Since the 19th century, nations have competed to hold the title of the world’s tallest building. While America’s skyscrapers dominated the record books of the 20th century, it has recently become more of a rivalry between the Middle Eastern states and China. But who holds the current title of the world’s tallest building? And where can we expect to see the next constructed? Here’s a guide to some of the amazingly tall buildings and their claims to fame.
Tallest building in the world
As of 2016, Burj Khalifa in Dubai is the tallest building in the world – and it’s not close. It’s actually almost 200 metres taller than its next tallest rival, the Shanghai Tower in China. It stands at a height of 828m and has 163 floors.
One of the most remarkable aspects of the tower is the fact that in Dubai; a city that’s famous for enormous skyscrapers, the Burj Khalifa is nearly twice as tall as the next tallest tower. Construction began in 2004 and was officially completed in 2010, with an astonishing average of 12,000 workers per day involved in the project.
Tallest twin towers
The beautiful Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur are one of Malaysia’s most important tourist attractions. At 451m, they are also the tallest twin towers in the world and between 1998 and 2004 held the title of the tallest building in the world. Amazingly, the towers have been climbed – French climber Alain Robert scaled the towers in less than two hours in 2009.
Tallest building in China
China may claim the title of the being the world leader in skyscrapers. In a list of 130 tallest buildings in the world 46 per cent are based in China. The tallest of them is the Shanghai Tower which features a stunning curved design and stands at 632m. One of the most impressive parts of the tower is its elevators – they are the fastest in the world, and they travel at an incredible 1,080 metres per minute.
Tallest building in the USA
The USA’s tallest building is One World Trade Center in New York City and it stands at a height of 546m, acting as a memorial to the famous World Trade Center twin towers. One of the most remarkable aspects of the tower is that it is one of the greenest skyscrapers in the world. It was built using recycled construction debris and it generates its own power.
Many people believe that the Empire State Building is the tallest in the USA, and while it’s true that for nearly 40 years the building was the tallest in the world, it has since been overtaken by several buildings in New York and Chicago.
Tallest building in the UK
Constructed in 2012, The Shard is the UK’s tallest building, towering 306m over London. It’s also one of the most unique in the city as the exterior of the building consists of 11,000 glass panels. The Shard isn’t, however, the tallest structure in the UK. Several radio transmitter masts are taller – the largest being Skelton Transmitting Station in Cumbria.
Tallest tomb
The Great Pyramid of Giza is known as a must-see attraction and one of Egypt’s most impressive sights. But it also holds the title being the world’s tallest tomb, as it stands 138m high. Constructed in 2560BC, the pyramid was built using an incredible 2.3m stone bricks.
Tallest building under construction
This category is a little harder to quantify as it varies wildly on what you consider to be ‘under construction’. Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah Tower is set to become the world’s tallest in 2019 when it will be the first ever to reach a height of more than 1000m tall. Other extremely tall buildings that have been proposed include Sky City Changsha (which would stand 838m) and the Bionic Tower (which would stand at 1,228m), both in China.
Article provided by Mike James, an independent content in the property industry. For the information in this post, MC Property Maintenance were consulted.