Tower, Paris
1889
275
902
Two lower observation decks at 57 and 115 m (187 and 377 ft).

1931
42
Empire State Building, New York City
1931
369[25]
1,250
On the 102nd floor - a second observation deck is located on the 86th floor at 320 m (1,050 ft).

1973
1
World Trade Center, New York City
1973
399.4
1,310
Indoor observatory on the 107th floor of South Tower opened on April 4, 1973. Destroyed on September 11, 2001

1974
1
Willis Tower, Chicago
1974
412.4
1,353
103rd floor Skydeck opened on June 22, 1974

1975
1
World Trade Center, New York City
1973
419.7
1,377
Outdoor observatory on the South Tower rooftop opened on December 15, 1975. Destroyed on September 11, 2001

1976
32
CN Tower, Toronto
1976
446.5
1,464.9
Two further observation decks at 342 and 346 m (1,122 and 1,135 ft).

2008
3
Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai
2008
474
1,555
Two further observation decks at 423 and 439 m (1,388 and 1,440 ft).

2011
3
Canton Tower, Guangzhou
2011
488
1,601
The rooftop outdoor observation deck opened in December 2011. There are also several other indoor observation decks in the tower, the highest at 433.2 m (1,421 ft).

2014
2
Burj Khalifa, Dubai
2010
555
1,821
Opened on October 15, 2014 on the 148th floor. There is another observation deck at 452.1 m (1,483 ft) on the 124th floor, which has been open since the building was opened to the public.

2016
present
Shanghai Tower, Shanghai, China
2015
561
1,841
Opened on July 1, 2016.

text: Higher observation decks have existed on mountain tops or cliffs, rather than on tall structures. The Grand Canyon Skywalk, constructed in 2007, protrudes 21 m (70 ft) over the west rim of the Grand Canyon and is approximately 1,100 m (3,600 ft) above the Colorado River, making it the highest of these types of structures.[citation needed]

text: Timeline of guyed structures on land[edit]

text: As most of the tallest structures are guyed masts, here is a timeline of world's tallest guyed masts, since the beginning of radio technology.

text: 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 Wusung Radio Tower survived World War II, it was the tallest guyed structure shortly after World War II.

text:
Record from
Record held (years)
Name and location
Constructed
Height
Coordinates
Notes

m
ft

1913
7
Central mast of Eilvese transmitter, Eilvese, Germany
1913
250
820
52°31′40″N 9°24′24″E / 52.52778°N 9.40667°E / 52.52778; 9.40667 (Eilvese transmitter (demolished))
Mast was divided in 145 m by an insulator, demolished in 1931

1920
3
Central masts of Nauen Transmitter Station, Nauen, Germany
1920
260
853
52°38′56″N 12°54′30″E / 52.64889°N 12.90833°E / 52.64889; 12.90833 (Nauen transmitter)
2 masts, demolished in 1946

1923
10
Masts of Ruiselede transmitter, Ruiselede, Belgium
1923
287
942
51°4′44″N 3°20′6.9″E / 51.07889°N 3.335250°E / 51.07889; 3.335250 (Zendmast Ruiselede (destroyed) (location unclear))?
8 masts, destroyed in 1940

1933
6
Lakihegy Tower, Lakihegy, Hungary
1933
314
1,031
47°22′23.45″N 19°0′17.21″E / 47.3731806°N 19.0047806°E / 47.3731806; 19.0047806 (Lakihegy Radio Tower)
Blaw-Knox Tower, insulated against ground, destroyed in 1945; rebuilt

1939
7
Deutschlandsender Herzberg/Elster, Herzberg (Elster), Germany
1939
335
1,099
51°42′59.76″N 13°15′51.5″E / 51.7166000°N 13.264306°E / 51.7166000; 13.264306 (Deutschlandsender III (dismantled))
Insulated against ground, dismantled 1946/1947

1946
2
Lakihegy Tower, Lakihegy, Hungary
1946
314
1,031
47°22′23.45″N 19°0′17.21″E / 47.3731806°N 19.0047806°E / 47.3731806; 19.0047806 (Lakihegy Radio Tower)
Blaw-Knox Tower, Insulated against ground, rebuilt after destruction in 1945

1948
1
WIVB-TV Tower, Colden, New York, USA
1948
321.9
1,056
42°39′33.19″N 78°37′33.91″W / 42.6592194°N 78.6260861°W / 42.6592194; -78.6260861 (WIVB-TV Tower)

