Tallest Buildings In History

1. Philadelphia City Hall (1901 - 1908) 167 Metres: 

Philadelphia City Hall

The Bronze Statue of William Pen

This impossing building is the Government House for the City of Philadelphia. It was the first modern building and also the first secular building to become the tallest in the world. All previous records were held by religious buildings such as Cathedrals.

This structure also houses all the three branches of Government for the city: The Executive (Mayor's Office), The Legislature (City Council), and the Judiciary.

It has almost 700 rooms and is the largest municipal building in the United States.

Standing at the top of the building is a massive bronze statue of William Penn, founder of the city. This impossing statue is the tallest statue on top of any building in the world.

2. The Singer Building, New York (1908 -1909) 187 Metres: 

Singer Building

This building was the headquarters of the famous Singer Machine Company and it held the record as the tallest building in the world for a very short period of time.

It's unique shape and style was very prominent in the skylines of Broadway, New York for several decades.

It was demolished in 1968 and remains the tallest building ever to be demolished in peacetime.

3. Metropolitan Life Tower, New York (1909 - 1913) 213 Metres: 

Metropolitan Life Tower at Night

Metropolitan Life Tower

Located at Madison Avenue in New York it served as the headquarters of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company until 2005.

This famous building has undergone so many remodelling projects that it looks very different today than the way it looked more than a hundred years ago.

It is currently owned by the Abu Dhabi Investment Authourity and is under more renovation to become a 5-Star hotel.

4. Woolworth Building, New York (1913 - 1930) 241 Metres: 

The Woolworth Building

This impressive building once called the "Cathedral of Commerce" was built by the great businessman F.W Woolworth and was the headquarters of his company for several decades.

Standing at 233 Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, this building remains one of the most admired buildings in the United States of America.

5. Bank of Manhattan Trust Building, New York (1930) 283 Metres:

Bank of Manhattan Trust Building

This 70-story skyscraper has come by many names and lived through several events, some of them tragic.

It was completed in April 1930 and it held the record as the tallest building in the world for about two months.

On May 20, 1946 a United States military C-45 Beechcraft plane crashed into the building at the 58th floor creating a massive hole in the building. The cause of the crash was poor visibility caused by thick fog.

Nobody in the building was hurt but all persons in the plane died.

The building is now known as the Trump Building.

6. Chrysler Building, New York (1930 - 1931) 319 Metres: 

Chrysler Building

Chrysler Building at Night

Built by Walter P. Chrysler, the owner of the Chrysler Motor Company, it's sparkling aura earns it the reputation as one of the most beautiful skyscrapers in the world.

The building is built in Ary Deco style, the famous spire is modelled on a Chrysler car radiator grille and the gargoyles depicts Chrysler car ornaments.

It became the tallest building in the world for only eleven months and was the headquarters of the Chrysler Car Company until the 1950's.

It is now owned by the Abu Dhabi Investment Council.

7. Empire State Building, New York (1931 - 1972) 381 Metres: 

Empire State Building

Empire State Building at Night

This skyscraper is one of the most recognised buildings in the world, it's been featured in hundreds of adverts and some notable Hollywood movies (King Kong, Sleepless in Seattle, An Affair to Remember).

When it was opened on May 1, 1931 it was without doubt the tallest building in the world and would keep this enviable record for the next 41 years.

This 103-storey structure is currently the 23rd tallest building in the world and the fourth tallest free-standing structure in North America.

This building is so popular that it has become an American cultural icon.

8. The World Trade Center, New York (1972 - 1974) 417 Metres: 

World Trade Center, Night

World Trade Center

The original World Trade Centre Complex consisted of 7 buildings but only two of them stole the whole show.

Known as the "Twin Towers", they were the world's tallest buildings from 1972 - 1974, they were also the first supertail buildings built without any masonry.

The two buildings were 110 storeys each but the North Tower was slightly taller than the South Tower and despite it's iconic statu it had been a center of several tragic events.

It experienced a massive fire incident in 1975, a bombing in 1993 and a robbery in 1998.

On September 11, 2001 the two towers finally collapsed after a devastating terrorist attack. One of the most powerful symbols of American Capitalism was no more.

9. The Sears Tower, Chicago (1974 - 1998) 442 Metres: 

Sears Tower (Willis Tower) Night

Sears Tower (Willis Tower).

Located in Chicago, it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the State of Illinois. More than one million people visit it's observation deck every year.

This building was called the Sears Tower for most of it's life but, in 2009, the name was officially changed to the Willis Tower.

10. The Petronas Twin Towers, Kualar Lumpur, Malaysia (1998 - 2004):

Petronas Towers

Petronas Towers, Night

This beautiful building is located in Kualar Lumpur, Malaysia and has done it's part in bringing Malaysia into the international spotlight.

The Petronas Towers has been featured in several movies and video games (The movie "Entrapment" (1999), Video game "Hitman 2: Silent Assassin" etc).

The Petronas Towers is a mixture of ancient and present Malysian culture fused with post- modernist styles. The identical towers are linked by a bridge at the 41st floor.

This building will forever remain a stunning and breath taking symbol of Kualar Lumpur and it heralds a new age in which the tallest moved away from the North American continent to another continent.

11. Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan (2004 - 2010) 509 Metres: 

Taipei 101

Taipei 101 Sparkling.

Located in the financial district of the Taiwanese Capital, Taipei, it was architecturally created to be a symbol of the evolution of technology and Asian tradition. This building is designed to withstand typhoons and earthquakes.

It has 101 floors above ground and 5 floors below ground level, and is the most recognised building in Taiwan and environs.

It displays the largest New Year count down clock in the world and has the fastest descending elevator speed in the world, 16.83 m/s and it is the first building to break the half-kilometer mark in heights.

12. The Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE (2010 -) 828 Metres:

Burj Khalifa

Burj al Khalifa

This beautiful building is currently the tallest man-made structure in the world and has also broken a number of record because of it's height alone:

It has the world's highest nightclub.
The world's highest restaurant.
Building with the most floors (163 floors).

It simply an icon to behold and not surprisingly has been featured in movies, games and cinema shows from Tom Cruise's "Mission Impossible:Ghost Protocol" to video game "Specs Ops: The Line" etc.

The Burj Khalifa serves as a global icon that is a model for future urban centres and massively tall structures.

It is a sight to behold!

13. The Kingdom Tower, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (Under Construction) Above 1,000 Metres: 

Kingdom Tower

The spotlight may be about to move to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the future tallest building is currently under construction in Jeddah.

According to the plans, it should be completed by 2017. It is designed by Adrian Smith, the same architect that designed the Burj Khalifa if Dubai.