What’s the Tallest Skyscraper in the World? Here’s a List of the World’s 27 Highest Buildings

Architects from around the world constantly challenge one another to build the tallest skyscraper in the world. To put it mildly, some of the structures are works of art. Several incredible buildings from China, the United States, and the Middle East are among the Top 10 tallest buildings in the world, and each one is a tremendously enormous skyscraper.

Back in the day, New York’s Empire State Building was the tallest skyscraper in the world. The building was the tallest in the world at 1,454 feet in height (with the antenna) until the original World Trade Center twin towers were finished in 1972. While it’s tragic that those towers came tumbling down on September 11, 2001, in the last four decades, so many mega-tall buildings have been constructed worldwide that the Empire State Building no longer ranks among the top 50 highest in the world.

What’s the Tallest Skyscraper in the World?

So, which building stands as the tallest in the world? In addition, which 27 skyscrapers worldwide make up this elite group? The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat maintains a database known as The Skyscraper Center, which we used to conduct an in-depth investigation to provide you with the answers you want for what is the tallest skyscraper in the world.

Jeddah Tower

Jeddah Tower, formerly known as Kingdom Tower, is a suspended high-rise building project. Located in northern Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Jeddah Economic City will be the centerpiece of a development and tourist attraction and the first building to reach a height of 1 km (3,281 ft). After completion, this building will surpass the Burj Khalifa as the tallest skyscraper in the world.

Also read: The 10 Most Fascinating Art Deco Buildings You Need To Know

1) Burj Khalifa

• Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Construction: 2010
• Height: 828 m/2,717 ft
• Floors: 163
• Material: Steel Over Concrete
• Function: Office / Residential / Hotel

Burj Khalifa is the only one on our list that needs no introduction. It’s the highest tower in Dubai and the tallest skyscraper in the world. The flower-shaped construction is composed of structural steel and concrete to withstand wind force as one ascends higher.

2) Shanghai Tower

• Location: Shanghai, China
• Construction: 2015
• Height: 632 m/2,073 ft
• Floors: 128
• Material: Concrete-Steel Composite
• Function: Hotel / Office

The Shanghai tower is 128 floors tall, making it the highest building in China and one of the world’s ten tallest. There is no mistaking its prominence in China’s commercial and financial hub.

3) Makkah Royal Clock Tower

• Location: Mecca, Saudi Arabia
• Construction: 2012
• Height: 601 m/ 1,972 ft
• Floors: 120
• Material: Steel Over Concrete
• Function: Serviced Apartments / Hotel / Retail

The 120-floor Makkah Royal Clock Tower in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, houses residences, a five-star hotel, the Abraj Al Bait shopping center, and Hajj pilgrim resorts. The Abraj Al-Bait Tower is another name for it. It has seven towers, with the Makkah Royal Clock Tower as the tallest Mecca Skyscraper.

4) Ping An Finance Center

• Location: Shenzen, China
• Construction: 2017
• Height: 599.1 m/ 1,965 ft
• Floors: 115
• Material: Concrete-Steel Composite
• Function: Office

The 115-story tower in Shenzhen’s Futian neighborhood features hotels, high-end shopping malls, offices, shops, and conference centers. It’s China’s second-tallest and the fourth-tallest skyscraper in the world. Using stainless steel piers, the skyscraper’s curved top reduces wind load by 40%.

5) Lotte World Tower

• Location: Seoul, South Korea
• Construction: 2017
• Height: 554.5 m/ 1,819 ft
• Floors: 123
• Material: Concrete-Steel Composite
• Function: Hotel / Residential / Office / Retail

South Korea’s 123-story Lotte World Tower is a global corporate landmark. The skyscraper’s graceful design is inspired by Korean pottery. The building can endure wind and earthquakes. This mixed-use skyscraper is South Korea’s tallest and has prime/private offices, fancy hotels, retail stores, homes, and observatory decks.

6) One World Trade Center

• Location: New York City, US
• Construction: 2014
• Height: 541.3 m/ 1,776 ft
• Floors: 94
• Material: Concrete-Steel Composite
• Function: Office

Due to its creative icon, One WTC is the tallest skyscraper in America. The skyscraper’s prismatic façade has eight triangles that slope upward. The tower sits on a laminated iron glass podium 204 feet square.

