These Are the Tallest Buildings in the World Right Now

Written by Nicolás Valencia | Translated by Katie Watkins
August 04, 2020

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.

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) has developed its own system for classifying tall buildings, stating that the Burj Khalifa (828 m.) is the world’s tallest building right now. These are the tallest buildings in the world [Latest Update: August 2020]

25. 432 Park Avenue

432 Park Avenue. Image © Marshall Gerometta/CTBUH

City: New York
Height: 1,397 ft (425.5 meters)
Floors: 85
Architects: Rafael Viñoly Architects
Building Function: Residential
Completion: 2015

24. Wuhan Center Tower

City: Wuhan, China
Height: 1,437 ft (438 meters)
Floors: 88
Architects: East China Architectural Design & Research Institute
Building Function: Hotel, Residential, Office
Completion: 2019

23. Guangzhou International Finance Center

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

Location: Guangzhou, China
Height: 1,439 ft (438,6 m)
Floors: 103
Architects: Wilkinson Eyre Architects
Building Function: Hotel, Office
Completion: 2010

22. KK100

Location: Shenzhen
Height: 1,449 ft (441,8 m)
Floors: 100
Architects: TFP Farrells
Building Function: Hotel, Office
Completion: 2011

21. Willis Tower

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

Location: Chicago
Height: 1,451 ft (442,1 m)
Floors: 108
Architects: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM)
Building Function: Office
Completion: 1974

20. The Exchange 106

Location: Kuala Lumpur
Height: 1,460 ft (445,1 m)
Floors: 95
Architects: Mulia Group
Building Function: Office
Completion: 2019

19. Zifeng Tower

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

Location: Nanjing, China
Height: 1,476 ft (450 m)
Floors: 66
Architects: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM)
Building Function: Hotel, Office
Completion: 2010

18 Suzhou IFS

Suzhou IFS. Image © Milkomède [Wikipedia], under license CC BY-SA 4.0

Location: Suzhou, China
Height: 1,476 ft (450 m)
Floors: 95
Architects: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF)
Building Function: Hotel, Office, Serviced Apartments
Completion: 2019

=16. Petronas Twin Tower 2

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

Location: Kuala Lumpur
Height: 1,489 ft (451.9 m)
Floors: 88
Architects: Cesar Pelli & Associates
Building Function: Office
Completion: 1998

16. Petronas Twin Tower 1

Location: Kuala Lumpur
Height: 1,489 ft (451.9 m)
Floors: 88
Architects: Cesar Pelli & Associates
Building Function: Office
Completion: 1998

15. Changsha IFS Tower T1

Changsha IFS Tower T1. Image © Chonnakun Tabtong / Shutterstock

Location: Changsha, China
Height: 1,483 ft (452.1 m)
Floors: 94
Architects: Wong Tung & Partners
Building Function: Hotel, Office
Completion: 2018

14. Vincom Landmark 81

Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Height: 1,513 ft (461.2 m)
Floors: 81
Architects: Atkins
Building Function: Hote, Residential
Completion: 2018

13. Lakhta Center

Lakhta Center. Image © Ninara [Wikipedia] under license CC BY 2.0

Location: St. Petersburg, Russia
Height: 1,516 ft (462 m)
Floors: 87
Architects: Gorproject
Building Function: Office
Completion: 2019

12. International Commerce Centre

Location: Hong Kong
Height: 1,588 ft (484 m)
Floors: 108
Architects: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF)
Building Function: Hotel, Office
Completion: 2010

11. Shanghai World Financial Center

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

Location: Shanghai
Height: 1,614 ft (492 m)
Floors: 101
Architects: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) + Mori Building + Irie Miyake Architects and Engineers
Building Function: Hotel, Office
Completion: 2008

10. TAIPEI 101

Location: Taipei
Height: 1,667 ft (508 m)
Floors: 101
Architects: C.Y. Lee & Partners Architects/Planners
Building Function: Offices
Completion: 2004

9. CITIC Tower

CITIC Tower. Image © bonandbon / Shutterstock

Location: Beijing
Height: 1,731 ft (527.7 m)
Floors: 109
Architects: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (Design Architect) + TFP Farrells (Land Bid Concept)
Building Function: Office
Completion: 2018

8. Tianjin CTF Finance Centre

Tianjin CTF Finance Centre. Image © BD2412 [Wikipedia] under license CC BY-SA 4.0

Location: Tianjin
Height: 1,740 ft (530 m)
Floors: 97
Architects: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM)
Building Function: Hotel, Serviced Apartments, Office
Completion: 2019

7. Guangzhou CTF Finance Center

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

Location: Guangzhou
Height: 1,739 ft (530 m)
Floors: 111
Architects: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF)
Building Function: Hotel, Residential, Office
Completion: 2016

6. One World Trade Center

One World Trade Center. Image © James Ewing

Location: New York
Height: 1,776 ft (541.3 m)
Floors: 94
Architects: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM)
Building Function: Office
Completion: 2014

5. Lotte World Tower

Location: Seoul
Height: 1,819 ft (554.5 m)
Floors: 123
Architects: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF)
Building Function: Hotel, Office, Residential, Retail
Completion: 2017

4. Ping An Finance Center

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

Location: Shenzhen
Height: 1,965 ft (599 m)
Floors: 115
Architects: Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF)
Building Function: Office
Completion: 2017

3. Makkah Royal Clock Tower, the tallest building with a clock face in the world

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

Location: Mecca, Saudi Arabia
Height: 1,972 ft (601 m)
Floors: 120
Architects: Dar al-Handasah Shair & Partners + SL Rasch
Building Function: Mixed Use
Completion: 2012

2. Shanghai Tower, the tallest twisted building in the world

Shanghai Tower. Image © Gensler/Shen Zhonghai

Location: Shanghai
Height: 2,073 ft (632 m)
Floors: 128
Architects: Gensler
Building Function: Hotel, Offices
Completion: 2015

1. Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world

Burj Khalifa, el edificio más alto del mundo. Image Cortesía de SOM

Location: Dubai
Height: 2,717 ft (828 m)
Floors: 163
Architects: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM)
Building Function: Hotel, Residential, Office
Completion: 2010

In August 2020, the tallest buildings in the world are: