The tallest house in the world how many floors. The tallest skyscraper in the world. tallest buildings

Availability modern technologies and building materials provides architects around the planet with the opportunity to constantly create bold designs for the tallest buildings in the world and translate them into reality. As a result, every year different countries there are not only thousands of ordinary buildings, but hundreds of skyscrapers. Some of them are typical, while others are so unique and recognizable that they bear the title of real architectural masterpieces. This article further presents a ranking of the 10 tallest buildings in the world in ascending order, taking into account the spiers and masts on their roofs.

"Nanjing Greenland"

This building is also known as the Zifeng Tower, and it is located in the Chinese city of Nanjing. It consists of 89 floors and has a height of 450 meters. The commissioning of this skyscraper took place in 2010. Now the skyscraper, which is built in the shape of a triangle, has a mixed purpose. In particular, the lower floors house various shops and restaurants, while the upper floors are used as offices. From the observation deck at level 72 opens beautiful view to local neighborhoods and the Yangtze River. Three conceptual positions have become characteristic of the project - the aforementioned Chinese river, landscaped gardens and motifs of local mythology (dragons with iconography on the columns).

Petronas Towers

In the ninth position of the ranking "The tallest building in the world" is the symbol of Kuala Lumpur (the capital of Malaysia) - "Twin Towers". Active participation in their design was taken by the then prime minister of the state, Mahathir Mohamad. It was he who came up with the idea of ​​building them in the Islamic style, and more specifically, in the form of eight-pointed stars. Both skyscrapers were built in 1998, consist of 88 floors and have a height of 451.9 meters. Inside they have meeting rooms, art galleries and offices. The cost of the project reached 800 million US dollars. An interesting feature is that the structures were erected on soft ground, so piles about 100 meters deep were driven into the ground to strengthen it. Such a foundation is the most powerful on the planet to this day. A covered walkway has been constructed between the towers, one of the important purposes of which is fire safety.

International Commerce Center in Hong Kong

The height of this building - 484 m. It consists of 118 floors, was put into operation in the city of Kowloon in 2010. Mostly it houses offices, shops and shopping centers. The top seventeen floors are occupied by a five-star hotel with a huge swimming pool on the last floor. It was originally planned to build a 102-storey building with a height of 574 meters, but due to the ban on building buildings higher than the surrounding mountains, the project was revised.

Shanghai World Financial Center

This representative of the "World's Tallest Building" rating was built in 2008. World Finance center in Shanghai has a height of 492 meters and consists of 101 floors. The skyscraper boasts several prizes and awards at once as the best high-rise building in 2008 and the owner of the highest observation deck on the planet. The structure passed the seismic stability test and is able to withstand an earthquake with a power of up to seven points. Moreover, even at the design stage, the architects provided for three options for saving people during a fire. On every twelfth floor, there is a protected area where you can hide from a fire or wait for rescuers.

"Taipei 101"

On the sixth position in the list is a skyscraper from Taipei - the capital of Taiwan. The building consists of 101 floors, and its height is 508 meters. Built in 2004, the skyscraper harmoniously combines ancient Chinese architecture and modern traditions of postmodernism. Between the 87th and 91st floors, a giant pendulum ball weighing 660 tons is installed, which significantly reduces the likelihood of collapse in the event of an earthquake or hurricane. The structure, which is predominantly made of steel, aluminum and glass, is supported by 380 pillars made of concrete and extending underground to a depth of 80 meters.

CTF Finance Center

This skyscraper is located in the Chinese city of Guangzhou. It is also known as the International Financial Center. The skyscraper was built in the style of modernism, and was officially opened in 2010. As of today, it belongs to the category of "the tallest buildings under construction in the world", since work on its construction is still ongoing. According to the plans of the architects, they should be completed in 2016. Then it will be a whole complex consisting of two towers. The height of the completed, western building, consisting of 103 floors, is now 441 meters. The complex also includes a building on 28 floors, which is connected to existing tower due to the 4-storey common basement. The impact on the building of air currents is practically reduced to zero due to its streamlined shape.

Freedom Tower

located in American city New York Freedom Tower is a skyscraper with a height of 541.3 meters. It should be noted that this is the tallest building in the world that is used exclusively for offices. Moreover, it is the largest skyscraper in the entire Western Hemisphere. The Freedom Tower has become the main structure in the new World Trade Center, erected to replace the complex that was destroyed as a result of terrorist act in 2001. The building itself has a roof height of 417 meters, and the remaining 124 meters fall on a 758-ton spire mounted on it. From the outside it is lined with glass with bluish tint so it looks very nice.

Royal clock tower

The representative closes the top three in the top of the tallest buildings in the world Saudi Arabia. The building is located in the world famous city Mecca and rises to 601 meters. It consists of 102 floors and was officially opened in 2012. The skyscraper is the largest on the planet in terms of building volume and boasts the highest clock on Earth. The mosque with the main Islamic shrine (Kaaba) is right across the road. The Royal Clock Tower has a hotel that proudly bears the title of the highest in the world. At the same time, it can accommodate about 100 thousand people.

shanghai tower

In second place in the ranking "The tallest building in the world" is an ultra-tall building called Shanghai Tower, the construction of which is currently being completed in the Chinese city of the same name. According to the project, its height will be 632 meters, and the number of floors will be 128. The cost of its implementation, according to preliminary estimates, will be 4.2 billion US dollars. It is expected that its official commissioning will take place in 2015, despite the fact that construction work started in 1993. The frame itself has already been erected, and now only finishing work is underway. The skyscraper is multifunctional and consists of nine separate vertical zones. The finish is made of durable glass, which provides not only protection from external weather conditions people, but also natural ventilation.

"Burj Khalifa"

The rating of the tallest buildings in the world is confidently headed by the Burj Khalifa, a skyscraper from the city of Dubai (UAE). Its peak is at an altitude of 828 meters. The building was erected in 2010 and consists of 136 floors. In its shape, it resembles a stalagmite. Initially, the facility was planned as a city within a city, with its own lawns, parks and boulevards. There are three separate entrances to the skyscraper. Starting from floors 1 to 39, there are offices and the Armani Hotel. This is not surprising, since the design of the hotel was developed personally by Giorgio Armani. On the site from level 44 to 108, the architects built 900 apartments, and from 111 to 154 they equipped office space. There is an observation deck on the 124th floor.

Without a doubt, located in the city of Dubai, the most high building world strikes the human imagination. Be that as it may, many skyscrapers and dozens of skyscrapers appear on our planet every year. Many of them are still at the stage of construction may well be considered as potential competitors to the representatives of the above rating. A clear indication of this is the fact that some of them are already considered real architectural masterpieces and recognizable all over the world. Zhongnan Center (China), Lotte World Tower (South Korea) and World Tower (Mumbai) are considered the most iconic objects that can already be safely included in the list of "The tallest buildings in the world of the future".

The first of the mentioned structures, according to the project, should have a height of 730 meters and consist of 138 floors. If all work is completed on schedule, then in 2020 it will officially open. After that, the building will become the tallest in China. The project is estimated at $4.2 billion.

It is expected that the height of the skyscraper Lotte World Tower in Seoul will reach 556 meters. Its construction should be completed in 2016. The architects plan to place offices, shops and a hotel inside.

As for the World Tower, the building should receive its first visitors as early as next year. The highest building in Mumbai now - the Imperial Tower - this building will surpass almost twice. In addition to shopping centers and offices, it is planned to build about three hundred luxury apartments here, the cost of which will start at $1.5 million.

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Even the ancient Egyptians, using the pyramids as an example, showed the world that the impressive height of the building demonstrates the strength and power of the country, the level of its development. A lot of time has passed since then, but still the countries in which the highest skyscrapers on the planet are built attract attention. So the USA is famous the largest number skyscrapers built in the country, and the United United Arab Emirates are known as the state in which the most big skyscraper in the world.

Burj Khalifa - the tallest skyscraper in the world

The bold project of the tallest building in the world belongs to the American architect Adrian Smith. In his plans, the skyscraper was real city, located inside the city, which will have not only premises, but also beautiful gardens, parks with magnificent flower beds.