7) Guangzhou CTF Finance Center

• Location:  Guangzhou, China
• Construction: 2016
• Height: 530 m/ 1,739 ft
• Floors: 111
• Material: Composite
• Function: Hotel/ Residential/ Office

Currently, the Guangzhou CTF Finance Center is the seventh-tallest skyscraper in the world. The 111-story tower is a mixed-use development with apartments, offices, a hotel, and rooftop decks. There are four distinct portions to the building, each with a gradually shrinking floor plate as one ascends in height.

8) Tianjin CTF Finance Centre

• Location:  Tianjin, China
• Construction: 2019
• Height: 530 m/ 1,739 ft
• Floors: 97
• Material: Concrete-Steel Composite
• Function: Hotel / Serviced Apartments / Office

Although it is not the tallest skyscraper in the world, the Tianjin CTF Finance Centre is a leading example of a high-performance, environmentally friendly tower, having been awarded the prestigious LEED Gold certification. The building is sturdy and resistant to natural disasters like solid winds and quakes.

9) CITIC Tower

• Location:  Beijing, China
• Construction: 2018
• Height: 527.7 m/ 1,731 ft
• Floors: 109
• Material: Concrete-Steel Composite
• Function: Office

The CITIC Tower, located in Beijing’s central business district, is the city’s highest building at an impressive 1,731 feet. The skyscraper was named “China Zun” because its rounded design was inspired by a traditional Chinese wine cup known as a “zun.”

10) TAIPEI 101

• Location:  Taipei, Taiwan
• Construction: 2004
• Height: 508 m/ 1,667 ft
• Floors: 101
• Material: Composite
• Function: Office

TAIPEI 101, which stands 1,667 feet tall, was the tallest skyscraper in the world before the erection of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The once-record-holding Taipei office tower is now merely the tallest and largest green skyscraper in the world.

11) Shanghai World Financial Center

• Location:  Shanghai, China
• Construction: 2008
• Height: 492 m/ 1,614 ft
• Floors: 101
• Material: Concrete-Steel Composite
• Function: Hotel/ Office

The Park Hyatt Shanghai, the highest hotel in the world, occupies the top fifteen floors of the Shanghai World Financial Center. This skyscraper is 1,614 feet tall and features a visitor’s square and panoramic deck on the top seven floors, offices, retail and dining areas, and conference facilities.

12) International Commerce Centre

• Location:  Hong Kong, China
• Construction: 2010
• Height: 484 m/ 1,588 ft
• Floors: 108
• Material: Concrete-Steel Composite
• Function: Hotel/ Office

The International Commerce Center (ICC) is Hong Kong’s second-tallest skyscraper, standing at 1,588 feet tall.

13) Central Park Tower

• Location:  New York City, US
• Construction: 2020
• Height: 472.4 m/ 1,550 ft
• Floors: 98
• Material: All-Concrete
• Function: Residential/ Retail

One block south of Central Park in Midtown Manhattan’s Billionaires’ Row district, Central Park Tower is the tallest residential skyscraper in the world. It is the second-tallest structure in the city at 1,550 feet and is home to the Nordstrom department store’s Manhattan flagship on its first seven floors.

14) Lakhta Center

• Location: St. Petersburg, Russia
• Construction: 2019
• Height: 462 m/ 1,516 ft
• Floors: 87
• Material: Concrete-Steel Composite
• Function: Office

The Lakhta Center stands 1,516 feet tall, making it the highest building in Russia, the tallest skyscraper in Europe, the second-tallest helical structure in the globe, and the northernmost tower in the world.

15) Vincom Landmark 81

• Location: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
• Construction: 2018
• Height: 461.2 m/ 1,513 ft
• Floors: 81
• Material: Concrete-Steel Composite
• Function: Hotel/ Residential

Located amid the Vinhomes Central Park neighborhood to the north of Ho Chi Minh City, on the western borders of the Saigon River, stands the 1,513-foot-tall Landmark 81. The 81 stories that makeup Landmark 81 are home to various amenities, including high-end apartments, a hotel and conference center, premium shops and restaurants, a lounge, a gym, and a viewing platform.

16) The Exchange 106

• Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Construction: 2019
• Height: 453.6 m/ 1,488 ft
• Floors: 95
• Material: Concrete-Steel Composite
• Function: Office

This stunning Exchange 106 skyscraper represents independence, attention, and elegance. Its spectacular architecture and thoughtful design provide unmatched space, opportunities, and facilities, making it one of the most sought-after business destinations in South East Asia and the world.

