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Skyscraper | Definition, Building, History, & Facts | Britannica
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They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.</div> </a> <div data-popper-arrow></div> </div> <span class="btn btn-link editor-link p-0 qa-byline-link gtm-byline font-12 byline-contributor text-decoration-underline"> The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</span></div> <div class="last-updated font-12 font-serif"> <span class="text-gray-700"> Last Updated: <time datetime="2024-12-13T00:00:00CST" >Dec 13, 2024</time> •</span> <a class="byline-edit-history" href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/skyscraper/additional-info#history" rel="nofollow">Article History</a> </div></div> </div> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button d-none d-sm-block js-sections-inline-button module-spacing btn d-lg-none"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <div class="d-flex d-sm-none flex-row"> <button class="d-flex d-lg-none btn btn-outline-blue border rounded-sm shadow-sm mobile-toc-button gtm-mobile-toc-inline-button js-sections-inline-button module-spacing"> <em class="material-icons mr-5 ml-n10 my-n5 md-icon" data-icon="toc"></em> Table of Contents </button> <button class="ai-ask-button btn border-2 ai-ask-button btn border-2 module-spacing btn-sm js-inline-ai-ask-button btn-outline-red-400 border-red-400 p-10 ml-5"> Ask the Chatbot a Question </button> </div> <div class="js-qf-module qf-module px-40 px-sm-20 py-15 mx-auto module-spacing font-14 bg-gray-50 rounded"> <div class="facts-list mt-10"> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Key People: </dt> <dd><a href="/biography/Louis-Sullivan" topicid="572949">Louis Sullivan</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Daniel-Burnham" topicid="85650">Daniel Burnham</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Ludwig-Mies-van-der-Rohe" topicid="381736">Ludwig Mies van der Rohe</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/Pier-Luigi-Nervi" topicid="409651">Pier Luigi Nervi</a></dd> <dd><a href="/biography/I-M-Pei" topicid="448812">I.M. Pei</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> </div> <div class=""> <div class="js-fact mb-10 line-clamp clamp-3"> <dl> <dt>Related Topics: </dt> <dd><a href="/technology/high-rise-building" topicid="265364">high-rise building</a></dd> <dd><a href="/technology/setback" topicid="536203">setback</a></dd> <dd><a href="/technology/sky-lobby" topicid="547898">sky lobby</a></dd> </dl> <button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-gray-50" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"> <em class="js-content link-blue">(Show more)</em> </button> </div> <div class="text-center"> <a class="btn btn-sm btn-link p-0" href="/facts/skyscraper"> See all related content </a> </div> </div> </div> </div><div class="bg-gray-50 p-15 rounded module-spacing recent-news d-flex flex-column float-false"> <div> <h2 class="font-weight-bold font-14 m-0 d-inline"> News <span class="text-gray-600">•</span> </h2> <div class="recent-news-item first-recent-news-item d-inline"> <a class="font-14 gtm-ap-news-link" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp9n19ekx1go" rel="nofollow">City of London: Skyscraper as tall as The Shard approved</a> <span class="font-14 text-gray-600"> <span>•</span> Dec. 11, 2024, 6:45 AM ET (BBC) </span> </div> </div> <div class="rest-of-recent-news-items"> <button class="js-toggle-recent-news d-flex btn btn-unstyled font-14 pr-10 rounded-sm mt-10" aria-label="Toggle additional news items"> Show less <em class="material-icons" data-icon="expand_less"></em> </button> </div> </div><!--[BEFORE-ARTICLE]--><span class="marker before-article"></span><section data-level="1" id="ref1"><!--[PREMOD1]--><span class="marker PREMOD1 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="212171" data-asm-type="video"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="video" video-id="187623"><a data-id="187623" class="gtm-assembly-link d-flex justify-content-center" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9" href="/video/discussion-systems-construction-Monadnock-Building-Chicago/-212171"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/23/187623-138-EA307F98/discussion-systems-construction-Monadnock-Building-Chicago.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop" alt="Learn about the different structural systems used in constructing the Monadnock Building: one half was layered in bricks, the other used a rigid metal frame" loading="lazy"><script type="application/json"> { "sources": [ { "file" : "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/C77JIvkz.m3u8" } ], "image": "https://cdn.britannica.com/23/187623-138-EA307F98/discussion-systems-construction-Monadnock-Building-Chicago.jpg" ,"tracks": [ { "file" : "//assets-jpcust.jwpsrv.com/tracks/YzVHi4eE", "label": "English" } ] ,"adfile": "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/MyZhrrZB.m3u8" } </script><div class="btn btn-xl btn-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="top: 50%; transform: translateY(-50%)"><em class="material-icons" data-icon="play_arrow"></em></div><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">1 of 2</div></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><span class="md-assembly-title font-weight-bold mr-5 d-inline font-sans-serif md-video-caption" video-control="187623">Learn about the different structural systems used in constructing the Monadnock Building: one half was layered in bricks, the other used a rigid metal frame</span><span>A discussion of the different structural systems used in the construction of the Monadnock Building, Chicago.