From the moment humans became aware of the world around them, we’ve been looking upwards towards the sky in order to discover the secrets of the universe that lie ahead of us.
In our quest for knowledge though we’ve discovered that at the end of the day, the sky is probably the limit, and while the stars remain beyond our reach, our boundless ambition has led us to create monumental structures that can almost touch the sky.
Brilliant minds from all over the world have come together to push the boundaries of architecture, transforming our cities and horizons with awe-inspiring buildings that challenge the limits of possibility.
While these buildings started off small, as technology improved so did our vision, which is how we managed to create some of the most majestic and striking buildings we’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing.
So, in honor of these great men and women that worked for generations to complete some of the most daring projects of all time, we will now go on a journey to explore the 50 tallest buildings in the world, showcasing the pinnacles of human ingenuity and also the breathtaking heights we have attained.
This list features the newest skyscrapers as of 2023!
50. Eton Place Dalian Tower 1 – Dalian, China
Eon Place Dalian is the first pick on our list, and if you’ve ever been to that part of China then chances are you already knew all about it.
This is because the Eton Place Dalian is considered to be a bit of a national treasure for the Chinese, as it is known as one of the tallest buildings in the province.
It features a total of 81 floors, and even though it officially opened in the year 2015, it maxed out on tourists almost every single season.
This skyscraper can be found at 23 Dagong St, Zhongshan, Dalian city in Liaoning, China, around the central part of the city.
The tallest tower from Eton Place Dalian is 1,257ft or 388m tall, which makes it one of the 50 tallest buildings in the world as we speak.
49. Shun Hing Square – Shenzhen, China
The Shun Hing Square is a rather massive 384m or 1,260ft tall skyscraper, that can be found in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China.
It used to be the tallest building in China when it was completed back in 1996, although this changed a year later when the CITIC Plaza was completed. What’s interesting about it is that it was built at a pace of four floors every nine days, making this one of the fastest constructions in the world.
If you decide to come over here, you will be happy to hear that the Shun Hing Square’s main tower comes with an office space, a private car park and a 5-story shopping arcade complex.
Shopping will also be made all the more effortless thanks to the addition of four sets of escalators, five passenger lifts and two service lifts.
48. Public Investment Fund Tower – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
The Public Investment Fund (PIF) Tower from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia is another enormous skyscraper that is 385m or 1,263ft tall. It used to be known as the Capital Market Authority Tower back in the day when the project was unveiled, but the name was changed a few years later.
The construction took eleven years to complete, even though the project begun around 2010 and it topped-out in 2014, it was completed only in 2021.
As soon as the announcement was made, this became known as the tallest building in all of Riyadh, surpassing the former number one spot holder Burj Rafal, and becoming the second tallest building in Saudi Arabia altogether.
In the future, the tower is hoping to get a LEED Gold certification in order to add in an observation deck, a two-story atrium and multiple double-height sky lobbies.
47. 30 Hudson Yards – New York City, United States
Coming up next, we have our very first supertall skyscraper from the US (a title given to all buildings that are between 300 and 599 meters in height), the 30 Hudson Yards. This building used to be known as the North Tower, and it can be found in the West Side of Midtown Manhattan, New York City.
What’s even more impressive about this project is the fact that even though the building stands at a rather massive height of 1,270ft or 387m, it still can’t hold a candle to five other buildings that top over it in New York City alone.
Still, 30 Hudson Yards more than earned its spot on our list with its 101 floors, and the second highest outdoor observation deck in the world.
46. Shum Yip Upperhills Tower 1 – Shenzhen, China
Going back to China we have the Shun Yip Upperhills Tower 1 from Shenzhen, Guangdong. This is another supertall skyscraper that stands at a whopping 388.1m or 1,273.3ft high up in the air.
What’s even more impressive about it though is that even though the production started on the 12th of February, 2014, it was already fully completed by 2020.
Another interesting fact about it is that it features a rather novel structural system that is known as the “Ladder Core System”. This implies that the perimeter columns are directly connected with the central reinforced concrete core that can be found on every story.
45. Citymark Centre – Shenzhen, China
Also found in Shenzhen, China, the Citymark Tower looks gigantic compared to its surrounding buildings, standing tall at 388.3m or 1274ft high.
