Top 10 Tallest Buildings in the World

This story showcases some of the heights of human achievement. The story is based on the top 10 ranked tallest structures as of January 2023

The top 10 tallest buildings in the world in January 2023

The map gives the location and summary of the 10 tallest buildings in the world. There is a distinction in the classification of "tallest buildings". Tall buildings, such as skyscrapers, are classed as enclosed structures with continuously occupiable floors and a height of at least 340 metres (1,120 ft). This definition excludes non-building structures, such as towers. Read on to learn about each of these extraordinary structures. Use the headings to navigate. The map tour can be found at the end.

10. China Zun/CITIC Tower, Beijing, China -527.7m

CITIC Tower (otherwise known as China Zun) is a supertall skyscraper in the Central Business District of Beijing. The 109-story, 528 m (1,732 ft) building is the tallest in the city, surpassing the China World Trade Center Tower III by 190 metres. On August 18, 2016, CITIC Tower surpassed China World Trade Center Tower III in height, becoming Beijing's tallest building. The tower structurally topped out on July 9, 2017, fully topped out on August 18, 2017, and was completed in late 2018, making CITIC Tower the tallest completed building of 2018. The nickname China Zun comes from the zun, an ancient Chinese wine vessel which inspired the building design, according to the developers, the CITIC Group. The groundbreaking ceremony of the building took place in Beijing on September 19, 2011, and the constructors expect to finish the project within five years. CITIC Tower is Northern China's third tallest building after Goldin Finance 117 and Chow Tai Fook Binhai Center in Tianjin. The tower is likely to remain the tallest building in Beijing for the foreseeable future, as in 2018 authorities capped new projects in the central business district to a height of no more than 180 meters in a bid to reduce congestion. In April 2018, Hong Kong newspaper Ming Pao reported that China Zun's top three floors, Levels 106–107 and an observatory on level 108, is to be expropriated by the national-security apparatus, since the entire Zhongnanhai complex, the headquarters of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council of the People's Republic of China, could be seen from the top of the skyscraper with the naked eye on a clear day. It is also said[by whom?] that with high-end telescopes and other monitoring equipment, the day-to-day lives and activities of the Party and State Leaders could be seen. The building is ordered rectification for "fire safety issues" by the authorities, but the CITIC Group is unable to reveal the specific reason for rectification. It is also said the top three floors of the building will be administered by the National Security authorities after rectification. [source:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Zun] 

9. Tianjin Finance Center, Tianjin, China - 530m

Tianjin CTF Finance Center is a super-tall skyscraper located in the TEDA CBD of Binhai, Tianjin, China. Construction started in 2013 and was completed in 2019. The tower is the second tallest building in Municipal Tianjin after Goldin Finance 117, eighth tallest building in the world, and the tallest building in the world with fewer than 100 floors. It is located in the outer district of the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area. Tianjin CTF Finance Center is designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP in collaboration with Ronald Lu & Partners. The building was honored with the Tall/Slender Structure award at the 2021 Awards Ceremony by the Institution of Structural Engineers. Tianjin Chow Tai Fook Financial Center (old plan) is a polyline-shaped building with a square shape as the base, and the shape is tapered from bottom to top. In the design effect, in the daytime, the building will refract the sunlight to show various colors, and at night, the top of the inclined tower glows like a diamond. The new plan is rocket-shaped and dominated by arcs; the crown is like a cicada's wings. [source:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tianjin_CTF_Finance_Centre] 