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div><a class="font-14 mt-10 d-inline-block" href="/technology/skyscraper/images-videos">See all videos for this article</a></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="112821" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/98/94398-050-FBE19E2C/Skyscrapers-Singapore.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/547956/112821"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/98/94398-050-FBE19E2C/Skyscrapers-Singapore.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/98/94398-050-FBE19E2C/Skyscrapers-Singapore.jpg?w=300" alt="skyscrapers" data-width="1600" data-height="1056" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">2 of 2</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/98/94398-050-FBE19E2C/Skyscrapers-Singapore.jpg" data-href="/media/1/547956/112821">skyscrapers</a><span>Skyscrapers in Singapore.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph"><strong><span id="ref159818"></span>skyscraper</strong>, a very tall multistoried building. The name first came into use during the 1880s, shortly after the first skyscrapers were built, in the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/United-States" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">United States</a>. The development of skyscrapers came as a result of the coincidence of several technological and social developments. The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/term-architecture-and-sculpture" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">term</a> <em>skyscraper</em> originally applied to buildings of 10 to 20 stories, but by the late 20th century the term was used to describe high-rise buildings of unusual height, generally greater than 40 or 50 stories.</p><!--[MOD1]--><span class="marker MOD1 mod-inline"></span><!--[PREMOD2]--><span class="marker PREMOD2 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="292227" data-asm-type="video"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="video" video-id="249825"><a data-id="249825" class="gtm-assembly-link d-flex justify-content-center" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9" href="/video/Jeanne-Gang-architect-Studio-Gang/-292227"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/25/249825-138-1C8028AD/Jeanne-Gang-architect-Studio-Gang.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop" alt="Jeanne Gang on the future of architecture" loading="lazy"><script type="application/json"> { "sources": [ { "file" : "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/cYNA0EUP.m3u8" } ], "image": "https://cdn.britannica.com/25/249825-138-1C8028AD/Jeanne-Gang-architect-Studio-Gang.jpg" ,"tracks": [ { "file" : "//assets-jpcust.jwpsrv.com/tracks/fVzQrFrr.vtt", "label": "English" } ] ,"adfile": "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/isPxB6iW.m3u8" } </script><div class="btn btn-xl btn-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="top: 50%; transform: translateY(-50%)"><em class="material-icons" data-icon="play_arrow"></em></div></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><span class="md-assembly-title font-weight-bold mr-5 d-inline font-sans-serif md-video-caption" video-control="249825">Jeanne Gang on the future of architecture</span><span>Designer of Aqua Tower, the St. Regis Chicago, and the Lincoln Park Nature Boardwalk, Jeanne Gang is one of the best-known contemporary architects in the world.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div><a class="font-14 mt-10 d-inline-block" href="/technology/skyscraper/images-videos">See all videos for this article</a></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">The increase in urban <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="commerce" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/commerce" data-type="EB">commerce</a> in the United States in the second half of the 19th century augmented the need for city business space, and the installation of the first safe passenger <span id="ref159819"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/elevator-vertical-transport" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">elevator</a> (in the <span id="ref159820"></span>Haughwout Department Store, New York City) in 1857 made practical the erection of buildings more than four or five stories tall. Although the earliest skyscrapers rested on extremely thick <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/masonry" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">masonry</a> walls