It features a total of 70-stories as well as 7 underground stories, and even though it has yet to open its doors to guests, it is believed that the construction will be fully completed around 2023.
The architects that worked on the construction went for a very unique postmodern design which perfectly blends into Shenzhen’s futuristic skyline.
44. CITIC Plaza – Guangzhou, China
The CITIC Plaza, or as it’s also referred to as “The China International Trust and Investment Plaza”, is an enormous 391m or 1,283ft tall office skyscraper that was constructed in the Tianhe District of Guangzhou, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China.
It has a total of 80-stories as well as 2 underground ones which are separated into two massive residential buildings.
In close proximity to these two buildings, you also have a new train station which helps the workers travel from Guangzhou-Shenzhen and Guangzhou-Hong Kong.
43. 23 Marina – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
This 88-story, 392.8m or 1,289ft tall residential skyscraper from Dubai, United Arab Emirates serves as the fourth tallest building in all of Dubai, as well as the sixth tallest residential building in the whole world.
What makes 23 Marina unique is that it also features a total of 57 swimming pools, and in order to make life easier for the people working here, each and every duplex in the tower comes with its own private elevator.
As soon as the project was greenlit, a massive auction was held during which investors started to put their money where their mouth was in order to buy off different segments of the building. This is how, before the construction even started, around 79% of it was sold off.
42. China Resources Headquarters – Shenzhen,China
The China Resources Headquarters is a humongous 392.5m or 1,287.7ft supertall skyscraper from the Houhai, Nanshan, Shenzhen, Guangdong area. The constructions began around 2012, only for it all to top out in 2016, and for the whole thing to be completed around 2018.
The entire building is owned and controlled by China Resources, and as such they also have their headquarters in there.
Interestingly enough, at the bottom of the building you can find a ginormous shopping mall known as the Shenzhen Bay MixC, alongside several basement carparks.
The subways are also quite popular in that they connect the shopping mall directly to the Shenzhen Bay Sports Centre and the Shenzhen Metro Line 11 Houhai Station.
41. Guiyang International Financial Center Tower 1 – Guiyang, China
The Guiyang International Financial Center is a twin-towers complex that was unveiled in October 2014 and completed in 2020. It can be found in Guiyang, the capital city of Guizhou Province, and the people behind the project hoped that it will help bring top companies to the area.
In order to entice companies to come over, the tower comes equipped with office spaces, a hotel, a ballroom, restaurants, wedding plazas and sky lobbies.
The hotel and banquet spaces can be found on the 1st to the 40th floors, while the rest of the aforementioned amenities can be found on the floors above.
The peak of the Guiyang International Financial Center rests at Tower 1, which sits at a gigantic height of 401m or 1,316ft.
40. Guangxi China Resources Tower – Nanning, China
The Guangxi China Resources Tower can be found in Nanning, China, which is the capital of the Guangxi province.
It is a supertall skyscraper that rests at a whopping height of 403m or 1321ft above ground. It is also the city’s tallest building, and it stands out from a lot of other picks on this list since it is a mixed-use tower.
In order to make sure that the tower can accommodate for any and all uses, it comes packed with more than 170,000 square meters of Class A office space, as well as 6,000 square meters of retail and a huge 336-key Shangri-La hotel.
39. Haeundae LCT The Sharp Tower – Busan, South Korea
Haeundae LCT The Sharp is a major urban development project that was started in Jung-dong, Haeundae District, Busan, South Korea.
It can be found right next to the Haeundae Beach, and it stands at a rather massive 411.6m or 1,350ft above ground.
It has a total of 101 floors as well as 5 below ground, and it is connected to two 85-floor tall residential skyscrapers, making this one of the most majestic looking buildings we’ve ever seen.
On its lower floors it features an urban entertainment complex as well as a shopping mall, a water park and a hot springs spa area.
They have also stated that the landmark tower will feature luxury and residential hotels with a convention center as well as a rather luxurious looking observatory.
38. The International Finance Centre – Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong’s iconic International Finance Centre comes up next on our list, standing at a height of 412m or 1,352ft above ground.
It also doubles down as the fourth-tallest building in the Greater China Area as well as the eighth tallest office building in the world right now. You can compare it in height with the former World Trade Center if you need a good indicator of just how tall it is.
