Progressive list of World's Tallest Buildings
Burj Khalifa is at presently (2017) the world's tallest building.
STRUCTURE VERSUS BUILDING
The table shows a progressive history of the world's tallest buildings (buildings in the sense of being regularly inhabited or occupied).
However, it should be noted that the world's tallest man–made 'structiure' was the Great Pyramid of Giza for over 3,800 years, until the construction of Lincoln Cathedral in 1300. The world's tallest structures (and buildings!) were then churches and cathedrals until the completion of the Washington Monument.
Later, the Eiffel Tower (and, in the 21st Century, some television towers and radio masts) were the world's tallest structures (see the table at foot of page).
World's Tallest Buildings Timeline
| Tallest (years) | Name (and location) | Height (m) |
|---|---|---|
| 13th century–1300 | Old St Paul's Cathedral (London) | 149 |
| 1300–1549 | Lincoln Cathedral (Lincoln, England) | 159.7 |
| 1549–1647 | St. Mary's Church (Stralsund, northern Germany) | 151 |
| 1647–1874 | Strasbourg Cathedral (Strasbourg, France) | 142 |
| 1874–1876 | Church of St. Nicholas (Hamburg, Germany) | 147 |
| 1876–1880 | Rouen Cathedral (Normandy, France) | 151 |
| 1880–1890 | Cologne Cathedral (Cologne, Germany) | 157.38 |
| 1890–1901 | Ulm Minster (Ulm, Germany)) | 161.53 |
| 1901–1908 | Philadelphia City Hall (Philadelphia) | 167 |
| 1908–1909 | Singer Building (New York City) | 186.57 |
| 1909–1913 | Metropolitan Life Tower (New York City) | 213.36 |
| 1913–1930 | Woolworth Building (New York City) | 241.4 |
| 1930 | Bank of Manhattan Trust Building (New York City) | 283 |
| 1930–1931 | Chrysler Building (New York City) | 318.8 |
| 1931–1972 | Empire State Building (New York City) | 381 |
| 1972–1974 | World Trade Center (New York City) | 417 |
| 1974–1998 | Sears Tower (Chicago) | 442 |
| 1998–2004 | Petronas Towers (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) | 451.9 |
| 2004–2010 | Taipei 101 (Taipei City, Taiwan) | 509.2 |
| 2010- | Burj Khalifa (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) | 828 |
If we are considering tallest structures and not buildings we need to replace some of the buildings in the above list with the below structures. Note: We have not included the later radio masts and television towers.
Progressive list of Tallest Structures in the World - relate with above timeline
| Tallest (years) | Name (and location) | Height (m) |
|---|---|---|
| 2560BC-1300AD | The Great Pyramid of Giza (Egypt) | 146 |
| 1884-1889 | Washington Monument (USA) | 169 |
| 1889-1930 | Eiffel Tower (Paris, France) | 300 |