1949
1
Longwave transmitter Raszyn, Raszyn, Poland
1949
335
1,099
52°4′21.72″N 20°53′2.15″E / 52.0727000°N 20.8839306°E / 52.0727000; 20.8839306 (Raszyn Radio Mast)
Insulated against ground

1950
4
Forestport Tower, Forestport, New York, USA
1950
371.25
1,218
43°26′41.9″N 75°5′9.55″W / 43.444972°N 75.0859861°W / 43.444972; -75.0859861 (Forestport Tower (demolished))
Insulated against ground, demolished

1954
2
Griffin Television Tower Oklahoma (AKA KWTV Transmission Tower), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA
1954
480.5
1,576
35°32′58.59″N 97°29′50.27″W / 35.5496083°N 97.4972972°W / 35.5496083; -97.4972972 (Griffin Television Tower Oklahoma)

1956
3
KOBR-TV Tower, Caprock, New Mexico, USA
1956
490.7
1,610
33°22′31.31″N 103°46′14.3″W / 33.3753639°N 103.770639°W / 33.3753639; -103.770639 (KOBR-TV Tower)
Collapsed in 1960; rebuilt

1959
1
WGME TV Tower, Raymond, Maine, USA
1959
495
1,624
43°55′28.43″N 70°29′26.72″W / 43.9245639°N 70.4907556°W / 43.9245639; -70.4907556 (WGME TV Tower)

1960
2
KFVS TV Mast, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, USA
1960
511.1
1,677
37°25′44.5″N 89°30′13.84″W / 37.429028°N 89.5038444°W / 37.429028; -89.5038444 (KFVS TV Mast)

1962
1
WTVM/WRBL-TV & WVRK-FM Tower, Cusseta, Georgia, USA
1962
533
1,749
32°19′25.09″N 84°46′45.07″W / 32.3236361°N 84.7791861°W / 32.3236361; -84.7791861 (WTVM/WRBL-TV & WVRK-FM Tower)

1963
0
WIMZ-FM-Tower, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
1963
534.01
1,752
36°08′05.49″N 83°43′28.01″W / 36.1348583°N 83.7244472°W / 36.1348583; -83.7244472 (WIMZ-FM-Tower)

1963
11
KVLY-TV mast, Blanchard, North Dakota, USA
1963
628.8
2,063
47°20′31.85″N 97°17′21.13″W / 47.3421806°N 97.2892028°W / 47.3421806; -97.2892028 (KVLY-TV mast)

1974
17
Warsaw Radio Mast, Gąbin, Poland
1974
646.4
2,121
52°22′3.74″N 19°48′8.73″E / 52.3677056°N 19.8024250°E / 52.3677056; 19.8024250 (Konstantynow Radio Mast (destroyed))
Mast radiator insulated against ground, collapsed in 1991

1991
present
KVLY-TV mast, Blanchard, North Dakota, USA
1963
628.8
2,063
47°20′31.85″N 97°17′21.13″W / 47.3421806°N 97.2892028°W / 47.3421806; -97.2892028 (KVLY-TV mast)

text: Tallest towers[edit]

text: 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, and are self-supporting or freestanding, which means no guy-wires for support", meaning it excludes from this list of continuously habitable buildings and skyscrapers as well as radio and TV masts.

text: Bridge towers or pylons, chimneys, transmission towers, and most large statues allow human access for maintenance, but not as part of their normal operation, and are therefore not considered to be towers.

text: The Tokyo Skytree, completed in February 2012, is 634 m (2,080 ft), making it the tallest tower, and second-tallest freestanding structure in the world.[26][27][28]

text: History of tallest tower[edit]

text: The following is a list of structures that have historically held the title as the tallest towers in the world.