An interesting fact about it is that back in 2003, the Financial Times, HSBC and Cathay Pacific decided to test the waters out by breaking the record for having the largest advertisement in the world at this tower.
Their advertisement was stretched over 50 stories, covering a total of 19,000 m2 and a total length of 230m, completely running over the former world record holder. To this day this record has yet to be surpassed.
37. Al Hamra Tower – Kuwait City, Kuwait
The Al Hamra Tower is by far the tallest building in all of Kuwait. It can be found in the country’s capital and largest city, and it only took six years to complete.
The project officially started around 2005 and completed in 6 years, and it was built by the acclaimed architectural firms Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and Ramshir and Callison.
The Al Hamra Tower serves as the 37th tallest building in the world, as well as the tallest curved concrete skyscraper in the world right now.
It stands at a total height of 412.6m or 1,354ft, and it features a total of 80 floors as well as 3 underground ones.
36. Princess Tower – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Next up on our list we have the Princess Tower, one of the tallest residential-only skyscrapers to have ever been built.
It actually was the tallest residential building until 2015, when the 432 Park Avenue from New York City managed to overtake it.
Still, the Princess Tower’s height is not something to scoff at as it is the third tallest building in Dubai, right after the Burj Khalifa and the Marina 101.
It stands at a total height of 413.4m or 1,356ft above ground and it is the greatest achievement of renowned engineer Syed Majid Hashmi and his deputy manager Mohammad Ali Alogaily.
35. Jin Mao Tower – Shanghai, China
The Jin Mao Tower, also commonly referred to as the Jinmao Building and the Jinmao Tower, is a stupendously tall building that stands at a total height of 420m or 1,380ft above ground.
It is an 88-story, or 93-story if you want to also count the floors in the spire, skyscraper that can be found in Lujiazui, Pudong, in Shanghai, China.
In it, you can find a shopping mall, multiple offices and of course, the renowned Grand Hyatt Shanghai hotel which was hailed as the highest hotel in the world thanks to it starting around the 53rd floor.
It used to be the tallest building in all of China until the year 2007 rolled around, when the Shanghai World Financial Center was built.
34. Dongguan International Trade Center 1 – Dongguan, China
Known as the Minying International Trade Center T2, the Dongguan International Trade Center 1 is a supertall skyscraper that, as its name implies, can be found in Dongguan, Guangdong, China. It is also the 14th tallest building in all of China, and by far the tallest one in Dongguan.
It has a total height of around 423m or 1,386ft above ground and it features a total of 85 floors, with 3 of them being underground.
33. Trump International Hotel and Tower – Chicago, United States
Next up on our list we have the Trump International Hotel and Tower, a massive skyscraper condo-hotel that can be found in downtown Chicago, Illinois. As you can tell, the building was named after Donald Trump, and it was designed by world-renowned architect Adrian Smith.
Back in 2001, when he announced its construction, Trump stated in an interview that he wanted this to become the tallest building in the world.
Sadly though, the September 11 attacks happened that same year, after which the architects decided to scale down the project. In 2009, the project was completed and Trump International Hotel and Tower became the seventh-tallest building in the US.
It used to be the building with the highest residence in the world, although this record was quickly surpassed by the Burj Khalifa. It features a total of 339 rooms, and it has been open for business since January 30th, 2009.
With that being said, as of 2009 the Trump International Hotel and Tower stands at a total height of 423m or 1,388ft above ground.
32. Marina 101 – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The Marina 101 is another impressive skyscraper from Dubai, United Arab Emirates, that can be found in the Dubai Marina district. As the name implies, it has a total of 101 floors, and it stands tall at around 425m or 1,394ft above ground.
The building, although quite majestic, still remains incomplete as its original developer, Sheffield Holdings Limited, ran out of money.
Still, this tower remains one of the most impressive constructions in the world, with its first 33 floors being designed to host a rather ginormous 5-star hotel under the Hard Rock brand.
This hotel alone is packed with 281 rooms, and the rest of the floors from 34 to 100 are all just residential apartments that you can rent anytime you want.
On top of that there are also five restaurants in the hotel tower as well as 6 duplex penthouses form the 97th to the 100th floor, to name a few.
31. 432 Park Avenue – New York City, United States
Coming up next, we have the mighty 432 Park Avenue, a residential skyscraper that can be found in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.
