Humanity has become obsessed with breaking its limits, creating new records only to break them again and again. In fact, our cities’ skylines have always been defined by those in power during every period in history. At one point churches left their mark, followed by public institutions and in the last few decades, it's commercial skyscrapers that continue to stretch taller and taller.
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has developed its own system for classifying tall buildings, stating that the Burj Khalifa (828 m.) is the world’s tallest building right now. Read on for the 25 tallest buildings in the world today.
For a complete view of this constant architectural evolution, explore the updated list of the world's tallest buildings, where you can discover the latest additions and changes in the global ranking.
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The 10 Different Ways to Measure a Skyscraper's Height1. Burj Khalifa / SOM (828 m / 2,717 ft)
Dubai, UAE
2. Merdeka 118 / Fender Katsalidis Architects (678.9 m / 2,227 ft)
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
3. Shanghai Tower / Gensler (632 m / 2,073 ft)
Shanghai, China
4. Makkah Royal Clock Tower / Dar al-Handasah Shair & Partners + SL Rasch (601 m / 1,972 ft)
Makkah, Saudi Arabia
5. Ping An Finance Center / KPF (599.1 m / 1,965 ft)
Shenzhen, China
6. Lotte World Tower / KPF (554.5 m / 1,819 ft)
Seoul, South Korea
7. One World Trade Center / SOM (541.3 m / 1,776 ft)
New York, United States
8. Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre / KPF (530 m / 1,739 ft)
Guangzhou, China
8. Tianjin CTF Finance Centre / SOM (530 m / 1,739 ft)
Tianjin, China
10. CITIC Tower / KPF (Design) + TFP Farrells (Concept) (527.7 m / 1,731 ft)
Beijing, China
11. TAIPEI 101 / C.Y. Lee & Partners Architects/Planners (508 m / 1,667 ft)
Taipei, Taiwan
12. Shanghai World Financial Center / KPF + Mori Building + Irie Miyake Architects and Engineers (492 m / 1,614 ft)
Shanghai, China
13. International Commerce Centre / KPF (484 m / 1,588 ft)
Hong Kong
14. Wuhan Greenland Center / Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (476 m / 1,560 ft)
Wuhan, China
15. Central Park Tower / Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (472.4 m / 1,550 ft)
New York, Unites States
16. Lakhta Center / Gorproject (462 m / 1,516 ft)
Saint Petersburg, Russia
17. Vincom Landmark 81 / Atkins (461.2 m / 1,513 ft)
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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18. Changsha IFS Tower T1 / Wong Tung & Partners (452.1 m / 1,483 ft)
Changsha, China
19. Petronas Tower 1 / Cesar Pelli & Associates (452.1 m / 1,483 ft)
Kuala Lumpur, Malasia
19. Petronas Tower 2 / Cesar Pelli & Associates (451.9 m / 1,483 ft)
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
21. Suzhou IFS / KPF (450 m / 1,476 ft)
Suzhou, China
21. Zifeng Tower / SOM (450 m / 1,476 ft)
Nanjing, China
23. The Exchange 106 / Beca Group (445 m / 1,462 ft)
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
24. Wuhan Tower / East China Architectural Design & Research Institute (443 m / 1,454 ft)
Wuhan, China
25. Willis Tower (Sears Tower) / SOM (442 m / 1,451 ft)
Chicago, United States
Editor's note: This article was originally published on December 14, 2015, by Nicolás Valencia. It was last updated on December 2, 2024, by Maria-Cristina Florian.
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