These Are the World’s 25 Tallest Buildings

Written by Nicolás Valencia | Translated by Katie Watkins
January 24, 2019

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.

But when it comes to defining which buildings are the tallest it can get complicated. Do antennas and other gadgets on top of the building count as extra meters? What happens if the last floor is uninhabitable? The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has developed their own system for classifying tall buildings, measuring from the “level of the lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building, including spires, but not including antennae, signage, flag poles or other functional-technical equipment.” Using this system more than 3,400 buildings have been categorized as over 150 meters tall.

We take a look at world’s 25 tallest buildings, according to the CTBUH, after the break. List updated on January 2019.

25. Al Hamra Tower | 412.6 m | 1,354 ft | 80 floors

Location: Kuwait
Architects: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM)
Use: Offices
Completed: 2011

Al Hamra Tower. Image © Mohdalg [Wikipedia] under license CC BY 3.0

24. Princess Tower | 413.4 m | 1,356 ft | 101 floors

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Architects: Eng. Adnan Saffarini
Use: Residential
Completed: 2012

23. Jin Mao Tower | 420.5 m | 1,380 ft | 88 floors

Location: Shanghai, China
Architects: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM)
Use: Hotel and Offices
Completed: 1999

Jin Mao Tower. Image © Mätes II [Wikipedia] under license CC BY 3.0

22. Trump International Hotel & Tower | 423.2 m | 1,389 ft | 98 floors

Location: Chicago, United States
Architects: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM)
Use: Residential and Hotel
Completed: 2009

Trump International Hotel & Tower. Image © Brian Woychuk [Flickr] under license CC BY 2.0

21. Marina 101 | 425 m | 1,394 ft | 101 floors

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Architects: National Engineering Bureau
Use: Residencial and Hotel
Completed: 2017

© <a href="//www.flickr.com/people/10345599@N03">Francisco Anzola [Flickr]</a>, bajo licencia <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>. ImageMarina 101 — © Francisco Anzola [Flickr], bajo licencia CC BY-SA 4.0. ImageMarina 101

20. 432 Park Avenue | 425.5 m | 1,397 ft | 85 floors

Location: New York
Architects: Rafael Viñoly Architects
Use: Residential
Completed: 2015

432 Park Avenue. Image © Marshall Gerometta/CTBUH

19. Guangzhou International Finance Center | 438.6 m | 1,439 ft | 103 floors

Location: Guangzhou, China
Architects: Wilkinson Eyre Architects
Use: Hotel and Offices
Completed: 2010

Guangzhou International Finance Center. Image © wyliepoon [Flickr] under license CC BY 2.0

18. KK100 | 441.8 m | 1,449 ft | 100 floors

Location: Shenzhen, China
Architects: TFP Farrells
Use: Hotel and Office
Completed: 2011

17. Willis Tower | 442.1 m | 1,451 ft | 108 floors

Location: Chicago, United States
Architects: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM)
Use: Offices
Completed: 1974

Willis Tower (former Sears Tower). Image © TonyTheTiger [Wikipedia] under license CC BY 2.0

16. Zifeng Tower | 450 m | 1,476 ft | 66 floors

Location: Nanjing, China
Architects: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM)
Use: Hotel and offices
Completed: 2010

Zifeng Tower. Image © Tomchen1989 [Wikipedia] under license CC BY 2.0

14. Petronas Tower 2 | 451.9 m | 1,483 ft | 88 floors

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Architects: Cesar Pelli & Associates
Use: Offices
Completed: 1998

Torres Petronas. Image © Hadi Zaher [Flickr] under license CC BY 2.0

14. Torre Petronas 1 | 451.9 m | 1,483 ft | 88 floors

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Architects: Cesar Pelli & Associates
Use: Offices
Completed: 1998

13. Changsha IFS Tower T1 | 452.1 m | 1,483 ft | 94 floors

Location: Changsha, China
Architects: Wong Tung & Partners
Use: Hotel and Offices
Completed: 2018

Changsha IFS Tower T1. Image © Chonnakun Tabtong / Shutterstock

12. Vincom Landmark 81 | 461.3 m | 1,513 ft | 81 floors

Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Architects: Atkins
Use: Hotel and Residential
Completed: 2018

11. International Commerce Centre | 484 m | 1,588 ft | 108 floors

Location: Hong Kong
Architects: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF)
Use: Hotel and Offices
Completed: 2010

10. Shanghai World Financial Center | 492 m | 1,614 ft | 101 floors

Location: Shanghai, China
Architects: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) + Mori Building + Irie Miyake Architects and Engineers
Use: Hotel and Offices
Completed: 2008

Shanghai World Financial Center . Image © Ferox Seneca [Wikipedia] under license CC BY 3.0

9. TAIPEI 101 | 508 m | 1,667 ft | 101 floors

Location: Taipei, Taiwan
Architects: C.Y. Lee & Partners Architects/Planners
Use: Offices
Completed: 2004

8. China Zun | 527.7 m | 1,731 ft | 109 floors

Location: Beijing, China
Architects: TFP Farrels + Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF)
Use: Offices
Completed: 2018

China Zun. Image © bonandbon / Shutterstock

7. Guangzhou CTF Finance Center | 530 m | 1,739 ft | 111 floors

Location: Guangzhou, China
Architects: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF)
Use: Mixed
Completed: 2016

Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre. Image © K11 / New World Development

6. One World Trade Center | 541.3 m | 1,776 ft | 94 floors

Location: New York
Architects: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM)
Use: Hotel and Offices
Completed: 2014

One World Trade Center. Image Cortesía de James Ewing

5. Lotte World Tower | 554.5 m | 1,819 ft | 123 floors

Location: Seoul, South Korea
Architects: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF)
Use: Hotel and Offices
Completed: 2017

4. Ping An Finance Center | 599 m | 1,965 ft | 115 floors

Location: Shenzhen, China
Architects: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF)
Use: Offices
Completed: 2017

Ping An Finance Center. Image © Terri Meyer Boake [vía CTBUH]

3. Makkah Royal Clock Tower | 601 m | 1,972 ft | 120 floors

Location: Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Architects: Dar al-Handasah Shair & Partners + SL Rasch
Use: Mixed
Completed: 2012

Makkah Royal Clock Tower. Image © Samira [Flickr] under license CC BY 2.0

2. Shanghai Tower | 632 m | 2,073 ft | 128 floors

Location: Shanghai, China
Architects: Gensler
Use: Hotel and Offices
Completed: 2015

Shanghai Tower. Image © Gensler/Shen Zhonghai

1. Burj Khalifa | 828 m | 2,717 ft | 163 floors

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Architects: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM)
Use: Offices + Residential + Hotel
Completed: 2010