The project, developed by Adrian Smith, was approved, and in 2004 the construction of a skyscraper started. Throughout the construction of the tower, its intended height was kept a closely guarded secret. The investors wanted the building to be the tallest on the planet. At their request, the project had to be amended if a skyscraper competing in height was built somewhere.


The construction of the Burj Khalifa lasted more than 5 years. To make the design safe, the engineers had to solve extraordinary challenging tasks. The skyscraper had to easily endure the strong gusts of wind and high temperatures of this region. But thanks to the talent of engineers and architects, these problems were solved, and in 2010, after the completion of construction, the grand opening of the tower took place.

The Burj Khalifa skyscraper impresses with its features:

  • its height is 828 m;
  • the tower has 163 floors, not counting the basement levels and technical areas located in the spire;
  • the skyscraper is supported by 200 piles, the diameter of which is 1.5 m and the length is 45 m;
  • the weight of the building is about 500,000 tons.

In the skyscraper, communication between floors is provided by 57 high-speed elevators. To get from the first floor to the last, you will have to make transfers, or you can use the service elevator, the speed of which is much lower.

Above Chinese city Shanghai rises tower, whose height is 632 m. This is the second tallest skyscraper on the planet. The construction of the giant began in 2008, and in 2013 the last work was completed. The skyscraper has 130 floors that house offices.


Among the skyscrapers leading in height are the towers of Abraj al-Beit. The main one is royal tower- rises above the surface at 601 m. This skyscraper has set several records: the structure has the largest weight and the most big clock in the world. The dials of the clocks, located on each side of the rectangular tower, are visible from any corner of the city of Mecca (Saudi Arabia). On 120 floors of the skyscraper there are residential premises, a hotel, trade and catering establishments.


Built in New York, the World Trade Center is also one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world. It rises 543.1 meters above lower Manhattan. It was erected on the site of the twin towers destroyed in 2001. The start of construction of the skyscraper dates back to 2004, and official opening it took place in 2012. All 120 floors of the complex are occupied by offices.


The Taipei 101 skyscraper was opened in the capital of Taiwan in 2003, which is the fifth tallest such building. This 101-story building rises 509 meters above the surface. The construction of the skyscraper began in 1999 and lasted more than 4 years. Immediately after the construction, the building was tested for strength by an earthquake that happened here. But after inspection of Taipei by experts, no deformations in the structure of the building or destruction were found. The skyscraper is occupied by trade centers and offices.


In 2008, the construction of a skyscraper was completed in Shanghai, which, due to its unusual shape, acquired the name “opener”. The project of such a unique structure was drawn up by American architect David Mallot. Construction began in 1997, but due to financial problems, the construction was delayed for more than 10 years. In addition, over the course of the work, changes were made to the project, which complicated the construction process. Today, a 101-storey skyscraper, 492 m high, is occupied by shopping centers, a hotel, offices, and a museum.


The eighth place among the highest skyscrapers of the planet is occupied by the Petronas Towers. These are 2 high-rise buildings connected by the largest in the world air bridge. Skyscrapers have become the property of Malaysia. They are built in the capital of the country - Kuala Lumper. The height of these giant twins is 451.9 m. The area of ​​the towers is used with maximum benefit. In order not to take up too much space for arranging the connection between 88 floors, two-story elevators were installed in the skyscraper. The building is occupied by offices and halls for exhibitions and conferences.


In one of largest metropolitan areas China's Nanjing in 2009, the opening of the ninth tallest skyscraper on the planet - the financial center of Nanjing Greenland. Zifeng tower focused business center Nanjing. Its 89 floors are occupied by offices, trade halls, entertainment establishments. The tower, whose height is 450 m, also has an observatory available to everyone.


The tenth tallest skyscraper in the world is the Willis Tower. The building is located in the American metropolis of Chicago. Its height is 443.1 m. Construction, which started in 1970, was carried out at a record pace, and less than three years later the skyscraper was officially opened. Willis Tower was considered the tallest skyscraper for about 25 years and lost ground in 1998 to the Petronas Towers.