at the ground level, architects soon turned to the use of a cast-<span id="ref159821"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/iron-chemical-element" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">iron</a> and wrought-iron framework to support the weight of the upper floors, allowing for more <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/floor" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">floor</a> space on the lower stories. <span id="ref159822"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Bogardus" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">James Bogardus</a> built the <span id="ref159823"></span>Cast Iron Building (1848, New York City) with a rigid frame of iron providing the main support for upper-floor and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/roof" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">roof</a> loads.</p><!--[MOD2]--><span class="marker MOD2 mod-inline"></span><!--[PREMOD3]--><span class="marker PREMOD3 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="112822" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/08/26208-004-F02E0939/Home-Insurance-Company-Building-Chicago-William-Le.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/547956/112822"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/08/26208-004-F02E0939/Home-Insurance-Company-Building-Chicago-William-Le.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/08/26208-004-F02E0939/Home-Insurance-Company-Building-Chicago-William-Le.jpg?w=300" alt="Home Insurance Company Building" data-width="231" data-height="300" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">1 of 3</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/08/26208-004-F02E0939/Home-Insurance-Company-Building-Chicago-William-Le.jpg" data-href="/media/1/547956/112822">Home Insurance Company Building</a><span>Home Insurance Company Building, Chicago, designed by William Le Baron Jenney, 1884–85 (demolished 1931).</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="112823" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/58628-004-867B7058/Construction-Fair-Store-William-Le-Baron-Jenney.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/547956/112823"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/58628-004-867B7058/Construction-Fair-Store-William-Le-Baron-Jenney.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/58628-004-867B7058/Construction-Fair-Store-William-Le-Baron-Jenney.jpg?w=300" alt="Fair Store" data-width="394" data-height="298" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">2 of 3</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/58628-004-867B7058/Construction-Fair-Store-William-Le-Baron-Jenney.jpg" data-href="/media/1/547956/112823">Fair Store</a><span>Construction of the Fair Store, designed by William Le Baron Jenney, in Chicago, 1891–92. </span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="223380" data-asm-type="video"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="video" video-id="187628"><a data-id="187628" class="gtm-assembly-link d-flex justify-content-center" style="--aspect-ratio: 16/9" href="/video/Owen-Aldis-formula-office-buildings-skyscrapers-design/-223380"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/28/187628-138-F0E4FDA7/Owen-Aldis-formula-office-buildings-skyscrapers-design.jpg?w=800&h=450&c=crop" alt="Discover real estate attorney Owen Aldis's formula for the profitable management of tall multistory office buildings, which informed the design of early skyscrapers" loading="lazy"><script type="application/json"> { "sources": [ { "file" : "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/3eBUhMNx.m3u8" } ], "image": "https://cdn.britannica.com/28/187628-138-F0E4FDA7/Owen-Aldis-formula-office-buildings-skyscrapers-design.jpg" ,"tracks": [ { "file" : "//assets-jpcust.jwpsrv.com/tracks/KXz9z2ul", "label": "English" } ] ,"adfile": "//content.jwplatform.com/manifests/WMHEbVPe.m3u8" } </script><div class="btn btn-xl btn-white btn-circle position-absolute shadow" style="top: 50%; transform: translateY(-50%)"><em class="material-icons" data-icon="play_arrow"></em></div><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">3 of 3</div></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><span class="md-assembly-title font-weight-bold mr-5 d-inline font-sans-serif md-video-caption" video-control="187628">Discover real estate attorney Owen Aldis's formula for the profitable management of tall multistory office buildings, which informed the design of early skyscrapers</span><span>Learn about real estate attorney Owen Aldis's innovative formula for profitable management of tall multistory office buildings, which informed the design of many early skyscrapers in Chicago, such as the Marquette Building.