It is massively tall, standing at a total height of 425m or 1,397ft above ground. It was designed by a legendary architect by the name of Rafael Viñoly, and it features some of the most expensive residences in the city.
Back when it was officially launched, it was hailed as the third-tallest building in the US and the tallest residential building in the world, although it has since been surpassed by other more notable buildings.
30. One Vanderbilt – New York City, United States
Moving just one mile away from 432 Park Avenue, One Vanderbilt is a 93-story supertall skyscraper that can be found in the Midtown Manhattan, right next to NYC’s Grand Central Terminal.
It was designed by none other than Kohn Pedersen Fox for SL Green Reality, and it officially opened its doors in 2020.
It has a total height of 427m or 1,401ft above ground, and it is known as the fourth tallest building in NYC.
What’s interesting about it is that it was specifically built to match the iconic design of the Grand Central Terminal.
29. 111 West 57th Street – New York City, United States
Completed just one year after One Vanderbilt in 2021, this massive building is commonly referred to as the Steinway Tower. The 111 West 57th Street is a supertall residential skyscraper that can be found in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood from NYC.
You can find it along Billionaire’s Row, with its main portion featuring 84 floors in total. It stands at a total height of 435m or 1,428 feet above ground, and it has 60 luxury condominiums, with 14 of them being in Steinway Hall and 46 in the tower.
28. Guangzhou International Finance Center – Guangzhou, China
The Guangzhou International Finance Center is a very tall 103-story skyscraper that can be found in the Zhujiang Avenue West from the Tianhe District of the Guangzhou, Guangdong.
It is known as the world’s tallest building with a roof-top helipad, and it has a total height of 438m or 1,439ft above ground.
Back when it was first proposed, it was written off as the Guangzhou West Tower and alongside it the team also proposed a related project known as the Guangzhou East Tower. This tower was meant to top over the West Tower, standing at a total height of 475m or 1,558ft.
Needless to say, this project was not greenlit for the team, although a different designer by the name of Kohn Pederson Fox was given the chance to create a different building that became known as the Guangzhou CTF Finance Center.
27. KK100 – Shenzhen, China
The KK100, formerly known as the Kingkey 100 or the Kingkey Finance Tower, is a gigantic supertall skyscraper that can be also found in Shenzhen, Guangdong.
Nestled in the financial district of Shenzhen, this tower rises to a total of 441.8m or 1,449ft. It has a total of 98 floors for office space as well as a rather huge hotel.
The St. Regis Hotel took over the floors 75 to 100, with its main lobby being in the 96th floor. There are also a total of 4 elevators between the 1st and the 96th floor. You can easily travel from floor to floor on these elevators, especially since they can travel at a whopping speed of 9 m/s.
26. Willis Tower – Chicago, United States
Chicago’s iconic Willis Tower, also known as the Sears Tower, was designed by Bruce Graham and Fazlur Rahman Khan.
It was completed in 1973, back when it was also advertised as the world’s tallest building. Interestingly enough, the Willis Tower held that title for almost 25 years, before it was inevitably surpassed. Nowadays it is referred to as the third-tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.
While the building was renamed as the Willis Tower in 2009 because of a lease with the Willis Group, it is still referred to as the Sears Tower by the locals. It stands at a total of 442m or 1,450ft above ground.
25. Wuhan Center – Wuhan, China
The Wuhan Center is a supertall skyscraper that can be found in the Wuhan region near the Wuhan Business District Station from the Jianghan District, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
The Skyscraper’s construction was greenlit in 2011, only for it to be finished by the time 2019 rolled around.
Back then, it was advertised as the second tallest building in all of Central China. On top of that it was also the very first building to have ever exceeded 400m or 1,300ft in Wuhan.
The Wuhan Center stands at a whopping height of 443m or 1,454ft above ground, and it has a total of 88 floors as well as 4 underground ones.
24. Suzhou IFS – Suzhou, China
The Suzhou International Financial Square was originally designed by the Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, and it serves as the tallest building in all of Suzhou.
It’s a multipurpose building which comes packed with plenty of apartments, hotels and offices for its guests to rent or purchase altogether.
It stands at a total height of 450m or 1,480ft above ground, and it has a total of 95 floors as well as 5 below ground ones.