8. Guangzhou CTF Finance Center, Guangzhou, China -530m

The Guangzhou Chow Tai Fook Finance Centre (simplified Chinese: 广州周大福金融中心; traditional Chinese: 廣州周大福金融中心; pinyin: Guǎngzhōu zhōudàfú jīnróng zhōngxīn), also called East Tower, it is a 530-metre (1,739 ft) tall mixed-use skyscraper in Guangzhou, Guangdong, which was completed in October 2016. It is the tallest completed building in Guangzhou, the third-tallest in China, and the eighth-tallest in the world. The Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre has a total of 111 above ground and five below ground floors and houses a shopping mall, offices, apartments, and a hotel. The skyscraper has a gross floor area of 507,681.0 m2 (5,464,633 sq ft), of which a little over 20% is not part of the skyscraper itself, but of the podium connected to it. The shape of the Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre is defined by its mixed-usage: the different uses require different floor sizes and the building is shaped to accommodate those demands. Namely, the skyscraper has setbacks at points where the usage changes: the setbacks are located between the offices and the apartments, between the apartments and the hotel, and between the hotel and the crown of the building. The setbacks are angled and contain parapets with sky terraces. The top of the building is angled as well, but doesn't contain a sky terrace. The angled parapets point at the tops of various nearby tall buildings. Because of the setbacks, the building looks different from every angle. Different techniques were used to make the Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre more environmentally friendly. For example, it has efficient chillers and the podium's roof features solar panels. Moreover, the heat from the condensers of the chillers is recovered. The office and retail parts of the Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre together received a LEED Gold certification in 2018 after having received a pre-certification in 2013. [source:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guangzhou_CTF_Finance_Centre] 

7. One World Trade Center, New York City, USA

One World Trade Center (also known as One World Trade, One WTC, and formerly Freedom Tower) is the main building of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex in Lower Manhattan, New York City. Designed by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, One World Trade Center is the tallest building in the United States, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, and the seventh-tallest in the world. The supertall structure has the same name as the North Tower of the original World Trade Center, which was destroyed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The new skyscraper stands on the northwest corner of the 16-acre (6.5 ha) World Trade Center site, on the site of the original 6 World Trade Center. It is bounded by West Street to the west, Vesey Street to the north, Fulton Street to the south, and Washington Street to the east. The construction of below-ground utility relocations, footings, and foundations for the new building began on April 27, 2006. One World Trade Center became the tallest structure in New York City on April 30, 2012, when it surpassed the height of the Empire State Building. The tower's steel structure was topped out on August 30, 2012. On May 10, 2013, the final component of the skyscraper's spire was installed, making the building, including its spire, reach a total height of 1,776 feet (541 m). Its height in feet is a deliberate reference to the year when the United States Declaration of Independence was signed. The building opened on November 3, 2014; the One World Observatory opened on May 29, 2015. The symbolic cornerstone of One World Trade Center was laid in a ceremony on July 4, 2004. The stone had an inscription supposedly written by Arthur J. Finkelstein.Construction was delayed until 2006 due to disputes over money, security, and design. The last major issues were resolved on April 26, 2006, when a deal was made between developer Larry Silverstein and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, so the cornerstone was temporarily removed from the site on June 23, 2006. Soon after, explosives were detonated at the construction site for two months to clear bedrock for the building's foundation, onto which 400 cubic yards (310 cubic meters) of concrete was poured by November 2007. In a December 18, 2006, ceremony held in nearby Battery Park City, members of the public were invited to sign the first 30-foot (9.1 m) steel beam installed onto the building's base. It was welded onto the building's base on December 19, 2006.Foundation and steel installation began shortly afterward, so the tower's footings and foundation were nearly complete within a year.[61] An estimate in February 2007 placed the initial construction cost of One World Trade Center at about $3 billion, or $1,150 per square foot ($12,380 per square meter). [source:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_World_Trade_Center] 

6. Lotte World Tower, Seoul, South Korea -554.5m

The Lotte World Tower (Korean: 롯데월드타워) is a 555-metre (1,821 ft) 123-story Megatall skyscraper located in Sincheon-dong, Songpa, Seoul, South Korea. It opened to the public on April 3, 2017, and is currently the tallest building in South Korea and the sixth tallest in the world. After 13 years of planning and site preparation, the tower gained final approval to start construction by the government in November 2010[4] and the first groundbreaking activities of piling and frame assembly were observed at the construction site in March. On March 17, 2016, before the final phase of external construction, the Diagrid lantern-shaped roof structure was completed. The roof structure was constructed with steel counterparts that are each 12 metres (39 ft) and weigh 20 tons. The counterparts were made up of bent metal panels that are 6 cm (2.4 in) thick. The roof structure itself is 120 metres (390 ft) high and covers floors 107–123. Approximately 3,000 tons of steel parts, a high-precision 64t tower crane and GPS alignment systems, as well as highly skilled welding technicians, were used in the construction of the roof. The roof structure is engineered to withstand its weight without reinforcing pillars, endure earthquakes up to a magnitude of 9 under the Richter magnitude scale, and winds up to 80 m/s (260 ft/s). It is also the fifth largest building in the world On New Year Eve of 2016, the LED-pixels of the facade displayed the number "2016". On April 3, 2017, Lotte shot off fireworks to celebrate the tower's official opening. On January 1, 2018, Lotte shot off fireworks with a LED laser show for seven minutes to celebrate New Year's Day and the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. [source:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotte_World_Tower]  