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div><a class="font-14 mt-10 d-inline-block" href="/technology/skyscraper/images-videos">See all videos for this article</a></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph">It was, however, the refinement of the <span id="ref159824"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/Bessemer-process" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Bessemer process</a>, first used in the United States in the 1860s, that allowed for the major advance in skyscraper <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/construction" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">construction</a>. As <span id="ref159825"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/steel" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">steel</a> is stronger and lighter in weight than iron, the use of a steel frame made possible the construction of truly tall buildings. <span id="ref159826"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Le-Baron-Jenney" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">William Le Baron Jenney</a>’s 10-story <span id="ref159827"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Home-Insurance-Company-Building" class="md-crosslink ">Home Insurance Company Building</a> (1884–85) in <span id="ref159828"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chicago-School-architecture" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Chicago</a> was the first to use steel-girder construction. Jenney’s skyscrapers also first employed the <span id="ref159829"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/curtain-wall" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">curtain wall</a>, an outer covering of masonry or other material that bears only its own weight and is affixed to and supported by the steel skeleton. Structurally, skyscrapers consist of a substructure of <span id="ref159830"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/pier-architecture" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">piers</a> beneath the ground, a superstructure of <span id="ref159831"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/column-architecture" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">columns</a> and <span id="ref159832"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/girder" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">girders</a> above the ground, and a curtain wall hung on the girders.</p><a class="link-module shadow-sm d-block qa-quiz-module" href="/quiz/largest-tallest-and-smallest-around-the-globe" data-link-module-iframe-link=""> <img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.britannica.com/62/117762-131-2006C1C1/Mao-Zedong-Memorial-Hall-Garden-front-Tiananmen.jpg" alt="Garden in front of Mao Zedong Memorial Hall where Mao's body rests in state at Tiananmen Square, one of the largest public squares in the world, Beijing, China. Near the Forbidden City. Mausoleum." class="rounded-sm mr-15" width="70" /> <div class="line-clamp clamp-5"> <div class="module-title bg-green">Britannica Quiz</div> <div class="font-weight-semi-bold mt-5">Largest, Tallest, and Smallest Around the Globe Quiz</div> </div> </a><!--[MOD3]--><span class="marker MOD3 mod-inline"></span><!--[PREMOD4]--><span class="marker PREMOD4 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="111474" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/85/115285-004-920EA376/Buildings-Q1-Gold-Coast-Australia-Queensland.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/547956/111474"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/85/115285-004-920EA376/Buildings-Q1-Gold-Coast-Australia-Queensland.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/85/115285-004-920EA376/Buildings-Q1-Gold-Coast-Australia-Queensland.jpg?w=300" alt="Gold Coast" data-width="328" data-height="450" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/85/115285-004-920EA376/Buildings-Q1-Gold-Coast-Australia-Queensland.jpg" data-href="/media/1/547956/111474">Gold Coast</a><span>Buildings in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, including Q1 (centre), an apartment resort.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">As the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/population-density" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">population density</a> of urban areas has increased, so has the need for buildings that rise rather than spread. The skyscraper, which was originally a form of commercial architecture, has increasingly been used for residential purposes as well.</p><!--[MOD4]--><span class="marker MOD4 mod-inline"></span><!--[PREMOD5]--><span class="marker PREMOD5 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="11060" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/93/11493-050-12D58136/Woolworth-Building-New-York-City-Cass-Gilbert-1913.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/547956/11060"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/93/11493-050-12D58136/Woolworth-Building-New-York-City-Cass-Gilbert-1913.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/93/11493-050-12D58136/Woolworth-Building-New-York-City-Cass-Gilbert-1913.jpg?w=300" alt="Woolworth Building" data-width="1180" data-height="1600" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">1 of 2</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/93/11493-050-12D58136/Woolworth-Building-New-York-City-Cass-Gilbert-1913.jpg" data-href="/media/1/547956/11060">Woolworth Building</a><span>Woolworth Building, New York City, by Cass Gilbert, 1913.