TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The tallest buildings in the world have become defining symbols of modern ambition. Across continents, nations compete to push architectural limits higher than ever before. Rising to 2,717 feet, the race among these soaring achievements has been led by Burj Khalifa for more than a decade.
List of the Tallest Buildings in the World
According to Visual Capitalist and the Skyscraper Center, the list of the 20 tallest buildings in the world is overwhelmingly dominated by Asia’s global prominence, with only three located outside the continent.
1. Burj Khalifa (Dubai)
Height: 828 m or 2,717 ft with 163 floors. Function: Office, residential, and hotel.
2. Merdeka 118 (Kuala Lumpur)
Height: 679 m or 2,227 ft with 118 floors. Function: Hotel, serviced apartments, and office
3. Shanghai Tower (Shanghai)
Height: 632 m or 2,073 ft with 128 floors. Function: Hotel and office.
4. Makkah Royal Clock Tower (Mecca)
Height: 601 m or 1,972 ft with 120 floors. Function: Serviced apartments, hotel, and retail.
5. Ping An Finance Center (Shenzhen)
Height: 599 m or 1,965 ft with 115 floors. Function: Office.
6. Lotte World Tower (Seoul)
Height: 555 m or 1,819 ft with 123 floors. Function: Hotel, residential, office, and retail.
7. One World Trade Center (New York City)
Height: 541 m or 1,776 ft with 94 floors. Function: Office.
8. Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre (Guangzhou)
Height: 530 m or 1,739 ft with 111 floors. Function: Hotel, residential, and office.
9. Tianjin CTF Finance Centre (Tianjin)
Height: 530 m or 1,739 ft with 97 floors. Function: Hotel, serviced Apartments, and office.
10. CITIC Tower (Beijing)
Height: 528 m or 1,731 ft with 109 floors. Function: Office.
11. Taipei 101 (Taipei)
Height: 508 m or 1,667 ft with 101 floors. Function: Office.
12. Shanghai World Financial Center (Shanghai)
Height: 492 m or 1,614 ft with 101 floors. Function: Hotel and office.
13. International Commerce Centre (Hong Kong)
Height: 484 m or 1,588 ft with 108 floors. Function: Hotel and office.
14. Wuhan Greenland Center (Wuhan)
Height: 476 m or 1,560 ft with 101 floors. Function: Hotel, serviced Apartments, and office.
15. Central Park Tower (New York City)
Height: 472 m or 1,550 ft with 98 floors. Function: Residential and retail.
16. Lakhta Center (St. Petersburg)
Height: 462 m or 1,516 ft with 87 floors. Function: Office.
17. Vincom Landmark 81 (Ho Chi Minh City)
Height: 461 m or 1,513 ft with 81 floors. Function: Hotel and residential.
18. The Exchange 106 (Kuala Lumpur)
Height: 454 m or 1,488 ft with 95 floors. Function: Office.
19. Changsha IFS Tower T1 (Changsha)
Height: 452 m or 1,483 ft with 94 floors. Function: Hotel and office.
20. Petronas Twin Towers (Kuala Lumpur)
Height: 452 m or 1,483 ft with 88 floors. Function: Office.
The dominance of the tallest buildings in the world is not confined to a single skyline. In the Middle East, Burj Khalifa is joined by other towering landmarks, including the Makkah Royal Clock Tower. Rising to 1,972 feet, this striking structure ranks as the fourth-tallest globally, blending monumental scale with deep cultural significance in one of Islam’s holiest cities.
Ambition in the region, however, continues to push even further. The Jeddah Tower has been under development since 2013, with plans targeting completion by 2028. Once finished, this one-kilometer-high megastructure is expected to surpass all existing records.
Across a broader landscape, Asia has long shaped the trajectory of skyscraper development. A pivotal moment came in 1998, when the Petronas Twin Towers rose to 1,483 feet, overtaking Chicago’s former record-holder and marking the region’s emergence as a global leader in high-rise architecture.
Today, that influence remains unmistakable. Of the world’s 20 tallest buildings, only three are located outside Asia: two in New York City and one in St. Petersburg. Among them, One World Trade Center stands as the tallest in the Western Hemisphere. Reaching 1,776 feet, its height is a deliberate reference to the year of the United States’ Declaration of Independence, while its presence carries enduring historical and symbolic weight.
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