5. Ping An International Finance Center, Shenzen, China - 599.1m

he Ping An Finance Center (Chinese: 平安金融中心; pinyin: píng'ān jīnróng zhōngxīn) is a 115-story, 599 m (1,965 ft) supertall skyscraper in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China. The building was commissioned by Ping An Insurance and designed by the American architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates. It was completed in 2017, becoming the tallest building in Shenzhen, the 2nd tallest building in China and the 5th tallest building in the world. It also broke the record of having the highest observation deck in a building at 562 m (1,844 ft). It is the second largest skyscraper in the world by floor area after Azabudai Hills Main Tower in Tokyo, Japan. On 15 March 2013, the construction process was temporarily halted, due to the suspected use of concrete made with unprocessed sea sand, which could corrode the steel structure. Construction resumed on the building after sample testing. On the morning of 15 July 2014, upon a 10-meter-long steel column being lifted to place, the skyscraper exceeded 443.8 meters in height, surpassing the KK100 Tower to become the tallest building in Shenzhen. The building was topped out on 30 April 2015, and became the second tallest skyscraper in China at a height of 599 meters. The original plan was to add a 60-meter-long antenna atop the building to surpass the Shanghai Tower and become the tallest building in China. However, in February 2015, it was decided that the antenna would not top the tower due to the possibility that it might obstruct flight paths. According to South China Morning Post, almost 30 percent of the office space remained empty in the second quarter of 2019. [source:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ping_An_International_Finance_Centre] 

4. Abraj Al-Bayt, Mecca, Saudi Arabia - 601m

Abraj Al-Bayt is a government-owned complex of seven skyscraper hotels in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. These towers are a part of the King Abdulaziz Endowment Project that aims to modernize the city in catering to its pilgrims. The central hotel tower, which is the Makkah Clock Royal Tower, is the fourth-tallest building and sixth-tallest freestanding structure in the world. The clock tower contains the Clock Tower Museum that occupies the top four floors of the tower. The tallest tower in the complex is the tallest building in Saudi Arabia, at 650m and a total surface area of 32,000 square meters. Currently, it is the sixth-tallest freestanding structure in the world, surpassing the Ping An Finance Centre in Shenzhen, China but shorter than the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE, the Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the Tokyo Skytree in Tokyo, Japan, the Shanghai Tower in Shanghai, China, and the Canton Tower in Guangzhou, China. It is the world's second most expensive building, with the total cost of construction totalling US$15 billion. The complex was built after the demolition of the Ajyad Fortress, the 18th-century Ottoman citadel on top of a hill overlooking the Grand Mosque. The destruction of the historically significant site in 2002 by the Saudi government sparked an outcry and a strong reaction from Turkey. [source:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraj_al-Bayt]  

3. Shanghai Tower, Shanghai, China -632m

Shanghai Tower is a 128-story, 632-meter-tall (2,073 ft) mega-tall skyscraper in Lujiazui, Pudong, Shanghai. It is the tallest building in China and the world's third-tallest building by height to architectural top. It is the tallest and largest LEED Platinum certified building in the world since 2015. It shares the record (along with the Ping An Finance Center) of having the world's highest observation deck within a building or structure at 562 m. It had the world's second-fastest elevators at a top speed of 20.5 meters per second (74 km/h; 46 mph) until 2017. Following a report in June 2017, approximately 60% of its office space has been leased, but only 33% of those tenants have moved in, leaving entire floors of the tower empty; the luxury J hotel has also yet to open. The tower's floor plate has an "efficiency rate of only 50 per cent on some floors, compared with 70 per cent for a typical [skyscraper]", as the tower's "much-talked-about outer skin, which is ideal for allowing in natural light and cuts down on air-conditioning costs... means much of the floor space can’t be used". As of 2019, 55 floors stood empty. Current tenants of the tower include Alibaba, Intesa Sanpaolo and AllBright Law Offices. [source:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghai_Tower#2017_and_later]  