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="107048" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/84/94684-050-2652816E/Chrysler-Building-New-York-City.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/547956/107048"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/84/94684-050-2652816E/Chrysler-Building-New-York-City.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/84/94684-050-2652816E/Chrysler-Building-New-York-City.jpg?w=300" alt="Chrysler Building" data-width="1065" data-height="1600" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">2 of 2</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/84/94684-050-2652816E/Chrysler-Building-New-York-City.jpg" data-href="/media/1/547956/107048">Chrysler Building</a><span>Chrysler Building, New York City.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph">The design and decoration of skyscrapers have passed through several stages. Jenney and his protégé <span id="ref159833"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-Sullivan" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Louis Sullivan</a> styled their buildings to accentuate verticality, with <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off mw" data-term="delineated" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delineated" data-type="MW">delineated</a> columns rising from base to cornice. There was, however, some retention of, and regression to, earlier styles as well. As part of the <span id="ref159834"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Neoclassical-architecture" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Neoclassical</a> revival, for instance, skyscrapers such as those designed by the firm of <span id="ref159835"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/McKim-Mead-and-White" class="md-crosslink ">McKim, Mead, and White</a> were modeled after Classical Greek columns. The <span id="ref159836"></span>Metropolitan Life Insurance Building in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/New-York-City" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">New York City</a> (1909) was modeled by Napoleon Le Brun after the Campanile of St. Mark’s in Venice, and the <span id="ref159837"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Woolworth-Building" class="md-crosslink ">Woolworth Building</a> (1913), by <span id="ref159838"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Cass-Gilbert" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Cass Gilbert</a>, is a prime example of neo-Gothic decoration. Even the <span id="ref159839"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/Art-Deco" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Art Deco</a> carvings on such towers as the <span id="ref159840"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chrysler-Building" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Chrysler Building</a> (1930), the <span id="ref159841"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Empire-State-Building" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Empire State Building</a> (1931), and the <span id="ref159842"></span>RCA Building (1931) in New York City, which were then considered as modern as the new <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/technology" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">technology</a>, are now viewed as more related to the old ornate decorations than to truly modern lines.</p><!--[MOD5]--><span class="marker MOD5 mod-inline"></span><!--[PREMOD6]--><span class="marker PREMOD6 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies multiple medialist slider js-slider position-relative d-inline-flex align-items-center mw-100" data-type="other"><div class="slider-container js-slider-container overflow-hidden d-flex"><div class="rw-track d-flex align-items-center"><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="96037" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/99573-050-893702FA/World-Trade-Center-attacks-Minoru-Yamasaki-New-September-11-2001.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/547956/96037"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/99573-050-893702FA/World-Trade-Center-attacks-Minoru-Yamasaki-New-September-11-2001.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/99573-050-893702FA/World-Trade-Center-attacks-Minoru-Yamasaki-New-September-11-2001.jpg?w=300" alt="World Trade Center" data-width="985" data-height="1482" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">1 of 2</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/73/99573-050-893702FA/World-Trade-Center-attacks-Minoru-Yamasaki-New-September-11-2001.jpg" data-href="/media/1/547956/96037">World Trade Center</a><span>The World Trade Center, designed by Minoru Yamasaki, as it appeared before the September 11, 2001, attacks, New York City.