The first place in our Top 10 skyscrapers in the world has been held by the Burj Khalifa for more than 7 years, the amazing and tallest skyscraper in the world for 2017, which is located in the United Arab Emirates. The Burj Khalifa, originally known as the Burj Dubai, dominates the skyline of the city of Dubai. Skyscraperhas 163 floors and a height of 828 meters, and has been the tallest building in the world since 2010, when it was built by a design bureau from Chicago, and the construction was carried out by uSouth Korean company Samsung C & T. The building was commissioned by the government of the United Arab Emirates.

2. Shanghai Tower, China, 632 meters

shanghai tower is a 632-meter, 128-story megatoll skyscraper in Shanghai. This skyscraper has the world's highest observation deck inside a building or structure and the world's fastest elevators with maximum speed 20.5 m/s (74 km/h). It is the second tallest building in the world and the third tallest building in the world, after the Tokyo Tower, whose height is 634 meters, exactly 2 meters higher than the Shanghai Tower.

The megatoll project was designed by international design firm Gensler and is owned by the Shanghai City Government. Its multi-level design is designed to operate nine separate zones, divided into office, retail and residential sectors.

Construction work on the tower began in November 2008 and ended in September 2015.


3. Abraj al-Bayt, Saudi Arabia, 601 meters

Abraj al-Bayt is the third tallest building in the world, its peak is located at a height of 601 meters. It is located in Saudi Arabia in Mecca and is state property. The hotel has 120 floors and was built by the Bin Laden Group, which is the largest construction firm in Saudi Arabia and yes, the same terrorist Bin Laden comes from this family. The design of the skyscraper belongs to the German architectural firm SL Rasch GmbH. Abraj al-Bayt is famous primarily not for its height, but for its largest clock in the world.

Apart from hotel rooms, the tower has a conference center, an Islamic museum, a prayer room in which more than 10,000 people can pray at a time and a five-story shopping center.


4. Ping'an International Financial Center, China, 600 meters

The Shenzhen International Financial Center is one of the newest skyscrapers in the world, its construction was completed at the end of 2016 with a height of exactly 600 meters, which allowed it to take 4th place in our ranking - Top 10 skyscrapers in the world. The building houses a conference center, hotel and retail space within shopping center high class.


5. Lotte World Tower, South Korea, 555 meters

Lotte World Tower built in South Korea, is one of the newest skyscrapers in the world, it joined the list of megatolls in 2016, its construction was recently completed in March 2016, giving it the status of the fifth tallest building in the world.13 years of planning and preparation ended with the start of construction in March 2011, the building has 123 floors, six of which are underground. This amazing megatoll is able to withstandearthquakes with magnitude up to 9 on the Richter scale.


6. World Trade Center 1, USA, 541 meters

One World Trade Center is not only the tallest building in the city of New - York and inUnited States of Americabut throughout the Western Hemisphere.It was completed in 2014 and built as replacement and memory towersthe original World Trade Center.


7. CTF financial center, China, 530 meters

Located in the city of Guangzhou in the southChina, International Financial Center is a multifunctional skyscraper,which is a new addition to this list, it was built at the end of 20016. With its height of 530 meters, it accommodates111 floors in total.


8. Taipei 101, Taiwan, 509 meters

The 101-storey Taipei 101 is located in the city of Taipei and takes the honorable 8th place in our rating. And when this megatoll was built in 2004, it was the tallest skyscraper in the world, but in 13 years it fell to 8th place. This skyscraper real example postmodern architecture.


9. Shanghai World Financial Center, China, 492 meters

The Shanghai World Financial Center was handed over to the customer represented by the state in 2008, and has a height of 492 meters with 101 floors.It is located in the heart of Shanghai's financial district on the Pudong waterfront and acts as an international financial and commercial center.It is the location of hotel rooms, offices, conference rooms, observation decks and shopping centers. BThe turret has a trapezoidal opening at the top for better aerodynamics.


