See the 15 Tallest Buildings in the World

Skyscrapers that seem to rise endlessly above the cities at their feet fascinate more than just architecture enthusiasts. And nothing proves that more than the tallest buildings in the world. Their striking design plays a part, no doubt, but their seemingly physics-defying existence is what really draws a viewer’s eye up. While tall buildings can be found all over the planet, most of the tallest are located in Asia. In fact, half of the building in this list are in China alone. Read on to learn about these wonders of engineering, where they’re located, and some of the fascinating stories behind them.

15. Central Park Tower (New York, United States of America)

Situated on Manhattan’s Billionaires’ Row, Central Park Tower is a 1,550-foot skyscraper by American firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture. Its bottom few floors are occupied by a Nordstrom department store, but the rest of the 98 levels are dedicated to luxury condos, making it the tallest primarily-residential building in the world.

14. Wuhan Greenland Center (Wuhan, China)

Another Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture masterpiece, Wuhan Greenland Center is a 1,562-foot tower that reduces wind resistance and vortex action with its tapered tripod shape, rounded corners, and domed top. It was originally designed to be nearly 500 feet taller, but airspace regulations thwarted the lofty plans.

13. International Commerce Center (Hong Kong)

The International Commerce Center, designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), was also supposed to rise even taller than its 1,588 feet, but laws forbade it from exceeding the height of the surrounding mountains. Even so, the skyscraper is the tallest structure in Hong Kong and 13th tallest around the globe. It sits atop the Elements mall and overlooks Victoria Harbour.

Adjacent to the taller Shanghai Tower, the Shanghai World Financial Center rises 1,614 feet into the sky. Because of its unusual shape, it has earned a tongue-in-cheek nickname: the bottle opener. It was also designed by KPF.

Rising 1,667 feet tall, Taipei 101 towers well above the other rooftops in its namesake city. Its facade, which was inspired by traditional Chinese architecture, is decidedly less contemporary than that of most other super-talls on this list. The skyscraper mainly houses offices, but also restaurants and a viewing platform. Every New Year’s Eve, fireworks are set off from the roof, attracting celebrating spectators from all over the world.

Beijing’s tallest building is CITIC Tower, a skyscraper full of offices that stands at 1,732 feet tall. It’s also known as China Zun for its distinctive silhouette that echoes a zun, an ancient Chinese vessel for wine. The design was a collaboration between the architecture firms Farrells and KPF.

It’s not just similar names that the Tianjin CTF Finance Center and the Guangzhou CTF Finance Center have in common—they’re the same height too. Both towers come in at 1,739 feet. The Tianjin tower is recognizable for its softly curving glass walls that reduce exposure to wind, sun, and moisture. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, it includes offices, apartments, retail space, and hotel rooms.

The Guangzhou CTF Finance Center, on the other hand, is boxier in silhouette and sits atop an eight-story podium. The building houses offices, hotel rooms, and retail space. Forth Bagley, the lead architect on the project, used white glazed tiles for the vertical mullions of the structure, a nod to a local craft tradition. This soaring building is another from KPF.

At 1,775 feet, One World Trade Center in New York is the tallest building in both the city and the country. By comparison, the Empire State Building—which was once the tallest building in the world—is only 1,453 feet high. The skyscraper was designed by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and constructed on the site where the original World Trade Center towers stood until September 11, 2001. One World Trade Center is not only a soaring skyscraper, it also serves as a powerful memorial and symbol of resilience.

The Lotte World Tower is the tallest building in South Korea and the sixth tallest building in the world, with 1,821 feet to its name. Also designed by KPF, it holds offices, apartments, stores, a hotel, a concert hall, and a viewing platform.

A 1,965-foot skyscraper that rises above Shenzhen’s skyline, the Ping An Finance Center was built to anchor the city’s business district. The 100-story building is centered around an atrium space and serves as the headquarters for the Ping An Insurance company. It was designed by KPF too.

Makkah Royal Clock Tower, also known as Abraj Al Bait, reaches an astounding height of 1,972 feet—and the clock on top is the largest in the world. The massive timepiece features faces on all four sides, each with a diameter of 141 feet. Makkah is part of the Clock Tower complex, which includes seven hotels that cater to the millions of pilgrims who visit Mecca each year. The Great Mosque of Mecca, Islam’s holiest site, is located less than a quarter-mile from the development.

Shanghai Tower, which was designed by American architecture firm Gensler, rises 2,073 feet into the air, making it the tallest building in China. Among the many features that make the tower impressive is its nine different indoor zones, each with its own atrium, garden, and cafes. Its twisting shape is both aesthetically-pleasing and practical, as it reduces wind resistance. Plus, it’s situated directly next to Shanghai Financial Center, the sixth tallest building in the country.

Formerly known as PNB 118, Merdeka 118 is the second tallest building in the world and the newest addition to this group of record-breakers. It was completed in 2023, coming in at 2,228 feet. Its original name was short for Permodalan Nasional Berhad, a Malaysian investment management company that developed the project and occupies most of the building. But its current name means “independence” in Malay and was chosen in honor of nearby Stadium Merdeka, the site of the country’s declaration of independence in 1957.

Burj Khalifa currently holds the title of the tallest building in the world—and the one with the most floors. The 2,717-foot, 163-floor skyscraper comprises apartments, offices, and hotel rooms, as well as the world’s highest restaurant and the world’s highest viewing platform. Designed by Adrian Smith, the building’s construction began in 2004 and finished in 2010. It’s named after Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the former president of the UAE.

Frequently Asked Questions

As noted, the Burj Khalifa is currently the tallest building in the world. A handful of other skyscrapers have held the title previously, including the Chrysler Building, Empire State Building, Sears Tower, and Taipei 101.

Adrian Smith is the American architect behind the tallest tower in the world, Burj Khalifa. He designed the Dubai skyscraper while he was a principal at Chicago-based architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, but the project was completed after he left the company and launched his own firm with Gordon Gill, which is aptly named Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture. The two men also designed the under-construction Jeddah Tower, a Saudi Arabia skyscraper that is expected to exceed the height of Burj Khalifa and assume the title of tallest building in the world.

Jeddah Tower, also known as Burj Jeddah, is a neo-futuristic skyscraper that is currently under construction in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. It is planned to be 3,281 feet tall—which would make it the first ever one-kilometer building. But fans will have to wait another few years to see if Jeddah Tower reaches its goals, since it isn’t slated for completion until 2028. Builders first broke ground in 2013—but then paused work in 2018 for five years. It has been reported that 63 of the 157 floors were finished as of October 2024. When Jeddah Tower does open its doors, it’s expected to offer residential, commercial, and office spaces. There will also be an observation deck and a Four Seasons hotel.

The two tallest buildings in the US, One World Trade Center and Central Park Tower, appear on this list—but the country boasts lots of other skyscrapers that qualify as “super-tall” according to the guidelines of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. Anything taller than 984 feet makes the cut. Chicago’s Willis Tower, commonly referred to as Sears Tower, is 1,450 feet, while New York’s 111 West 57th Street, also known as Steinway Tower, is 1,428 feet. The tallest building west of the Mississippi River is Los Angeles’s Wilshire Grand Center, which stands at 1,100 feet.