History of the world's tallest structures: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 17:13, 11 August 2007
While determining the world's tallest structure has generally been straightforward, the definition of the world's tallest building or the world's tallest tower is less clear. The disputes generally center around what should be counted as a building or a tower, and what is being measured.
In terms of absolute height, the tallest structures are currently the dozens of radio and television broadcasting towers which measure over 2,000 feet (609 meters) in height. There is, however, some debate about:
- whether structures under construction should be included in the list
- whether structures rising out of water should have their below-water height included.
For towers, there is debate over:
- whether guy-wire-supported structures should be counted
For buildings, there is debate over:
- whether communication towers with observation galleries should be considered habitable buildings.
- whether only habitable height is considered.
- whether roof-top antennas should be considered towards height of buildings; with particular interest in whether components that look like spires can be either classified as antennas or architectural detail.
These debates will likely lose some relevance during 2008-2009, as buildings currently under construction in Dubai (Burj Dubai and a competitor, Al Burj) are planned to exceed all other existing structures in height, including guyed TV towers.
Tallest structures
The tallest standing structure is the KVLY-TV mast near Fargo, North Dakota United States, at Template:M to ft. It is a transmission antenna, consisting of a bare metal structure supported by guy-wires.
Transmission antennas of this type are not usually included with the world's tallest buildings because they are not self-supporting. The issue is further complicated if all manmade habitable structures are considered. Under that criterion it is possible to claim 'tallest structure' records for deep mine-shafts, or the Mohole drilling rig, which can be several miles (8-10 km) in vertical length.
The CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, stands at Template:M to ft, and has been the world's tallest freestanding structure since 1976. It has the world's highest public observation deck at Template:M to ft.
The Petronius Platform stands Template:M to ft, leading some to claim it as the tallest freestanding structure in the world. However, as this oil and natural gas platform is partially supported by wires, critics argue that it is not freestanding, and the below-water height should not be counted, in the same manner as underground 'height' is not taken into account in buildings.
Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan is currently the world's tallest inhabited building at Template:M to ft as measured to its architectural height as well as roof height Template:M to ft and highest occupied floor Template:M to ft. The Sears Tower has the highest current absolute height (to the top of antenna) of any building in the world at Template:M to ft.
The Burj Dubai, which is scheduled for completion in 2008 or 2009, will break all existing records. While the final height has not been released to the public, the developers state that the building will be at least Template:M to ft. The 'Symbol of Dubai', will have more than 160 floors, 56 elevators, apartments, shops, swimming pools, spas, corporate suites, and will be Template:M to ft tall. With the spire included, the final height could be more than Template:Unit m , but Emaar, the developer, is keeping structural details secret due to competition for the "world's tallest" with other proposed buildings, including the nearby Al Burj. [1] As of August 2, 2007, the tower's developers reported the Burj Dubai's height as Template:M to ft, with 143 completed floors, surpassing Taipei 101 as the tallest high-rise building in the world.
Tallest structure by category
Due to the disagreements over how to measure and classify structures, engineers have created various definitions for categories of buildings and other structures. One measurement includes the absolute height of a building, another includes only spires and other permanent architectural features, but not antennae. The tradition of including the spire on top of a building and not including the antenna dates back to the rivalry between the Chrysler building and Empire state building. A modern day example is that the antennae on top of the Sears tower are not considered part of its architectural height, while the spires on top of the Petronas towers are counted.
 |
Tallest destroyed structures by category, not surpassed by existing structures
There are some destroyed architectural structures which were taller than the tallest existing structure of their type.