text:
Tallest historical towers

From
To
Tower
Town
Pinnacle height

280 BC
1180 AD
Pharos Lighthouse
Alexandria, Egypt
122 m

1180
1240
Malmesbury Abbey Tower
Malmesbury, UK
131.3 m

1240
1311
Tower of Old St Paul's Cathedral
London, UK
150 m

1311
1549
Tower of Lincoln Cathedral
Lincoln, UK
159.7 m

1549
1647
Tower of St Mary's church
Stralsund, Germany
151 m

1647
1874
Tower of Strasbourg Cathedral
Strasbourg, France
142 m

1874
1876
Tower of St. Nikolai
Hamburg, Germany
147 m

1876
1880
Tower of Rouen Cathedral
Rouen, France
151 m

1880
1889
Tower of Cologne Cathedral
Cologne, Germany
157.38 m

1889
1958
Eiffel Tower
Paris, France
312.3 m

1958
1967
Tokyo Tower
Tokyo, Japan
332.6 m

1967
1975
Ostankino Tower
Moscow, Russia
540.1 m

1975
2010
CN Tower
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
553.33 m

2010
2011
Canton Tower
Guangzhou, China
600 m

2011
present
Tokyo Skytree
Tokyo, Japan
634 m

text: Tallest structures, freestanding structures, and buildings[edit]

text: The list categories are:

text:
The structures (supported) list uses pinnacle height and includes architectural structures of any type that might use some external support constructions like cables and are fully built in air. Only the three tallest are listed, as more than fifty US TV masts have stated heights of 600–610 metres (1,970–2,000 ft).
The structures (media supported) list uses pinnacle height and includes architectural structures of any type that are not totally built in the air but are using support from other, denser media like salt water. All structures greater than 500 metres (1,640 ft) are listed.
The freestanding structures list uses pinnacle height and includes structures over 500 metres (1,640 ft) that do not use guy-wires or other external supports. This means truly free standing on its own or, in similar sense, non-supported structures.
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 (450 m and higher) are listed.

text: Notes:

text:
Eight buildings appear on the freestanding structures category list with heights different from another category. This is due to the different measurement specifications of those lists.
Only current heights and, where reasonable, target heights are listed. Historical heights of structures that no longer exist, for example, for having collapsed, are excluded.

text:
Rank
Name and location
Year
completed
Architectural top[29]
(metres)
Architectural top
(feet)
Floors

Structures (supported)
Main article: List of tallest structures

1
KVLY-TV mast, Blanchard, North Dakota, United States
1963
629
2,064
–

2
KXJB-TV mast, Galesburg, North Dakota, United States
1998
628
2,060
–

3
KXTV/KOVR Tower, Walnut Grove, California, United States
2000
625
2,051
–

Structures (media supported)

1
Petronius Platform, Gulf of Mexico
2000
610
2,000
–

2
Baldpate Platform, Gulf of Mexico
1998
580
1,900
–

3
Bullwinkle Platform, Gulf of Mexico
1989
529
1,736
–

Freestanding structures
Main article: List of tallest freestanding structures

1
Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
2009
829.8
2,722
163

2
Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo, Japan
2012
634
2,080
–

3
Shanghai Tower, Shanghai, China
2015
632
2,073
128

4
Abraj Al Bait, Makkah, Saudi Arabia
2011
601
1,972
120

5
Ping An Finance Centre, Shenzhen, China
2016
599
1,965
115

6
Goldin Finance 117, Tianjin, China
2016
597
1,959
117

7
Canton Tower, Guangzhou, China
2010
600
1,969
–

8
Lotte World Tower, Seoul, South Korea
2016
555
1,821
123

9
CN Tower, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
1976
553
1,814
–

10
One World Trade Center, New York City, USA
2013
541.3
1,776
104

11
Ostankino Tower, Moscow, Russia
1967
540
1,770
–

12
Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre, Guangzhou, China
2016
530
1,739
111

13
Willis Tower, Chicago, United States
1974
527
1,729
108

14
Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan
2004
509
1,670
101

Buildings
Main article: List of tallest buildings in the world

1
Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
2010
828
2,717
163

2
Shanghai Tower, Shanghai, China
2015
632
2,073
128

3
Abraj Al Bait, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
2011
601
1,972
120

4
Ping An Finance Centre, Shenzhen, China
2016
599
1,965
115

5
Lotte World Tower, Seoul, South Korea
2016
555
1,821
123

6
One World Trade Center, New York City, USA
2013
541.3
1,776
104

7
Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre, Guangzhou, China
2016
530
1,739
111

8
Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan
2004
509
1,670
101

9
Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai, China
2008
492
1,614
101

