document_title: Declaration of the Rights of the Man and of the Citizen of 1789

question_text: who wrote a strong response to a declaration of the rights of man and of the citizen

root

text: History[edit]

text: The content of the document emerged largely from the ideals of the Enlightenment.[5] The key drafts were prepared by Lafayette, working at times with his close friend Thomas Jefferson.[6][7] In August 1789, Honoré Mirabeau played a central role in conceptualizing and drafting the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.[8]

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text: The last article of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen was adopted on 27 August 1789 by the National Constituent Assembly, during the period of the French Revolution, as the first step toward writing a constitution for France. Inspired by the Enlightenment, the original version of the Declaration was discussed by the representatives on the basis of a 24 article draft proposed by the sixth bureau[clarify],[9][10] led by Jérôme Champion de Cicé. The draft was later modified during the debates. A second and lengthier declaration, known as the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen of 1793, was written in 1793 but never formally adopted.[11]

text: Philosophical and theoretical context[edit]

text: The concepts in the Declaration come from the philosophical and political duties of the Enlightenment, such as individualism, the social contract as theorized by the Genevan philosopher Rousseau, and the separation of powers espoused by the Baron de Montesquieu. As can be seen in the texts, the French declaration was heavily influenced by the political philosophy of the Enlightenment and principles of human rights as was the U.S. Declaration of Independence which preceded it (4 July 1776).

text: According to a legal textbook published in 2007, the declaration is in the spirit of "secular natural law", which does not base itself on religious doctrine or authority, in contrast with traditional natural law theory, which does.[12]

text: The declaration defines a single set of individual and collective rights for all men. Influenced by the doctrine of natural rights, these rights are held to be universal and valid in all times and places. For example, "Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good."[13] They have certain natural rights to property, to liberty, and to life. According to this theory, the role of government is to recognize and secure these rights. Furthermore, government should be carried on by elected representatives.[12]

text: At the time of writing, the rights contained in the declaration were only awarded to men. Furthermore, the declaration was a statement of vision rather than reality. The declaration was not deeply rooted in either the practice of the West or even France at the time. The declaration emerged in the late 18th century out of war and revolution. It encountered opposition as democracy and individual rights were frequently regarded as synonymous with anarchy and subversion. The declaration embodies ideals and aspirations towards which France pledged to struggle in the future.[14]

text: Substance[edit]

text: The Declaration is introduced by a preamble describing the fundamental characteristics of the rights which are qualified as being "natural, unalienable and sacred" and consisting of "simple and incontestable principles" on which citizens could base their demands. In the second article, "the natural and imprescriptible rights of man" are defined as "liberty, property, security and resistance to oppression". It called for the destruction of aristocratic privileges by proclaiming an end to feudalism and to exemptions from taxation, freedom and equal rights for all "Men", and access to public office based on talent. The monarchy was restricted, and all citizens were to have the right to take part in the legislative process. Freedom of speech and press were declared, and arbitrary arrests outlawed.[15]

text: The Declaration also asserted the principles of popular sovereignty, in contrast to the divine right of kings that characterized the French monarchy, and social equality among citizens, "All the citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, are equally admissible to all public dignities, places, and employments, according to their capacity and without distinction other than that of their virtues and of their talents," eliminating the special rights of the nobility and clergy.[16]

text: Articles[edit]

text:
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text: Article I – Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions can be founded only on the common good.

text: Article II – The goal of any political association is the conservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man. These rights are liberty, property, safety and resistance against oppression.

text: Article III – The principle of any sovereignty resides essentially in the Nation. No body, no individual can exert authority which does not emanate expressly from it.

text: Article IV – Liberty consists of doing anything which does not harm others: thus, the exercise of the natural rights of each man has only those borders which assure other members of the society the fruition of these same rights. These borders can be determined only by the law.

text: Article V – The law has the right to forbid only actions harmful to society. Anything which is not forbidden by the law cannot be impeded, and no one can be constrained to do what it does not order.

text: Article VI – The law is the expression of the general will. All the citizens have the right of contributing personally or through their representatives to its formation. It must be the same for all, either that it protects, or that it punishes. All the citizens, being equal in its eyes, are equally admissible to all public dignities, places, and employments, according to their capacity and without distinction other than that of their virtues and of their talents.

text: Article VII – No man can be accused, arrested nor detained but in the cases determined by the law, and according to the forms which it has prescribed. Those who solicit, dispatch, carry out or cause to be carried out arbitrary orders, must be punished; but any citizen called or seized under the terms of the law must obey at once; he renders himself culpable by resistance.