10. International Commerce Center, Hong Kong, 484 meters

This amazing skyscraper grew up in Hong Kong in 2010 and at that time it was ranked 4th in the ranking of the tallest buildings in the world, and in 2017 it dropped with its 484 meters and 118 floors to 10th place in the Top 10 skyscrapers in the world. The International Commerce Center in Hong Kong boasts the world's tallest swimming pool and a bar on the 108th floor, this tallest skyscraper in Hong Kong also has a beautiful observation deck andand five star restaurants.


People are strange creatures. We always want to surpass each other, to do something better than others, to improve. We are constantly testing the limits of our abilities, the limits of the laws of physics, the limits of human nature itself. When it comes to architecture, a person always tries to surpass the achieved heights. New building materials, new designs allow us to reach more and more new heights, and in the literal sense. It is no coincidence that buildings are getting taller and taller, and the most indescribably tall skyscrapers on the planet have been built within the last twenty-five years. We bring to your attention a list of the fourteen most tall skyscrapers planets.

14. Jin Mao Tower - Shanghai, China: 420.62 m

Reaching a height of 421 meters, the Jin Mao Tower skyscraper was built in 1999. The building includes office space, hotel, shopping mall, restaurants, night club and an observation deck. Its largest tenant is the Hyatt Hotel, which spans 30 floors and offers visitors a relaxing piano bar, coffee shop, upscale restaurants and bars, fitness center services, pool access and a private express elevator.

13. Trump International Skyscraper Hotel - Chicago, USA: 423.3 m

Completed in 2009, this building includes a residential building and a luxury hotel. The skyscraper reaches 423 meters in height and cost its owners 847 million dollars. The building was built on the site of the old Chicago Sun Times building, near the local river, in downtown Chicago. In addition to the hotel, on the sixteenth floor there is a restaurant and spa, as well as an outdoor area that will give you unforgettable views of the city.

12. Guangzhou International Financial Center - Guangzhou, China: 438.9 m

The 103-story skyscraper was completed in 2010 at a cost of $280 million. This is primarily an office building, the upper floors of which serve as the location of the hotel Four Seasons and observation deck. This building was originally known as the Guangzhou West Tower. In addition, its owners had plans to rebuild an even taller building, but they were not successful.

11. KK100 - Shenzhen, China: 441.6 m

Formerly known as Kingkey 100, this skyscraper reaches a height of almost 442 meters. This mixed-use building is home to office space and a six-star business hotel. It also has a garden, many restaurants, luxury shops, supermarkets and an IMAX cinema. This building was completed in 2011.

10. Willis Tower - Chicago, USA: 441.96 m

Formerly known as the Sears Tower, the Willis Tower reaches a height of 442 meters. This is the only building on our list built before 1998. The skyscraper was built in 1973 at a cost of $150 million. It was the first building in the world to use the tubular construction method. This is what made it possible to build a skyscraper to such a height. And although it is now only tenth on our list, there was a time when it was considered the tallest skyscraper in the world.

9. Zifeng Tower - Nanjing, China: 451.1 m

This 450-meter 89-storey skyscraper was opened in 2010. There is a huge amount of retail and office space, a hotel, restaurants and an open observation deck. It took five years to rebuild this building. For its maintenance, 54 lifts and elevators are used.

8. Petronas Tower 1&2 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: 452 m


From 1998 to 2004 twin skyscrapers Petronas Towers were considered the tallest buildings in the world. The premises in them were rented by such large companies as Reuters, Microsoft, AVEVA. The construction of these two giants took about 1.6 billion dollars. Their height was 452 meters. Petronas Tower 1 is wholly owned by Petronas and its subsidiaries. It connects to the second skyscraper via an overpass located on the 41st and 42nd floors. The first few floors of skyscrapers are occupied by retail businesses. In addition, here you can find art gallery, aquarium and research center.

7. International Commerce Center - Hong Kong: 484 m


This 118-story skyscraper reaches 484 meters in height. It was built in 2010, eight long years after construction began. On this moment it is the tallest building in Hong Kong and the fourth tallest in China. The building houses a five-star The Ritz Hotel Carlton, has an outdoor observation deck and pool located on the 118th floor.