23. Zifeng Tower – Nanjing, China
Also commonly referred to as the Greenland Center-Zifeng Tower and formerly known as the Nanjing Greenland Financial Center, the Zifeng Tower is tied with the Suzhou IFS building for being one of the tallest towers in the world.
They are both 450m or 1,480ft above ground, although it is believed that the Zifeng Tower is a few feet taller than the Suzhou IFS.
It has a total of 89 floors, with every floor up until 41 being packed full of retail and office space and floors 49-71 being occupied by a hotel and several restaurants. On floor 72 you can find a massive public observatory.
The Zifeng Tower is hailed as the tallest building in all of Nianjing and the eleventh tallest in China, although on a world-wide scale it only really gets the 23rd spot, being tied for it with the aforementioned Suzhou IFS building.
22/21. Petronas Towers 1 and 2 – Kuala Lampur, Malaysia
Taking up our 22nd and 21st spots for now we have the Petronas Towers. Also commonly referred to as the KLCC Twin Towers, this complex is a pair of 88-storey supertall skyscrapers that can be found in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia.
Both of these skyscrapers stand at a whopping 451.9m or 1,483ft above ground, and even though they were originally meant to be the tallest buildings in the world, they were officially surpassed in 2004 by the completion of the Taipei 101.
Still, the Petronas Towers hold the title of the world’s tallest twin skyscrapers, and they continued to be the tallest buildings in all of Malaysia, until the year 2019 rolled around when the Exchange 106 took over.
20. Changsha IFS Tower T1 – Changsha, China
Coming up next, we have the Changsha IFS Tower T1, which is the tallest building in all of Huhan. It stands at a total height of 452m or 1,483ft above ground, and it features a total of 94 floors, with 5 extra underground.
It only took four years to complete it, which makes it one of the fastest constructions of such a large-scale skyscraper of all time.
The reason as to why we specifically mentioned the first tower is because the whole building is made up of two skyscrapers, with Tower 1 standing at 452m while Tower 2 just barely crosses over the 315m mark.
19. The Exchange 106 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Previously known as the Signature Tower, this monumental-sized skyscraper stands at a total height of 453.6m or 1,488ft above ground.
The Exchange 106 is actually the second tallest building in all of Malaysia and the third tallest building in all of Southeast Asia.
Interestingly enough, the existence of the Exchange 106 was heavily panned by the Malaysian media alongside the Merdeka 118, as some people called them a “national disgrace”, probably because they’re both higher than the renowned Petronas Towers.
This tower (and Merdeka 118) changed the Kuala Lampur skyline, and as such a lot of people believe that the existence of the two towers was highly unnecessary to begin with.
18. The International Land-Sea Center – Chongqing, China
This is a 98 storey 458m and 1,503ft tall mixed-use skyscraper that is still under construction as we speak in Chongqing, China and scheduled to be completed in 2024.
The main tower in the building is set to become the Chongqing International Trade and Commerce Center, although it is still under construction because of constant delays and running out of funds.
Once its construction will be finalized though, it will become the tallest building in all of Chongqing, and by far one of the tallest in all of China.
17. Landmark 81 – Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Landmark 81 is by far the tallest building in all of Vietnam, as well as the second tallest building in all of Southeast Asia.
Its main investor and developer is Vinhomes, the country’s largest real-estate company, and they put all of their money directly into funding the construction of this building alongside the western banks of the Saigon River.
It stands at a total height of 451.2m or 1,513ft above ground, and it has a total of 81 floors as well as 3 below ground.
16. Lakhta Center – Saint Petersburg, Russia
The Lakhta Center is an 87-story skyscraper that serves as the tallest building in all of Russia, as well as the tallest building in Europe.
It stands tall at 462m or 1,516ft above ground, and it is also the second-tallest structure in all of Russia and Europe, only surpassed by the Ostankino television Tower from Moscow. Additionally, the Lakhta Center is also the second-tallest twisted building and the northernmost skyscraper in the world right now.
The Lakhta Center was originally developed for large-scale multi-uses, which is why it comes packed full of public facilities as well as offices.
15. Central Park Tower – New York City, United States
Taking up our 15th spot we have the Central Park Tower, a brand new supertall skyscraper that can be found on the 225 West 57th Street from the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of NYC.