| Category | Structure | Country | City | Height (m) | Height (ft) | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Twin Towers | World Trade Center |  United States |
New York | 526.3 | 1727 | completed in 1972, destroyed in 2001 |
| Supported structure | Warsaw Radio Mast |  Poland |
Gąbin | 646.38 | 2,121 | completed in 1974, collapsed on August 8th, 1991 |
| Wooden structure | Mühlacker Wood Radio Tower |  Germany |
Mühlacker | 190 | 623 | completed in 1934, demolished on April 6th, 1945 |
| Masonry building | Mole Antonelliana |  Italy |
Torino | 167.5 | 549.5 | spire destroyed by hurricane in 1953 |
| Pre-Industrial Era building | Lincoln Cathedral |  United Kingdom |
Lincoln | 160 | 524 | completed in 1311, spire blown off in 1549 |
Tallest building by function
| Category | Structure | Country | City | Architectural top | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| m | ft | ||||
| Mixed Use* | Burj Dubai** |  United Arab Emirates |
Dubai | 512 (of est. 818) | 1,680.1 (of est. 2,684) |
| Mixed Use* (completed only) | John Hancock Center | United States |
Chicago | 344 | 1,127 |
| Office | Taipei 101 |  Taiwan |
Taipei | 509 | 1,671 |
| Recreational | Stratosphere Tower | United States |
Las Vegas, Nevada | 350 | 1,149 |
| Residential | Q1 |  Australia |
Gold Coast, Queensland | 322.5 | 1,059 |
| Hotel | Rose Tower | United Arab Emirates |
Dubai | 333 | 1,093 |
| Hotel (completed only) | Burj al-Arab | United Arab Emirates |
Dubai | 321 | 1,053 |
| Educational | Moscow State University |  Russia |
Moscow | 240 | 787 |
| Hospital | Guy's Hospital | United Kingdom |
London, England | 143 | 468 |
| Library | W. E. B. DuBois Library | United States |
Amherst, Massachusetts | 116 | 381 |
| Cinema | Cineworld, Renfrew Street | United Kingdom |
Glasgow, Scotland | 61.8 | 203 |
* Mixed Use is defined as having both residential and office space.
** As Burj Dubai is still under construction and not yet inhabitable, it currently does not serve a specific function. Upon completion, it will serve as a mixed use building.
Tallest buildings
Up until 1998 the tallest building status was essentially uncontested. Counting buildings as structures with floors throughout, and with antennas excluded, the Sears Tower in Chicago was considered the tallest. When the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia were built, controversy arose because the spire extended nine meters higher than the roof of the Sears Tower. Excluding the spire, the Petronas Towers are not taller than the Sears Tower. At their convention in Chicago, the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) reduced the Sears Tower from world's tallest and pronounced it not second tallest, but third, and pronounced Petronas as world's tallest. This action caused a considerable amount of controversy, so CTBUH defined four categories in which the world's tallest building can be measured:
- Height to the structural or architectural top (including spires and pinnacles, but not antennas, masts or flagpoles)
- Height to the highest occupied floor
- Height to the top of the roof
- Height to the top of antenna
The height is measured from the pavement level of the main entrance. At the time, the Sears Tower held first place in the second and third categories. Petronas held the first category, and the original World Trade Towers held the fourth. Within months, however, a new antenna was placed on the Sears Tower, giving it hold of the fourth category. On April 20, 2004, the Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan, was completed. Its completion gave it the world record for the first three categories. On July 212007 it was announced that the Burj Dubai had surpassed Taipei 101 in height, reaching 512 m (1,680 feet) tall. However Burj Dubai is still under construction.
Today, Taipei 101 leads in the first category with 509 m (1,671 feet); in the second category with an occupied floor at 439 m (1,441 feet); and in the third category with 449 m (1,474 feet). The first category was formerly held by the Petronas Twin Towers with 452 m (1,483 feet), and before that by Sears Tower with 442 m (1,451 feet). The second and third categories were held by the Sears Tower, with 412 m (1,351 feet) and 442 m (1,451 feet) respectively.
The Sears Tower still leads in the fourth category with 527 m (1,729 feet), previously held by the World Trade Center until the extension of the Chicago tower's western broadcast antenna in 2000, over a year prior to the Trade Center's destruction in 2001. Its antenna included, 1 World Trade Center measured 526 m (1,727 feet). The World Trade Center became the world's tallest buildings to be destroyed or demolished; indeed, its site entered the record books twice on September 11, 2001, in that category, replacing the Singer Building, which once stood a block from the WTC site.[citation needed]
The Ostankino Tower and the CN Tower are excluded from these categories because they are not "habitable buildings", which are defined as frame structures made with floors and walls throughout.