2. Merdeka 118, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Formerly known as Warisan Merdeka Tower and KL 118, is a 118-storey, 678.9-m-tall megatall skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is the world's second-tallest structure, surpassing the Tokyo Skytree at 634 m (2,080 ft) and the world's second tallest building, surpassing the Shanghai Tower at 632 m (2,073 ft), but still shorter than the Burj Khalifa at 828 m (2,717 ft), which is the current tallest building in the world. The building's name, Merdeka (which means 'independence'), is inspired by its proximity to Stadium Merdeka. The spire of the building was completed in November 2021.

The building is designed with a mixture of diamond-shaped glass facades to signify the diversity of Malaysians. The design was made to resemble and inspired by  Tunku Abdul Rahman 's outstretched hand gesture while chanting " Merdeka !", when he proclaimed the  independence of Malaysia  on 31 August 1957. The building's cladding will comprise 18,144 panels, 114,000 square-meter of glass, and 1,600 tonnes of window frame extrusions.

It will contain the  118 Mall , Grade-A offices, hotels, and residential areas. The building will be equipped and illuminated at night with 8.4km of LED light strips which would gradually move from one corner to another. 

The Neapoli Group, an environmental design and engineering firm, was employed to provide consultancy services towards achieving platinum rating with three Green Building certification bodies:  Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design  (LEED), Green Building Index and GreenRE.

The building will also be the first in Malaysia to receive a triple platinum rating from worldwide sustainability certifications, including the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). [source:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merdeka_118]  

1. Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE -828m

At the number one spot is the Burj Khalifa located in downtown Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. The building was known as the Burj Dubai prior to its inauguration in 2010. With a total height of 829.8 m (2,722 ft, or just over half a mile) and a roof height (excluding antenna, but including a 242.6 m spire) of 828 m (2,717 ft), the Burj Khalifa has been the tallest structure and building in the world since its topping out in 2009, supplanting Taipei 101, the previous holder of that status. Construction of the Burj Khalifa began in 2004, with the exterior completed five years later in 2009. The primary structure is reinforced concrete and some of the structural steel for the building originated from the Palace of the Republic in East Berlin, the former East German parliament. The building was opened in 2010 as part of a new development called Downtown Dubai. It was designed to be the centerpiece of large-scale, mixed-use development. At a certain point in the architectural and engineering process, the original Emaar developers experienced financial problems and required more money and economic funding. Sheikh Khalifa, the then-ruler of the United Arab Emirates, granted monetary aid and funding, hence the changing of the name from "Burj Dubai" to "Burj Khalifa".

Floor Plans of the Burj Khalifa tiers and levels

Notable Features

Outside the Burj Khalifa,  WET Enterprises  designed a fountain system at a cost of  Dh  800 million (US$217 million). Illuminated by 6,600 lights and 50 coloured projectors, it is 270 m (900 ft) long and shoots water 150 m (500 ft) into the air while accompanied by a range of classical to contemporary Arabic and other music. It is the world's largest choreographed fountain. On 26 October 2008, Emaar announced that based on results of a naming contest the fountain would be called the Dubai Fountain.

The Burj Khalifa is highly compartmentalised. Pressurized, air-conditioned refuge floors are located every 13 floors (on floors G, 13, 26, 39, 52, etc.) where people can shelter on their long walk down to safety in case of an emergency or fire.

Burj Khalifa is surrounded by an eleven-hectare (27-acre) park designed by landscape architects SWA Group. Like the tower, the park's design was based on the flower of the  Hymenocallis , a desert plant. At the centre of the park is the water room, which is a series of pools and water jet fountains. Benches and signs incorporate images of Burj Khalifa and the Hymenocallis flower.

The plants are watered by water collected from the building's cooling system. The system provides 68,000,000 L (18,000,000 US gal) annually.  [82]    WET Enterprises , who also developed the  Dubai Fountain , developed the park's six water features. [source:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burj_Khalifa]  

Map Tour of the 10 Tallest Buildings

Floor Plans of the Burj Khalifa tiers and levels