It was designed by none other than Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, and it stands at a total height of 472.4m or 1,550ft above ground.
The construction of the Central Park Tower wasn’t without controversies though, as the site was assembled during the first decade of the 21st century, only for the tower’s construction to be delayed over and over again after this point.
There were a lot of complications along the way after this, although by the time 2020 rolled around, the Central Park Tower was officially built, and it cost a total of $3billion.
14. Wuhan Greenland Center – Wuhan, China
As the name implies, the Wuhan Greenland Center can be found in Wuhan, China. This is a supertall skyscraper that stands at a total height of 476m or 1,560ft above ground.
While the building itself is absolutely gigantic and majestic to look at, it was actually meant to be much taller, as the original designer planned for it to be around 636m or 2,087ft above ground. Sadly, this was not allowed as the airspace regulations forced it to be under 500m or 1,640ft above ground.
Still, the building’s construction started around 2012, although it was delayed a lot due to several financial problems as well as the COVID-19 Pandemic taking its toll on the world.
13. International Commerce Centre – Hong Kong, China
The International Commerce Centre is a supertall skyscraper that can be found on top of Elements (a large shopping mall) in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong.
Back in 2010, it was hailed as the 4th tallest building in the world, and the 3rd tallest in all of Asia, although by now it was surpassed by plenty other, making it the 13th tallest building in the world. It still serves as the 10th tallest by number of floors, as well as the only building in Hong Kong to have over 100 floors.
It stands at a very impressive height of 484m or 1,588ft above ground, and it has a total of 118 floors, but because the number 4 is believed to beunlucky in Cantonese, the building does have a few missing levels.
12. Shanghai World Financial Center – Shanghai, China
Taking up our 12th place for now we have the Shanghai World Financial Center. This is a supertall skyscraper that can be found in the Pudong district of Shanghai. It was designed by Kohn Pederson Fox and constructed by the Mori Building Company alongside others.
It is a mixed-use skyscraper that comes packed full of conference rooms, offices, hotels, observation decks as well as ground shopping malls and plenty other amenities.
As of the 14th of September 2007, the building topped out at 492m or 1,614ft above ground, which made it the 2nd tallest building in the world back then.
It was also the tallest building in all of China, although ever since then it has been surpassed by quite a few other buildings in height.
11. Taipei 101 – Taipei, Taiwan
Coming up next, we have the iconic Taipei 101 building, which also used to be known as the Taipei World Financial Center.
This is tallest skyscraper in Taiwan, and one of the world’s tallest buildings. In fact, it was the tallest building in the world until the Burj Khalifa was finally completed in 2009.
What’s special about Taipei 101 though is that it was the first skyscraper to be taler than 500m, and while plenty of others will surpass it in the near future, from 2004 to 2009 it was uncontestably the tallest building in the whole world.
Taipei 101 is around 508m or 1,667ft above ground, and it has a total of 101 floors as well as 5 below ground.
10. China Zun – Beijing, China
China Zun, also known as the CITIC Tower, is one of the tallest skyscrapers in China, surpassing the China World Trade Center and becoming Beijing’s tallest building to this very day.
It is a mixed-use building which has a total of 60 floors of office space as well as 20 floors of luxury apartments and 20 floors of hotel which has a whopping 300 rooms for guests.
The China Zun is said to remain as the largest building in all of Beijing, as it stands at a total of 527m or 1,731ft above ground and the authorities made it so no new projects above 180m or 590ft would be approved.
9. Tianjin CTF Finance Centre – Tianjin, China
Even though the Tianjin CTF Finance Centre is the 9th tallest building in the world, it’s actually the second tallest building in Municipal Tianjin, after Goldin Finance 117, an unfinished skyscraper whose construction was halted twice since 2008.
But at the same time, the Tianjin CTF Finance Centre is the tallest building in the world with fewer than 100 floors. Its construction officially started around 2013, and the whole project was finished in 2019.
Back in 2021, the Tianjin CTF Finance Center was given the Tall/Slender Structure Award by the Institution of Structural Engineers. It stands at a whopping 530m or 1,739ft above ground, and it has a total of 97 floors.
8. Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre – Guangzhou, China
Also commonly referred to as the East Tower, the Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre is a 530m or 17,39ft tall mixed-use structure that was officially opened for business in October 2016.