History of Record Holders in each CTBUH category
| Date (Event) | Architectural top | Highest occupied floor | Rooftop | Antenna |
| 2008: Burj Dubai est. completion | Burj Dubai | Burj Dubai | Burj Dubai | Burj Dubai |
| 2003: Taipei 101 completed | Taipei 101 | Taipei 101 | Taipei 101 | Sears Tower |
| 2000: Sears Tower antenna extension | Petronas Towers | Sears Tower | Sears Tower | Sears Tower |
| 1998: Petronas Towers completed | Petronas Towers | Sears Tower | Sears Tower | World Trade Center |
| 1996: CTBUH defines categories | Sears Tower | Sears Tower | Sears Tower | World Trade Center |
World's tallest freestanding structure on land
Freestanding structures include observation towers, monuments and other structures not generally considered to be "buildings", but excludes supported structures such as guyed masts and ocean drilling platforms. (See also history of tallest skyscrapers.)
The world's tallest freestanding structure on land is defined as the tallest self-supporting man-made structure that stands above ground. This definition is different from that of world's tallest building or world's tallest structure based on the percent of the structure that is occupied and whether or not it is self-supporting or supported by exterior cables. Likewise, this definition does not count structures that are built underground or on the seabed, such as the Petronius Platform in the Gulf of Mexico. Visit world's tallest structure by category for a list of various other definitions.
Since 1976, the tallest freestanding structure on land has been the CN Tower in Toronto, Ontario, with a height of 553.33 meters (1,815 ft). The Burj Dubai in Dubai, United Arab Emirates will take both this title and that of world's tallest building upon its planned completion in 2009, if it reaches its planned height of over 800 meters (2,625 ft).
History
The following is a list of structures that have held the title as the tallest freestanding structure on land.
| Held record | Name and Location | Constructed | Height (m) | Height (ft) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | |||||
| c. 2600 BC | c. 2570 BC | Red Pyramid of Sneferu, Egypt | c. 2600 BC | 105 | 345 | |
| c. 2570 BC | c. AD 1300 | Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt | c. 2570 BC | 146 | 481 | By AD 1439, the Great Pyramid had eroded to a height of approximately 139 m (455 ft). |
| c. 1300 | 1549 | Lincoln Cathedral, England | 1092–1311 | 160 | 525 | The central spire was destroyed in a storm in 1549. While the reputed height of 525 ft is doubted by A.F. Kendrick,[2] other sources agree on this height. |
| 1549 | 1625 | St. Olav's Church, Tallinn, Estonia | 1438–1519 | 159 | 522 | The spire burnt down after a lightning strike in 1625 and was rebuilt several times. The current height is 123 m |
| 1625 | 1874 | Strasbourg Cathedral, France | 1439 | 143 | 469 | |
| 1863 | 1869 | Mole Antonelliana,Turin , Italy | 167 | 554 | ||
| 1874 | 1876 | St. Nikolai, Hamburg, Germany | 1846–1874 | 147 | 483 | |
| 1876 | 1880 | Cathédrale Notre Dame, Rouen, France | 1202–1876 | 151 | 495 | |
| 1880 | 1884 | Cologne Cathedral, Germany | 1248–1880 | 157 | 515 | |
| 1884 | 1889 | Washington Monument, United States | 1884 | 169 | 555 | |
| 1889 | 1930 | Eiffel Tower, Paris, France | 1889 | 300 | 986 | The addition of a telecommunications tower in the 1950s brought the overall height to 324 m. |
| 1930 | 1931 | Chrysler Building, New York, United States | 1928–1930 | 319 | 1,046 | |
| 1931 | 1967 | Empire State Building, New York, United States | 1930–1931 | 381 | 1,250 | |
| 1967 | 1975 | Ostankino Tower, Moscow, Russia | 1963–1967 | 537 | 1,762 | Remains the tallest in Europe |
| 1975 | 2008 (Predicted) | CN Tower, Toronto, Canada | 1973–1976 | 553 | 1,815 | The CN Tower also features the highest public observation deck in the world. |
As since 1954 the tallest structures on land are guyed masts, their development is shown after 1954 in the following table
Timeline of guyed structures on land
As most of the tallest structures are guyed masts and the absolute height record of architectural structures on land is kept by them, here is a timeline of world's tallest guyed masts, since the beginning of radio technology. As many large guyed masts were destroyed at the end of World War II, the dates for the years between 1945 and 1950 may be incorrect. If the 365.25 meter (1,200 ft) tall central tower of NSS Annapolis was already built before 1945, it was the tallest guyed structure between 1945 and 1950.