10
International Commerce Centre, Hong Kong
2010
484
1,588
118

11
Changsha IFS Tower T1, Changsha, China
2017
452.1
1,483
88

12
Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
1998
451.9
1,483
88

13
Zifeng Tower, Nanjing, China
2009
450
1,480
89

13
Suzhou IFS, Suzhou, China
2017
450
1,476
92

text: Source: Emporis


document_title: 1948 in India

question_text: from which country did india face an aggression in 1948

root

text: 1948 in India

text: Incumbents[edit]

text:
King of India – George VI
Governor-General of the Union of India – The Viscount Mountbatten of Burma
Governor-General of the Union of India – C. Rajagopalachari (from 21 June)
Prime Minister of India – Jawaharlal Nehru

text: Events[edit]

text:
30 January – Assassination of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi: The spiritual leader of India Mahatma Gandhi is assassinated by Nathuram Godse.
15 February – Junagadh and Manavadar (princely state) Rescinds accession to Pakistan, accedes to India.
24 February – Referendum approves accession to India.
25 February – Accession to India in effect.
15 April 1948 – Mandi District was formed by amalgamation of the erstwhile princely states of Mandi and Suket on the formation of Himachal Pradesh.
1 May – First Kashmir War, India confronts the aggressors and fights the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947 and is engaged with the Dominion of Pakistan for the first time
6 September – The Nizam of Hyderabad Deccan having failed to retain independence decides to accede to the Dominion of Pakistan, Pakistan instead takes the case to the UN, pending resolutions regarding the issue.
12 September – State of Hyderabad joins the Dominion of India.

text: Births[edit]

text:
7 January – Shobhaa De, columnist and novelist.
15 January – Bal Govind Dwivedi, poet.
24 February – J. Jayalalithaa, politician, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. (Died 2016)
25 February – Danny Denzongpa, actor.
10 April – Jaya Bachchan, actress.
11 August – Goutam Chattopadhyay, Musicologist, Film Maker and Founder Member of Bengali Band Mohineer Ghoraguli. (died 1999)
10 September – Bhakti Barve, actress (died 2001).
2 October – Persis Khambatta, actress and model (died 1998).
16 October – Hema Malini, actress and dancer-choreographer.
11 December – Raghuvaran, actor (died 2008).

text: Full date unknown[edit]

text:
Anant Nag, actor and politician.
Dharanidhar Sahu, writer.

text: Deaths[edit]

text:
30 January – Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, political and spiritual leader in India and the Indian independence movement, assassinated (born 1869).
1 February – Jatindramohan Bagchi, poet (born 1878).
9 August – Yellapragada Subbarow, medical scientist (born 1895).


document_title: United States Supreme Court Building

question_text: what type of column is found in the u.s. supreme court building

text: United States Supreme Court Building

text: History[edit]

text: Prior to the establishment of the Federal City, the United States government resided briefly in New York City. The Supreme Court met there in the Merchants Exchange Building. When the capital moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Court moved with it and began meeting in Independence Hall, before settling in Old City Hall at 5th and Chestnut Streets from 1791 until 1800.[3]

tag: p

text: After the federal government moved to Washington, D.C., the court had no permanent meeting location until 1810. When the architect Benjamin Henry Latrobe had the second U.S. Senate chamber built directly on top of the first US Senate chamber, the Supreme Court took up residence in what is now referred to as the Old Supreme Court Chamber from 1810 through 1860.[4] It remained in the Capitol until 1935, with the exception of a period from 1812 to 1819, during which the Court was absent from Washington because of the British invasion and the destruction of the Capitol during the War of 1812.[3]

text: In 1810, the Supreme Court first occupied the Old Supreme Court Chamber in the Capitol.[3] As the Senate expanded, it progressively outgrew its quarters. In 1860, after the new wings of the Capitol for the Senate and the House of Representatives had been completed, the Supreme Court moved to the Old Senate Chamber (as it is now known) where it remained until its move to the current Supreme Court building.