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div><div class="position-relative rw-slide col-100 px-20 "><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="12332" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/91/10491-004-86C7FD43/Willis-Tower-Chicago-photograph-Fazlur-R-Khan-1982.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/547956/12332"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/91/10491-004-86C7FD43/Willis-Tower-Chicago-photograph-Fazlur-R-Khan-1982.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/91/10491-004-86C7FD43/Willis-Tower-Chicago-photograph-Fazlur-R-Khan-1982.jpg?w=300" alt="Willis Tower" data-width="150" data-height="354" loading="eager"></picture><div class="position-absolute top-10 left-10 assembly-slide-tag rounded-lg">2 of 2</div><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/91/10491-004-86C7FD43/Willis-Tower-Chicago-photograph-Fazlur-R-Khan-1982.jpg" data-href="/media/1/547956/12332">Willis Tower</a><span>The Willis Tower, Chicago, engineered by Fazlur R. Khan, 1973; photograph 1982.</span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div></div><button disabled="true" class="prev-button js-prev-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_left"></span></button><button disabled="true" class="next-button js-next-button position-absolute btn btn-circle shadow btn-lg btn-blue-dark m-20"><span class="material-icons" data-icon="keyboard_arrow_right"></span></button></div><p class="topic-paragraph">The <span id="ref159843"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/art/International-Style-architecture" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">International Style</a> with its total <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="simplicity" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/simplicity" data-type="EB">simplicity</a> seemed ideally suited to skyscraper design, and, during the decades following <a href="https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">World War II</a>, it dominated the field, notable early examples being the <span id="ref159844"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Seagram-Building" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Seagram Building</a> (1958) in New York City and the <span id="ref159845"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Lake-Shore-Drive-Apartments" class="md-crosslink ">Lake Shore Drive Apartments</a> (1951) in <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Chicago" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Chicago</a>. The stark verticality and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/glass" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">glass</a> curtain walls of this style became a hallmark of ultramodern urban life in many countries. During the 1970s, however, attempts were made to redefine the human element in urban architecture. <span id="ref159846"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/money/zoning-land-use" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Zoning</a> ordinances encouraged the incorporation of plazas and parks into and around the bases of even the tallest skyscrapers, just as zoning laws in the first decades of the 20th century were passed to prevent city streets from becoming sunless canyons and led to the shorter, stepped skyscraper. Office towers, such as those of the <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/World-Trade-Center" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">World Trade Center</a> (1972) in New York City and the <a class="md-dictionary-link md-dictionary-tt-off eb" data-term="Sears" href="https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/Sears" data-type="EB">Sears</a> Tower (1973; now called Willis Tower) in Chicago, continued to be built, but most of them, such as the <span id="ref159847"></span>Citicorp Center (1978) in New York City, featured lively and innovative space for shopping and entertainment at street level.</p><!--[MOD6]--><span class="marker MOD6 mod-inline"></span><!--[PREMOD7]--><span class="marker PREMOD7 mod-inline"></span><div class="assemblies"><div class="w-100"><figure class="md-assembly m-0 mb-md-0 card card-borderless print-false" data-assembly-id="112825" data-asm-type="image"><div class="md-assembly-wrapper card-media" data-type="image"><a href="https://cdn.britannica.com/69/84969-050-D0E5FB34/buildings-Petronas-Twin-Towers-world-Kuala-Lumpur.jpg" class="gtm-assembly-link position-relative d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center media-overlay-link card-media" data-href="/media/1/547956/112825"><picture><source media="(min-width: 680px)" srcset="https://cdn.britannica.com/69/84969-050-D0E5FB34/buildings-Petronas-Twin-Towers-world-Kuala-Lumpur.jpg?w=300"><img src="https://cdn.britannica.com/69/84969-050-D0E5FB34/buildings-Petronas-Twin-Towers-world-Kuala-Lumpur.jpg?w=300" alt="Petronas Twin Towers" data-width="1600" data-height="1200" loading="eager"></picture><button class="magnifying-glass btn btn-circle position-absolute shadow btn-white top-10 right-10" aria-label="Zoom in"><em class="material-icons link-blue" data-icon="zoom_in"></em></button></a></div><figcaption