Economy

This Is the Tallest Building in the World

Douglas A. McIntyre

Published: March 9, 2021 8:10 am

The past few years have seen a dramatic increase in the number of supertall buildings around the world. Many of these buildings over 1,000 feet tall are in China and other emerging countries, and they proclaim, “We have arrived.” Foremost among these is the Burj Khalifa in the United Arab Emirates, which soars to a whopping 2,717 ft.

One factor driving the proliferation of supertall buildings is rapid economic growth in some countries, along with advances in design, materials and construction techniques, and perhaps in income inequality, as the super-rich seek trophy homes.

An example of this is New York’s Billionaires’ Row, although it is represented by only one building on 24/7 Tempo’s list of the world’s tallest buildings. That is Central Park Tower. (You might also be interested to see the grandest historic mansion in each state.)

The United States was the original home of the skyscraper, but now it has only one entry among the world’s top 10 tallest buildings. New York’s One World Trade Center replaced the Twin Towers destroyed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and it tops out at a symbolic 1,776 ft. Way down the list of finalists for the world’s tallest building selection, at number 22, is Willis Tower, previously known as Sears Tower. When it was completed in 1974, it was the tallest building in the world, and it held that title for almost 25 years.

Burj Khalifa in Dubai was completed in 2010. According to the company that operates the tower:

Beyond its record-breaking height, the Burj Khalifa incorporates new structural and construction efficiencies to reduce material usage and waste. These include a “sky-sourced” ventilation system, in which cool, less humid air is drawn in through the top of the building. The tower also has one of the largest condensate recovery systems in the world.

Click here to see the 25 tallest buildings in the world.