text: Article VIII – The law should establish only penalties that are strictly and evidently necessary, and no one can be punished but under a law established and promulgated before the offense and legally applied.

text: Article IX – Any man being presumed innocent until he is declared culpable if it is judged indispensable to arrest him, any rigor which would not be necessary for the securing of his person must be severely reprimanded by the law.

text: Article X – No one may be disturbed for his opinions, even religious ones, provided that their manifestation does not trouble the public order established by the law.

text: Article XI – The free communication of thoughts and of opinions is one of the most precious rights of man: any citizen thus may speak, write, print freely, except to respond to the abuse of this liberty, in the cases determined by the law.

text: Article XII – The guarantee of the rights of man and of the citizen necessitates a public force: this force is thus instituted for the advantage of all and not for the particular utility of those in whom it is trusted.

text: Article XIII – For the maintenance of the public force and for the expenditures of administration, a common contribution is indispensable; it must be equally distributed to all the citizens, according to their ability to pay.

text: Article XIV – Each citizen has the right to ascertain, by himself or through his representatives, the need for a public tax, to consent to it freely, to know the uses to which it is put, and of determining the proportion, basis, collection, and duration.

text: Article XV – The society has the right of requesting an account from any public agent of its administration.

text: Article XVI – Any society in which the guarantee of rights is not assured, nor the separation of powers determined, has no Constitution.

text: Article XVII – Property being an inviolable and sacred right, no one can be deprived of private usage, if it is not when the public necessity, legally noted, evidently requires it, and under the condition of a just and prior indemnity.

text: Active and passive citizenship[edit]

text: While the French Revolution provided rights to a larger portion of the population, there remained a distinction between those who obtained the political rights in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen and those who did not. Those who were deemed to hold these political rights were called active citizens. Active citizenship was granted to men who were French, at least 25 years old, paid taxes equal to three days work, and could not be defined as servants (Thouret).[17] This meant that at the time of the Declaration only male property owners held these rights.[18] The deputies in the National Assembly believed that only those who held tangible interests in the nation could make informed political decisions.[19] This distinction directly affects articles 6, 12, 14, and 15 of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen as each of these rights is related to the right to vote and to participate actively in the government. With the decree of 29 October 1789, the term active citizen became embedded in French politics.[20]

text: The concept of passive citizens was created to encompass those populations that had been excluded from political rights in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. Because of the requirements set down for active citizens, the vote was granted to approximately 4.3 million Frenchmen[20] out of a population of around 29 million.[21] These omitted groups included women, slaves, children, and foreigners. As these measures were voted upon by the General Assembly, they limited the rights of certain groups of citizens while implementing the democratic process of the new French Republic (1792–1804).[19] This legislation, passed in 1789, was amended by the creators of the Constitution of the Year III in order to eliminate the label of active citizen.[22] The power to vote was then, however, to be granted solely to substantial property owners.[22]

text: Tensions arose between active and passive citizens throughout the Revolution. This happened when passive citizens started to call for more rights, or when they openly refused to listen to the ideals set forth by active citizens. This cartoon clearly demonstrates the difference that existed between the active and passive citizens along with the tensions associated with such differences.[23] In the cartoon, a passive citizen is holding a spade and a wealthy landowning active citizen is ordering the passive citizens to go to work. The act appears condescending to the passive citizen and it revisits the reasons why the French Revolution began in the first place.

text: Women, in particular, were strong passive citizens who played a significant role in the Revolution. Olympe de Gouges penned her Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen in 1791 and drew attention to the need for gender equality.[24] By supporting the ideals of the French Revolution and wishing to expand them to women, she represented herself as a revolutionary citizen. Madame Roland also established herself as an influential figure throughout the Revolution. She saw women of the French Revolution as holding three roles; "inciting revolutionary action, formulating policy, and informing others of revolutionary events."[25] By working with men, as opposed to working separate from men, she may have been able to further the fight of revolutionary women. As players in the French Revolution, women occupied a significant role in the civic sphere by forming social movements and participating in popular clubs, allowing them societal influence, despite their lack of direct political influence.[26]

text: Women's rights[edit]

text: The Declaration recognized many rights as belonging to citizens (who could only be male). This was despite the fact that after The March on Versailles on 5 October 1789, women presented the Women's Petition to the National Assembly in which they proposed a decree giving women equal rights.[27] In 1790, Nicolas de Condorcet and Etta Palm d'Aelders unsuccessfully called on the National Assembly to extend civil and political rights to women.[28] Condorcet declared that "he who votes against the right of another, whatever the religion, color, or sex of that other, has henceforth abjured his own".[29] The French Revolution did not lead to a recognition of women's rights and this prompted Olympe de Gouges to publish the Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen in September 1791.[30]

text: The Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen is modeled on the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and is ironic in formulation and exposes the failure of the French Revolution, which had been devoted to equality. It states that:

text: “This revolution will only take effect when all women become fully aware of their deplorable condition, and of the rights, they have lost in society”.