class="card-body"><div class="md-assembly-caption text-muted font-14 font-serif line-clamp"><span><a class="gtm-assembly-link md-assembly-title font-weight-bold d-inline font-sans-serif mr-5 media-overlay-link" href="https://cdn.britannica.com/69/84969-050-D0E5FB34/buildings-Petronas-Twin-Towers-world-Kuala-Lumpur.jpg" data-href="/media/1/547956/112825">Petronas Twin Towers</a><span>The Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, were the world's tallest buildings when they were built in the late 1990s. </span><button class="js-more-btn d-none btn btn-unstyled font-12 bg-white js-content" aria-label="Toggle more/less fact data"><span class="link-blue">(more)</span></button></span></div></figcaption></figure></div></div><p class="topic-paragraph">Another factor influencing skyscraper design and construction in the late 20th and early 21st centuries was the need for energy <span id="ref159848"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/science/conservation-ecology" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">conservation</a>. Earlier, sealed windows that made necessary continuous forced-air circulation or cooling, for instance, gave way in mid-rise buildings to operable windows and glass walls that were tinted to reflect the sun’s rays. Also, perhaps in reaction to the austerity of the International Style, the 1980s saw the beginnings of a return to more classical ornamentation, such as that of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Philip-Johnson" class="md-crosslink autoxref " data-show-preview="true">Philip Johnson’s</a> <span id="ref159849"></span><a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/ATandT-Building" class="md-crosslink ">AT&T Building</a> (1984) in New York City. <em>See also</em> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/technology/high-rise-building" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">high-rise building</a>.</p><div class="module-spacing"> <DIV class="marketing-INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION marketing-content" data-marketing-id="INLINE_SUBSCRIPTION"><style> .student-promo-banner-wrapper { container-type: inline-size; margin-bottom: 15px; } @container (min-width: 475px) { .student-promo-banner { flex-direction: row; } .student-promo-banner-img-wrapper { margin-bottom: 0; margin-right: 10px; 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href="https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=august-2024">Subscribe</a> </div> </div> </div> </DIV></div><div class="one-good-fact-module"> </div><!--[MOD7]--><span class="marker MOD7 mod-inline"></span> <!--[PREMOD8]--><span class="marker PREMOD8 mod-inline"></span><p class="topic-paragraph"><span id="ref5122"></span>A listing of the world’s tallest buildings is provided in the table.</p><!--[MOD8]--><span class="marker MOD8 mod-inline"></span><span class="md-raw-html"><div class="md-drag md-table-wrapper"><table> <caption> Tallest buildings in the world </caption> <thead> <tr> <th scope="col"> rank </th> <th scope="col"> building </th> <th scope="col"> location </th> <th scope="col"> year completed </th> <th scope="col"> height* (metres) </th> <th scope="col"> height* (feet) </th> <th scope="col"> occupied floors </th> </tr> </thead> <tfoot> <tr> <td colspan="7"> *To architectural top, as measured from the level of the lowest significant open-air pedestrian entrance to the topmost architectural feature of the building, including spires but not including antennas, signage, flag poles, or other functional or technical equipment. </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan="7"> Source: Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. </td> </tr> </tfoot> <tbody> <tr> <td scope="row"> 1 </td> <td> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Burj-Khalifa" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Burj Khalifa</a> </td> <td> Dubai, United Arab Emirates </td> <td> 2010 </td> <td> 828 </td> <td> 2,717 </td> <td> 163 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"> 2 </td> <td> Shanghai Tower </td> <td> Shanghai, China </td> <td> 2015 </td> <td> 632 </td> <td> 2,073 </td> <td> 128 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"> 3 </td> <td> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Abraj-al-Bayt" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Makkah Royal Clock Tower</a> </td> <td> Mecca, Saudi Arabia </td> <td> 2012 </td> <td> 601 </td> <td> 1,972 </td> <td> 120 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"> 4 </td> <td> Ping An Finance Center </td> <td> Shenzhen, China </td> <td> 2017 </td> <td> 599 </td> <td> 1,965 </td> <td> 115 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"> 5 </td> <td> Lotte World Tower </td> <td> Seoul, South Korea </td> <td> 2017 </td> <td> 554 </td> <td> 1,819 </td> <td> 123 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"> 6 </td> <td> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/World-Trade-Center" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">One World Trade Center</a> </td> <td> New York, N.Y., U.S. </td> <td> 2014 </td> <td> 541 </td> <td> 