It is by far the tallest building to have ever been completed in Guangzhou, as well as the third-tallest in all of China, and the eight tallest in the world.
It features 111 above ground levels including five below ground floors. On these floors you’ll find a shopping mall, offices, a hotel and plenty of apartments to rent.
7. One World Trade Center – New York City, United States
The majestic One World Trade Center, also commonly referred to as the Freedom Tower, is the main building from the rebuilt World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, NYC.
It stands tall at a total of 541m or 1,776ft above ground, and it has a total of 94 floors as well as 5 below ground. It has a total of 71 elevators which are said to travel at speeds of up to 23 miles per hour or 37 km per hour.
Interestingly enough, the tower here has the same name as the North Tower from the former World Trade Center.
6. Lotte World Tower – Seoul, South Korea
Completed just before Christmas in 2016, the Lotte World Tower is located in the Sincheon-dong neighbourhood, Songpa, of Seoul, South Korea.
Inside you can find the world’s largest indoor theme park, as well as an exquisite outdoor park, multiple luxury hotels, theaters, shopping malls and a massive Korean folk museum.
The Lotte World Tower has a total of 123 floors and it can be found standing tall at a height of 554.5m or 1,718ft above ground.
5. Ping An International Finance Centre – Shenzhen, China
The Ping An Finance Centre comes up next, and for good reason too as this building holds several records that we need to bring you up to speed on.
For one, it is by far the tallest building to have ever been constructed in Shenzhen. That in itself is amazing, until you realize the fact that it is also the second tallest building in all of China and the fifth in the world.
It measures up to 599m or 1,966ft above ground, and what makes it special is the fact that the building’s structure was primarily made out of stainless steel and glass.
4. Abraj Al-Bait Clock Tower – Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Next up on our list we have the Abraj Al-Bait Clock Tower, which can be found in the heart of the city Mecca from Saudi Arabia.
It was completed in 2012, after only six years of work, which is quite the accomplishment considering the fact that this is the fourth tallest building in the world, standing at a total height of 601m or 1,972ft.
At the same time, the Abraj Al-Bait Clock Tower also holds the record for having the biggest clock face in the world, being as tall as 43 meters in circumference.
The building’s floor area is also bigger than anything else man-made in the world as of 2023.
3. Shanghai Tower – Shanghai, China
As its name implies, the Shanghai Tower can be found in the heart of the Shanghai’s Pudong district, standing tall at a whopping 2,073 or 632m above ground. It’s the tallest building in China, the tallest and largest LEED Platinum-certified building and it also features the world’s tallest observation deck.
Building the Shanghai Tower took almost 20 years in total, as the construction went through several funding issues over the past couple of years, officially opening its doors in 2015.
What’s also very impressive about it is that it has some of the fastest elevators in the world, as they can easily travel at speeds of up to 20.5 meters per second.
The building also has a total of 128 floors, and while it isn’t the tallest building in the world, it still holds the record for the tallest number of usable floors inside.
2. Merdeka 118 – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
While it has yet to be fully completed, Merdeka 118 is going to be fully built by the end of 2023, and after all is said and done, this building will become the second tallest in the world.
It will stand at a whopping 678m or 2,220 feet above ground, and it will feature a total of 118 levels as well as 5 below ground.
The Merdeka 118 will look down upon the city of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and once it’ll officially open its doors to visitors, they will be able to climb to the very top of the building’s spire.
1. Burj Khalifa – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Taking up our number one spot for now and most likely for a very long time too, we have the breathtaking Burj Khalifa from Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
This building is legendary in its colossal height, as it stands tall at a whopping 828m or 2,717ft above ground.
It is twice as tall as the Empire State Building, and it has a total of 163 floors which come packed full of restaurants, apartments, business suites and the tallest elevator shaft in the world.
Conclusion
While there are plenty of other buildings in the making right now, we highly doubt that these 50 will be surpassed anytime soon.
Some of the lower end of the spectrum buildings here may change over the next couple of decades or so, but chances are that the number 10 tallest buildings will not be surpassed for a very long time now.
Still, if you want to visit any of these, we can guarantee you that it won’t matter whether it’ll be the 20th tallest building or the 50th, you’ll still feel that knot in your throat as you look down from that height regardless.