| Held record | Name and Location | Constructed | Height (m) | Height (ft) | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| From | To | |||||
| 1913 | 1920 | Central mast of Eilvese transmitter, Eilvese, Germany | 1913 | 250 | 820 | Mast was divided in 145 meters by an insulator, demolished in 1931 |
| 1920 | 1923 | Central masts of Nauen Transmitting Station, Nauen, Germany | 1920 | 260 | 853 | 2 masts, demolished in 1946 |
| 1923 | 1933 | Masts of Ruiselede transmitter, Ruiselede, Belgium | 1923 | 287 | 942 | 8 masts, destroyed in 1940 |
| 1933 | 1939 | Lakihegy Tower, Lakihegy, Hungary | 1933 | 314 | 1,031 | Blaw-Knox Tower, insulated against ground, destroyed in 1945, afterwards rebuilt |
| 1939 | 1945 | Deutschlandsender Herzberg/Elster, Herzberg (Elster), Germany | 1939 | 335 | 1,099 | insulated against ground, dismantled in 1945 |
| 1945 | 1948 | Blaw-Knox Tower Liblice, Liblice, Czech | 1936 | 280.4 | 920 | Demolished on October 17th, 1972 by explosives. Replaced in 1976 by 2 355 masts. |
| 1948 | 1949 | WIVB-TV Tower, Colden, New York, USA | 1948 | 321.9 | 1,056 | |
| 1949 | 1950 | Longwave transmitter Raszyn, Raszyn, Poland | 1949 | 335 | 1,099 | insulated against ground |
| 1950 | 1954 | Forestport Tower, Forestport, New York, USA | 1950 | 371.25 | 1,218 | insulated against ground |
| 1954 | 1959 | Griffin Television Tower Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA | 1954 | 480.5 | 1,576 | |
| 1956 | 1959 | KOBR-TV Tower, Caprock, New Mexico, USA | 1956 | 490.7 | 1,610 | Collapsed in 1960 |
| 1959 | 1960 | WGME TV Tower, Raymond, Maine, USA | 1959 | 495 | 1,624 | |
| 1960 | 1961 | KFVS TV Mast, Cape Girardeau County, Missouri, USA | 1960 | 511.1 | 1,677 | |
| 1961 | 1963 | KTAL TV Tower, Vivian, Louisiana, USA | 1961 | 534.3 | 1,753 | |
| 1963 | 1974 | KVLY-TV mast, Blanchard, North Dakota, USA | 1963 | 628.8 | 2,063 | |
| 1974 | 1991 | Warsaw Radio Mast, Gąbin, Poland | 1974 | 646.4 | 2,121 | mast radiator insulated against ground, collapsed in 1991 |
| 1991 | KVLY-TV mast, Blanchard, North Dakota, USA | 1963 | 628.8 | 2,063 | ||
Notable mentions include the Pharos (lighthouse) of Alexandria, built in the third century BC, and estimated between 115 to 135 meters (383–440 ft). It was the world's tallest non-pyramidal building for many centuries. Another notable mention includes the Jetavanaramaya stupa in Anuradhapura, Sri Lanka, which was built in the third century, and was similarly tall at 122 meters (400 ft). These were both the world's tallest or second tallest non-pyramidal buildings for over a thousand years.
The tallest secular building between the collapse of the Pharos and the erection of the Washington Monument may have been the Torre del Mangia in Siena, which is 102 m tall, and was constructed in the first half of the fourteenth century, and the 97 m tall Torre degli Asinelli in Bologna, also Italy, built between 1109 and 1119.
Tallest structures, freestanding structures, and buildings
See also: List of tallest buildings in the world, List of tallest structures in the world
- The structures list uses pinnacle height and includes architectural structures of any type. Only the four tallest are listed, as more than fifty US TV masts have stated heights of 600-610m (1969-2000 ft).
- The freestanding structures list uses pinnacle height and includes structures over Template:M to ft that do not use guy wires or other external supports.
- The building list uses architectural height (excluding antennae) and includes only buildings, defined as consisting of habitable floors. Both of these follow CTBUH guidelines. All supertall buildings Template:M to ft and higher are listed.
- Seven buildings appear on the freestanding structures list with higher heights, given the different measurement specifications of the two lists.
- Collapsed historical structures are not included.