text: In 1929, Chief Justice William Howard Taft argued successfully for the Court to have its own headquarters to distance itself from Congress as an independent branch of government, but he did not live to see it built. The court was finally designed by Cass Gilbert, who created many other structures in the United States.[5]

text: Temple of Justice[edit]

text: The Supreme Court Building is located at 1 First Street, NE (former site of the Old Brick Capitol, across the street from the United States Capitol) and was designed by architect Cass Gilbert (as Gilbert's last major project; he died before it was completed). It rises four stories (92 ft (28 m)) above ground. The cornerstone was laid on October 13, 1932, and construction completed in 1935, having cost $94,000 less than the $9,740,000 budget authorized by Congress ($136 million in 2016 dollars).[6] "The building was designed on a scale in keeping with the importance and dignity of the Court and the Judiciary as a coequal, independent branch of the United States Government, and as a symbol of 'the national ideal of justice in the highest sphere of activity.'"[3]

text: The Supreme Court Building is built in the Neoclassical style. The public façade is made of marble quarried from Vermont, and that of the non-public-facing courtyards, Georgia marble. Most of the interior spaces are lined with Alabama marble, except for the Courtroom itself, which is lined with Spanish ivory vein marble.[7] For the Courtroom's 24 columns, "Gilbert felt that only the ivory buff and golden marble from the Montarrenti quarries near Siena, Italy" would suffice. To this end, in May 1933, he petitioned the Italian Premier, Benito Mussolini, "to ask his assistance in guaranteeing that the Siena quarries sent nothing inferior to the official sample marble."

text: Not all the justices were thrilled by the new arrangements, the courtroom in particular. Harlan Fiske Stone complained it was "almost bombastically pretentious...Wholly inappropriate for a quiet group of old boys such as the Supreme Court." Another justice observed that he felt the court would be "nine black beetles in the Temple of Karnak," while still another complained that such pomp and ceremony suggested the justices ought to enter the courtroom riding on elephants. The New Yorker columnist Howard Brubaker noted at the time of its opening that it had "fine big windows to throw the New Deal out of."[8]

text: The west façade of the building (essentially, the "front" of the court, being the side which faces the Capitol) bears the motto "Equal Justice Under Law," while the east façade bears the motto "Justice, the Guardian of Liberty." On November 28, 2005, a basketball-sized chunk of marble weighing approximately 172 lb (78 kg) fell four stories from the west façade onto the steps of the Court; it had previously been part of the parapet above the word "under" in the "equal justice under law" engraving immediately above the figure of a Roman centurion carrying fasces. After the incident, planning was initiated to repair the west façade which includes cleaning, removal of debris and restoration. In 2012 scaffolding encased the west façade printed with a full-size photograph of the façade. The project was completed in 2013.[9]

text: The Supreme Court Building's facilities include:

text:
In the basement: maintenance facilities, garage, on-site mailroom.
On the first (or ground) floor: Public information office, the clerk's office, the publications unit, exhibit halls, cafeteria, gift shop and administrative offices.
On the second floor: the Great Hall, the courtroom, the conference room, and all of the justices' chambers except Justice Sotomayor (she swapped with Justice Ginsburg for a roomier office on the third floor).
On the third floor: The office of Justice Sotomayor, the office of the Reporter of Decisions, the legal office, and the offices of the law clerks. Also, the justices' dining and reading rooms are on this floor.
On the fourth floor: The court library
On the fifth floor: The Supreme Court gym, including a basketball court (named the "Highest Court in the Land")[10]

text: In addition, the Supreme Court Building maintains its own police force, the Supreme Court Police. Separate from the Capitol Police, the force was created in 1935 to look after the building and its personnel.

text: Sculptural program[edit]

text: Cass Gilbert's design for the building and its environs included an ambitious Beaux-Arts-styled sculptural program that included a large number and variety of both real and allegorical figures.

text:
Supreme Court flagpole bases, and bronze doors in the east and west façades by John Donnelly.
East pediment: Justice, the Guardian of Liberty by Hermon Atkins MacNeil
West pediment: Equal Justice Under the Law by Robert Ingersoll Aitken. This work includes a portrait of Cass Gilbert, third from the left in the pediment. It also contains a self-portrait of Robert Ingersoll Aitken third from the right.
Seated figures: The Authority of Law (south side) and The Contemplation of Justice (north side) by James Earle Fraser
Great Hall: Busts of each of the Chief Justices of the United States in alcoves on either side of the Hall. These marble works are periodically appropriated by the Congress. The most recent addition was Chief Justice Rehnquist's bust in December 2009 to the far end of the north side of the Hall, just to the left of the Courtroom doors.
Courtroom friezes: The South Wall Frieze includes figures of lawgivers from the ancient world and includes Menes, Hammurabi, Moses, Solomon, Lycurgus, Solon, Draco, Confucius, and Augustus. The North Wall Frieze shows lawgivers from the Middle Ages on and includes representations of Justinian, Muhammad, Charlemagne, John, King of England, Louis IX of France, Hugo Grotius, Sir William Blackstone, John Marshall, and Napoleon. The Moses frieze depicts him holding the Ten Commandments, although only commandments six through ten, usually considered the more secular commands, are visible. In 1997, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) asked for the image of Muhammad to be removed from the marble frieze of the façade. While appreciating that Muhammad was included in the court's pantheon of 18 prominent lawgivers of history, CAIR noted that Islam discourages depictions of Muhammad in any artistic representation. CAIR also objected that Muhammad was shown with a sword, which they claimed reinforced stereotypes of Muslims as intolerant conquerors. Chief Justice William Rehnquist rejected the request to sandblast Muhammad, saying the artwork "was intended only to recognize him, among many other lawgivers, as an important figure in the history of law; it is not intended as a form of idol worship". The court later added a footnote to tourist materials, calling it "a well-intentioned attempt by the sculptor to honor Muhammad".[11]