1,776 </td> <td> 94 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"> 7 </td> <td> Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre </td> <td> Guangzhou, China </td> <td> 2016 </td> <td> 530 </td> <td> 1,739 </td> <td> 111 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"> 8 </td> <td> Tianjin CTF Finance Centre </td> <td> Tianjin, China </td> <td> 2019 </td> <td> 530 </td> <td> 1,739 </td> <td> 97 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"> 9 </td> <td> CITIC Tower </td> <td> Beijing, China </td> <td> 2018 </td> <td> 527 </td> <td> 1,731 </td> <td> 109 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"> 10 </td> <td> TAIPEI 101 </td> <td> Taipei, Taiwan </td> <td> 2004 </td> <td> 508 </td> <td> 1,667 </td> <td> 101 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"> 11 </td> <td> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Shanghai-World-Financial-Center" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Shanghai World Financial Center</a> </td> <td> Shanghai, China </td> <td> 2008 </td> <td> 492 </td> <td> 1,614 </td> <td> 101 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"> 12 </td> <td> International Commerce Centre </td> <td> Hong Kong, China </td> <td> 2010 </td> <td> 484 </td> <td> 1,588 </td> <td> 108 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"> 13 </td> <td> Central Park Tower </td> <td> New York, N.Y., U.S. </td> <td> 2020 </td> <td> 472 </td> <td> 1,550 </td> <td> 98 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"> 14 </td> <td> Lakhta Center </td> <td> Saint Petersburg, Russia </td> <td> 2019 </td> <td> 462 </td> <td> 1,516 </td> <td> 87 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"> 15 </td> <td> Vincom Landmark 81 </td> <td> Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam </td> <td> 2018 </td> <td> 461 </td> <td> 1,513 </td> <td> 81 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"> 16 </td> <td> Changsha IFS Tower T1 </td> <td> Changsha, China </td> <td> 2018 </td> <td> 452 </td> <td> 1,483 </td> <td> 94 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"> 17 </td> <td> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Petronas-Twin-Towers" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Petronas Tower 1</a> </td> <td> Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia </td> <td> 1998 </td> <td> 452 </td> <td> 1,483 </td> <td> 88 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"></td> <td> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Petronas-Twin-Towers" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Petronas Tower 2</a> </td> <td> Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia </td> <td> 1998 </td> <td> 452 </td> <td> 1,483 </td> <td> 88 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"> 19 </td> <td> Suzhou IFS </td> <td> Suzhou, China </td> <td> 2019 </td> <td> 450 </td> <td> 1,476 </td> <td> 95 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"> 20 </td> <td> Zifeng Tower </td> <td> Nanjing, China </td> <td> 2010 </td> <td> 450 </td> <td> 1,476 </td> <td> 66 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"> 21 </td> <td> The Exchange 106 </td> <td> Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia </td> <td> 2019 </td> <td> 445 </td> <td> 1,462 </td> <td> 95 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"> 22 </td> <td> Wuhan Center Tower </td> <td> Wuhan, China </td> <td> 2019 </td> <td> 443 </td> <td> 1,454 </td> <td> 88 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"> 23 </td> <td> <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Willis-Tower" class="md-crosslink " data-show-preview="true">Willis Tower</a> </td> <td> Chicago, Ill., U.S. </td> <td> 1974 </td> <td> 442 </td> <td> 1,451 </td> <td> 108 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"> 24 </td> <td> KK100 </td> <td> Shenzhen, China </td> <td> 2011 </td> <td> 442 </td> <td> 1,449 </td> <td> 98 </td> </tr> <tr> <td scope="row"> 25 </td> <td> Guangzhou International Finance Center </td> <td> Guangzhou, China </td> <td> 2010 </td> <td> 439 </td> <td> 1,439 </td> <td> 103 </td> </tr> </tbody> </table></div> </span> </section> <span class="md-signature"><a href="/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419">The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica</a></span><span class="md-signature">This article was most recently revised and updated by <a href="/editor/Meg-Matthias/12593612">Meg Matthias</a>.</span><!--[END-OF-CONTENT]--><span class="marker end-of-content"></span><!--[AFTER-ARTICLE]--><span class="marker after-article"></span></div> <div id="chatbot-root"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="ai-dialog-placeholder"></div> </div> </div> <aside class="col-md-da-320"></aside> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article></div> </div></div> </div> </main> <div id="md-footer"></div> <noscript><iframe src="//www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-5W6NC8" height="0" width="0" style="display:none;visibility:hidden"></iframe></noscript> <script type="text/javascript" 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