Source: Emporis
Future record-breaking structures
| This section needs additional citations for verification. (July 2007) |
Numerous supertall skyscrapers are in various stages of proposal, planning, or construction. Each of these, depending on the order of completion, could become the world's tallest building or structure in at least one category:
Under construction
- Burj Dubai in Dubai, UAE is expected to be an Template:M to ft tall skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is currently under construction, and as of August, 2007, it is Template:M to ft tall, with 143 completed floors, therefore already earning "world's tallest" titles in several categories. Upon completion (projected for 2009) this will be the tallest manmade structure of any kind in history.
- The Template:M to ft, 150 floor Chicago Spire (formerly Fordham Spire) is currently under construction. If completed, it would surpass the nearby Sears Tower as the tallest tower in North America, and would be the tallest all-residential building in the world. [4] Construction began in June 2007, and is expected to be completed in late 2010.
- The Template:M to ft tall, 101 floor Shanghai World Financial Center in Shanghai, People's Republic of China has a proposed completion date of 2008. As of July 2007, the SWFC had reached a height of Template:M to ft 436 meters and 96 stories.
- The Template:M to ft International Commerce Centre in Hong Kong, is scheduled for completion in 2009. As of August, 2007, the construction had reached 77 floors and Template:M to ft.
Proposed
- Al Burj is a proposed skyscraper, also planned for Dubai, UAE, expected to be approximately Template:M to ft tall.
- The proposed Murjan Tower, designed by Danish firm Henning Larsens Tegnestue A/S in Manama, Bahrain is expected to be Template:M to ft in height and comprise 200 floors. [5]
- The proposed Mubarak al-Kabir Tower in Madinat al-Hareer (City Of Silk), (Kuwait) is projected to be Template:M to ft in height.
- Noida Tower Template:M to ft is proposed for a small metro city in Delhi's NCR region with a target date for completion of 2013.
- Incheon Tower is a proposal in Korea for a Template:M to ft tall building.
- Sumida Tower Template:M to ft has been proposed in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. It is planned to be finished by 2011. [6]
- The Russia Tower, proposed for Moscow, Russia, is expected to be Template:M to ft
- The Port Tower Complex, Template:M to ft, is a proposed Rs. 20 billion ($330 million (USD)) project being financed by the Karachi Port Trust.[7] It is projected for completion by 2013.
- The Jakarta Tower (Menara Jakarta) in Jakarta, Indonesia is projected to be a Template:M to ft skyscraper in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta Jakarta, Indonesia. Site preparation began in the 1990s, but construction never began and the project has been on hold since 2003.
Never built record-breaking structures
- Watkin's Tower in Wembley London was planned in 1891 to beat the Eiffel Tower by being Template:Unit m taller. Construction stopped at a height of under Template:Unit m due to unstable land. The tower remnant was dismantled in the 1900s and the site redeveloped as Wembley Stadium.
- During the Russian October Revolution of 1917, Vladimir Tatlin had designed a structure named The Monument to the Third International to become the international center of the Komintern. Better known as the Tatlin Tower, the structure would have risen Template:Unit m into the air. For the time, it would have been by far the tallest building in the world. The Russian Civil War stopped the project from continuing, due to lack of resources and time.
- The Miglin-Beitler Skyneedle in Chicago was to be 610 m (2,000 feet)[8] in 1988.
- The Illinois was to be a mile high, or 1,609 m, and to be constructed in Chicago.
- Construction was scheduled to begin in 2006 on the now canceled Strait of Messina Bridge. The bridge would have become the largest suspension bridge as well as the tallest. The proposed height of the two towers at Template:Unit m, is taller than the current record holder, the Millau Viaduct in France (Template:Unit m).
- Eaton's / John Maryon Tower was planned to be a Template:Unit m tall building in Toronto in 1971.
- 7 South Dearborn in Chicago was planned in 1999 to be 610 m (2,000 feet).
References
- ^ BBC News, Dubai skyscraper world's tallest
- ^ http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/PG/BellsLincoln/BellsLincoln.htm
- ^ Height for inhabited buildings with floors; does not include TV towers and antennas.
- ^ http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=23109
- ^ http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=murjantower1-manama-bahrain
- ^ http://www.skyscrapernews.com/news.php?ref=602
- ^ http://www.kpt.gov.pk/Projects/Proj.html
- ^ http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=103012
External links
- Collection of many record holders on Skyscraperpage