text:
United States Supreme Court bronze doors.

The Supreme Court courtroom interior with its Siena marble.

View of the Alabama marble in the hallway.

One of two self-supporting spiral staircases in Alabama marble.

"Equal Justice Under Law" over the western façade.

"Justice the Guardian of Liberty" over the eastern façade.

Flagpole base.

The Contemplation of Justice statue.

The Authority of Law statue.

Aerial view of Washington D.C., showing position of the courthouse (lower left) in relation to the Capitol building.

tag: table

text: Public access to the building[edit]

text: On May 3, 2010, citing security concerns and as part of the building's modernization project, the Supreme Court announced that the public (including parties to the cases being argued, the attorneys who represent them, and visitors to Oral arguments or the building) would no longer be allowed to enter the building through the main door on top of the steps on the west side.[12] Visitors must now enter through ground-level doors located at the plaza, leading to a reinforced area for security screening. The main doors at the top of the steps may still be used to exit the building.[12] Justice Breyer released a statement, joined by Justice Ginsburg, expressing his opinion that although he recognizes the security concerns that led to the decision, he does not believe on balance that the closure is justified.[13] Calling the decision "dispiriting", he said he was not aware of any Supreme Court in the world that had closed its main entrance to the public.[13]

text: All visitors to the Court must pass through metal-detectors and have their belongings X-rayed. Cameras are permitted in the building, but no recording devices of any kind, audio, or visual, are ever permitted in the Courtroom. When the Court is not in session, visitors can walk through the Great Hall and public areas on the ground floor, including the cafeteria and a small movie theater presenting a documentary of the Court, and guided lectures are periodically given in the Courtroom, which is not otherwise accessible. The schedule for the lectures can be confirmed on the Court's website the day before a visit. The line for these tours forms in a designated area to the side of the Courtroom doors.[14]

text: When the Court is in session, the Great Hall is not open to the public, except for those attending Court. The arguments are typically held in two-week cycles of a 10 A.M. and 11 A.M. argument on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.[15] Depending on the significance of the case and the time of year (winter arguments are less popular), visitors should arrive at the Court anywhere from two hours in advance to, in extremely controversial cases, the night before. At some point in the morning, which is not predetermined, the Supreme Court Police Officers distribute numbered tickets. These serve as place-holders only and not a guarantee of admission. Visitors who have tickets may leave the area and return at the appointed time to line up in numerical order, usually one hour before the argument. At this time, there usually are several hundred persons waiting outside the Court, most of whom are not able to observe either argument.[16] While the Courtroom does have seating for some 250 public visitors, in practice there are almost always large groups of students or officials that reduce that number, and visitors who are admitted to observe the first argument generally stay for the second argument, making the total seats available for the second argument generally very small. Just before the first argument, the officers divide the crowd into two lines: one is for those waiting with tickets to observe the entire argument, while the other is to observe a five-minute span of the argument while standing in the back of the Courtroom. Both lines remain in place during the first argument. Visitors must stand when the Justices enter and leave, and remain absolutely silent. Drowsy, noisy, or otherwise disruptive visitors are promptly removed by plainclothes officers.[14]

text: Since recording devices have been banned inside the courtroom, the fastest way for decisions of landmark cases to reach the press is through the Running of the Interns.[17]

text: On Sunday, January 13, 2002, a wild fox wandered into the building. Although spotted by a police officer and observed on video cameras, the fox eluded capture for more than a day.[18]