Tallest structures by category


This article requires the structure to be "topped out".
Among existing structures
[edit]This section needs additional citations for verification. (August 2007) |
Note: The following table is a list of the tallest completed structure in each of the structural categories below.

Unsurpassed destroyed structures
[edit]Category | Structure | Country | Location | Height (metres) | Height (feet) | Coordinates | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Guyed mast | Warsaw Radio Mast | ![]() |
Gąbin | 646.38 | 2,121 | 52°22′3.74″N 19°48′8.73″E / 52.3677056°N 19.8024250°E | Completed in 1974, collapsed on August 8, 1991 |
Scientific research tower | BREN Tower | ![]() |
Nevada Test Site | 462 | 1,516 | 36°46′50.23″N 116°14′36.9″W / 36.7806194°N 116.243583°W | Completed in 1962, demolished May 23, 2012[11] |
Guyed tubular steel mast | Shushi-Wan Omega Transmitter | ![]() |
Tsushima | 389 | 1,276 | 34°36′53″N 129°27′13″E / 34.61472°N 129.45361°E | Completed in 1973, dismantled in 1998 |
Solar updraft tower | Manzanares Solar Chimney | ![]() |
Manzanares | 195 | 640 | 39°02′34.45″N 3°15′12.21″W / 39.0429028°N 3.2533917°W | Completed in 1982, the tower's guy-wires were not protected against corrosion and failed due to rust and storm winds causing the tower to collapse in 1989. Small-scale experimental model of a solar draft tower, newer proposals if built could become the tallest structure on earth. |
Wooden structure | Mühlacker Wood Radio Tower | ![]() |
Mühlacker | 190 | 623 | 48°56′27.67″N 8°51′8.24″E / 48.9410194°N 8.8522889°E | Completed in 1934, destroyed on April 6, 1945, by the Germans to prevent usage by the Allies, replaced by mast radiator |
Masonry building | Mole Antonelliana | ![]() |
Turin | 167.5 | 549.5 | 45°04′8.45″N 7°41′35.62″E / 45.0690139°N 7.6932278°E | Spire destroyed by a tornado in 1953 (rebuilt since then) |
Pre-Industrial era building | Lincoln Cathedral | ![]() |
Lincoln | 160 | 524 | 53°14′3.26″N 0°32′10.54″W / 53.2342389°N 0.5362611°W | Completed in 1311, spire blown off in 1549 |
Telescope | Arecibo Telescope | ![]() |
Arecibo, Puerto Rico | 150 | 492 | 18°20′39″N 66°45′10″W / 18.34417°N 66.75278°W | Completed in 1963, collapsed on December 1, 2020 |
Gasometer | Gasometer Zeche Nordstern | ![]() |
Gelsenkirchen | 147 | 482 | Completed in 1938, damaged at an air raid on May 13, 1940, in such a manner that it was not usable any more and had to be demolished. | |
Storage silo | Henninger Turm | ![]() |
Frankfurt | 120 | 394 | 50°05′50.18″N 8°41′36.81″E / 50.0972722°N 8.6935583°E | Constructed in 1961, demolished in 2013 |
By function
[edit]* "Mixed-use" is defined as having three or more real estate uses (such as retail, office, hotel, etc.) that are physically and functionally integrated in a single property and are mutually supporting.[16]
By continent
[edit]Tallest structures on dry land:
Continent | Structure | Height | Year[17] | Country |
---|---|---|---|---|
Asia | Burj Khalifa | 830 m (2,723 ft) | 2009 | United Arab Emirates |
Europe - destroyed | Warsaw radio mast | 646 m (2,119 ft) | 1974 | Poland |
Europe - existing | Ostankino Tower | 540 m (1,772 ft) | 1967 | Russia |
North America - shortened | KVLY-TV mast | 628.8 m (2,063 ft) | 1963 | United States |
North America - current | KRDK-TV mast | 628.0 m (2,060 ft) | 1997 | United States |
Oceania | VLF transmitter Lualualei | 458 m (1,503 ft) | 1972 | United States (Hawaii) |
Australia - destroyed | VLF Transmitter Woodside | 432 m (1,417 ft) | 1981 | Australia |
Australia - existing | Naval Communication Station Harold E. Holt | 387 m (1,270 ft) | 1967 | Australia |
Africa | Iconic Tower | 394 m (1,293 ft) | 2024 | Egypt |
South America - destroyed | Omega Tower Trelew | 366 m (1,201 ft) | 1971 | Argentina |
South America - existing | Amazon Tall Tower Observatory | 325 m (1,066 ft) | 2015 | Brazil |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "CTBUH Height Criteria for Measuring & Defining Tall Buildings" (PDF). Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. p. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 9, 2024. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
- ^ "World's Tallest Steel Buildings". August 18, 2010.
- ^ "Full Power Achieved! The World's Largest 18 MW Offshore Wind Turbine Reaches Maximum Operation!-Dongfang Electric Wind Power Co., Ltd". dew.dongfang.com. Retrieved April 15, 2025.
- ^ "Liebherr LR13000 with lattice boom: The world's tallest crawler crane". CraneMag. August 2013.
- ^ "Doppelmayr – Garaventa And Sun Group Build Another High-capacity Island Link". Snowindustrynews.com. June 6, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
- ^ "Ten oil industry world records you maybe haven't heard of – equinor.com". Archived from the original on August 15, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
- ^ "Tallest flagpole". Guinness World Records. December 26, 2021. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
- ^ "Tower West". Retrieved May 5, 2015.
- ^ "Bollywood Skyflyer: World's tallest swing ride now open in Dubai's Bollywood Parks | CNN Travel". Cnn.com. February 3, 2021. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
- ^ "Éole, Cap-Chat". SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
- ^ McCord, Keith (May 23, 2012). "Tallest structure in West demolished". KSL-TV. Salt Lake City, UT. Retrieved September 29, 2012.
- ^ "Tallest hotel". February 9, 2018.
- ^ "Brazil builds giant Amazon observation tower". BBC News. September 14, 2014.
- ^ "This skyscraper-sized air purifier is the world's tallest". NBC News. March 21, 2018.
- ^ "China has built the 'world's largest air purifier' to battle smog". February 19, 2018.
- ^ Schwanke D. et al. (2003). Mixed-use Development Handbook, 2nd edition. Washington: Urban Land Institute ISBN 978-0-87420-888-7
- ^ Year completed