17) Changsha International Finance Square Tower 1

• Location: Changsha, China
• Construction: 2018
• Height: 452.1 m/ 1,483 ft
• Floors: 94
• Material: Concrete-Steel Composite
• Function: Hotel/ Office

Tower 1, the taller of Changsha’s International Finance Square twin skyscrapers, rises 1,483 feet, with the exquisite Niccolo Changsha hotel occupying the skyscraper’s top floors. The tower’s remaining 94 stories house corporate offices, luxury homes, and premium retail establishments.

18) Petronas Twin Towers

• Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• Construction: 1998
• Height: 451.9 m/ 1,483 ft
• Floors: 88
• Material: Concrete-Steel Composite
• Function: Office

The Petronas twin towers are the world’s tallest at 1,483 ft. The 88-story twin buildings are connected by the world’s highest two-level skywalk, the Skybridge, on the 41st and 42nd levels.

19) Suzhou IFS

• Location: Suzhou, China
• Construction: 2019
• Height: 450 m/ 1,476 ft
• Floors: 95
• Material: Concrete-Steel Composite
• Function: Hotel / Office / Serviced Apartments

The Suzhou IFS Tower is a 1,476-foot-tall mixed-use skyscraper with 95 stories of office space, high-end apartments, and a five-star hotel with panoramic views of Jinji Lake.

20) Zifeng Tower

• Location: Nanjing, China
• Construction: 2010
• Height: 450 m/ 1,476 ft
• Floors: 66
• Material: Concrete-Steel Composite
• Function: Hotel/ Office

The Zifeng Tower in Nanjing is a mega-tall building that houses a variety of commercial and institutional establishments, a hotel, multiple dining options, and a public observation deck.

21) Wuhan Center Tower

• Location: Wuhan, China
• Construction: 2019
• Height: 443.1 m/ 1,454 ft
• Floors: 88
• Material: Concrete-Steel Composite
• Function: Hotel/ Residential/ Office

The Wuhan Center Tower, designed after a ship, is a mixed-use structure with 88 stories that rises 1,454 feet over Mengze Lake and houses shops, offices, apartments, and a hotel.

22) Willis Tower

• Location: Chicago, Illinois
• Construction: 1974
• Height: 442.1 m/ 1,451 ft
• Floors: 108
• Material: All-Steel
• Function: Office

The Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower, was the tallest skyscraper in the world for nearly 25 years. Its record-breaking height established the standard for future ultra-tall skyscrapers around the world. The first 50 stories of this Chicago skyscraper, which stands 1,450 feet tall, encompass an entire city block.

23) KK100

• Location: Shenzhen, China
• Construction: 2011
• Height: 441.8 m/ 1,449 ft
• Floors: 98
• Material: Concrete-Steel Composite
• Function: Hotel/ Office

The KK100 skyscraper in Shenzen’s financial center is 1,449 feet tall and is home to various businesses, the five-star St. Regis hotel, rooftop gardens, and many eateries.

24) Guangzhou International Finance Center

• Location: Guangzhou, China
• Construction: 2010
• Height: 438.6 m/ 1,439 ft
• Floors: 101
• Material: Concrete-Steel Composite
• Function: Hotel/ Office

Guangzhou’s International Finance Center stands out with its distinctive triangle shape, which consists of three curving façades that reach a maximum height of 1,493 feet. There’s a helipad on the top floor overlooking the stunning courtyard below.

25) 111 West 57th Street

• Location: New York City, US
• Construction: 2021
• Height: 435.3 m/ 1,428 ft
• Floors: 84
• Material: Steel Over Concrete
• Function: Residential

With a height-to-width ratio of 24:1, SHoP Architects’ supertall skyscraper is the world’s skinniest and second highest in the Western Hemisphere. Its form is a daring interpretation of what is achievable within the constraints of the Midtown Manhattan regulatory boundary.

26) Palais Royale

• Location: Mumbai, India
• Construction: 2017
• Height: 320 m/ 1,050 ft
• Floors: 88
• Material: All-Concrete
• Function: Residential

The Palais Royale in Worli, Mumbai, India, is a residential ultra-high-rise skyscraper under construction. It is a whopping 320 meters (1,050 feet) tall, making it the tallest skyscraper in India.