text: The Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen follows the seventeen articles of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen point for point and has been described by Camille Naish as "almost a parody... of the original document". The first article of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen proclaims that "Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be based only on common utility." The first article of Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen replied: "Woman is born free and remains equal to man in rights. Social distinctions may only be based on common utility".

text: De Gouges also draws attention to the fact that under French law women were fully punishable, yet denied equal rights, declaring "Women have the right to mount the scaffold, they must also have the right to mount the speaker's rostrum".[31]

text: Slavery[edit]

text: The declaration did not revoke the institution of slavery, as lobbied for by Jacques-Pierre Brissot's Les Amis des Noirs and defended by the group of colonial planters called the Club Massiac because they met at the Hôtel Massiac.[32] Despite the lack of explicit mention of slavery in the Declaration, slave uprisings in Saint-Domingue in the Haitian Revolution were inspired by it, as discussed in C. L. R. James' history of the Haitian Revolution, The Black Jacobins.[33]

text: Deplorable conditions for the thousands of slaves in Saint-Domingue, the most profitable slave colony in the world, led to the uprisings which would be known as the first successful slave revolt in the New World. Free persons of color were part of the first wave of revolt, but later former slaves took control. In 1794 the Convention dominated by the Jacobins abolished slavery, including in the colonies of Saint-Domingue and Guadeloupe. However, Napoleon reinstated it in 1802 and attempted to regain control of Saint-Domingue by sending in thousands of troops. After suffering the losses of two-thirds of the men, many to yellow fever, the French withdrew from Saint-Domingue in 1803. Napoleon gave up on North America and agreed to the Louisiana Purchase by the United States. In 1804, the leaders of Saint-Domingue declared it as an independent state, the Republic of Haiti, the second republic of the New World.

text: Legacy[edit]

text: This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: The Declaration has also influenced and inspired rights-based liberal democracy throughout the world. It was translated as soon as 1793–1794 by Colombian Antonio Nariño, who published it despite the Inquisition. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison for doing so. In 2003, the document was listed on UNESCO's Memory of the World register.

text: Constitution of the French Fifth Republic[edit]

text: According to the preamble of the Constitution of the French Fifth Republic (adopted on 4 October 1958, and the current constitution), the principles set forth in the Declaration have constitutional value. Many laws and regulations have been canceled because they did not comply with those principles as interpreted by the Conseil Constitutionnel ("Constitutional Council of France") or by the Conseil d'État ("Council of State").

text:
Taxation legislation or practices that seem to make some unwarranted difference between citizens are struck down as unconstitutional.
Suggestions of positive discrimination on ethnic grounds are rejected because they infringe on the principle of equality, since they would establish categories of people that would, by birth, enjoy greater rights.

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document_title: List of tallest buildings and structures

question_text: what is the second biggest tower in the world

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.

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 829.8 m (2,722 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 m (1,729 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
829.8
2,722
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)

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)

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)

Wind turbine
GE 3.4-137 wind turbine at Naturstromspeicher Gaildorf[5]
 Germany
Gaildorf
246.5
809
2017
48°59′49″N 9°48′35″E / 48.997075°N 9.809822°E / 48.997075; 9.809822 (GE 3.4-137 Wind Turbine)

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)

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[6]
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[7]
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[8]
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[9]

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[10]

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.[11]

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[12] 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.[12] 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.[13]

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.[14] 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.[13] Therefore, the CTBUH revised their criteria and defined four categories in which the world's tallest building can be measured,[15] by retaining the old criterion of height to architectural top, and adding three new categories:[13]

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)[16]
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.[17] 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.[17][18]

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.[13] 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. 8000 BC

5350

Tower of Jericho, West Bank

c. 8000 BC

8.5

28

31°52′19″N 35°26′38″E / 31.872041°N 35.443981°E / 31.872041; 35.443981

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,[19][20][21][22][23][24] others consider it doubtful[25]

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

1887-1889

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[26]

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.[27][28][29]

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

Yearcompleted

Architectural top[30](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