6. Shanghai World Financial Center - Shanghai, China: 491.95 m

This skyscraper cost its owners $1.2 billion. This is a multifunctional building that includes office space, a hotel, a museum, a parking lot, shops and several observation decks. It opened in 2008 and at that time was considered the tallest building in the world.

5. Taipei 101 - Taipei, Taiwan: 508.7 m


Built in 2004, this skyscraper consists of 101 floors containing offices, shopping malls, eateries and viewing platforms. The building was designed by LEEDS Platinum Certified and has a number of interesting features, among which the world's fastest elevator, the world's largest countdown clock, the world's highest sundial and the world's largest pendulum damper. The skyscraper reaches 509 meters in height and costs about 1.8 billion dollars.

4. One World Trade Center - New York, USA: 541.3 m


This skyscraper is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year on site. former buildings World Trade Center. The building will reach a height of 540 meters and will be intended primarily for office space. The total cost of its construction was 3.9 billion dollars. When completed, it will be one of the tallest buildings in the US.

3. Makkah Royal Clock Tower - Mecca, Saudi Arabia: 601m


Officially known as Abraj Al-Bait, the Makkah Royal Clock Tower rises 601 meters above the ground. It was built in 2012 after eight years of continuous construction. At the top of the building is a four-sided clock, considered the tallest clock in the world. They can be seen from a distance of 26 kilometers. During the construction of the skyscraper, there were two fires, but, fortunately, no one was injured.

2. Shanghai Tower - Shanghai, China: 631.8 m


The Shanghai Tower is the tallest building in Asia and cost $4.2 billion to build. Upon completion of construction work, the skyscraper will reach a height of 632 meters and have 121 floors. The project of the building was developed back in 1993, but later it was planned to introduce a number of environmental features, which slowed down the start of its construction. The building will be commissioned in 2015.

1. Burj Khalifa - Dubai, United Arab Emirates: 828.1 m


Since 2010, this building has been considered the most tall building in the world. The 163-storey skyscraper reaches a height of 828 meters. The construction of the building cost $1.5 billion. Here you can find apartments, office space, hotels, corporate suites and restaurants. The building has received countless awards for its special design.

Exactly 130 years ago (May 1, 1884), the construction of the very first skyscraper in the world, the Chicago 10-story Home Insurance Building, began. The existence of this "giant" ended in 1931. But real story skyscrapers from this has just begun ...

Strictly speaking, the history of the construction of houses, even before the first officially recognized very first skyscraper in the world, knows cases of the construction of multi-storey, including narrow, houses and the construction of entire cities from such buildings as, for example, Shibam in Yemen.

Or, for example, the Italian towers of Bologna (12th century AD) -

The first recognized skyscraper (Home Insurance Building) was not very tall by today's standards - it had only 10 floors according to the original project, overall height building was 42 meters.

A few years later, this very first skyscraper in the world had 2 more floors, and then its height was already 54.9 m. William Le Baron Jenney, an American architect, implemented an innovative construction technology when designing the first skyscraper, which consisted in using a supporting frame. Before him, external walls were used as a supporting structure. The architect made a calculation based on the strength characteristics of the materials, taking into account the specific strength of steel, which is 10 times higher than the specific strength of the highest quality concrete, not to mention masonry or brickwork. Due to the use of a metal frame as a supporting structure, it was possible to reduce the total mass of the structure by almost a third. But the creator of the project still could not decide on a complete rejection of other load-bearing structures, because of this, the very first skyscraper in the world also had granite columns and a load-bearing back wall.

The implementation of the transition to a load-bearing steel frame came in 1891 with the construction of the 11-story Wainwright Tower in St. Louis, designed by Architect Louis Sullivan. So this building can rightfully challenge the title of "the very first skyscraper in the world" from the Chicago building.

No skyscraper can function fully without such architectural element like an elevator. In the history of skyscrapers, the very first office building to use elevators was the Equitable Life Building, built in New York in 1870.

The first elevators worked on a hydraulic drive, which imposed a restriction on the height of the building - it could not be higher than 20 floors. But in 1903, the Otis company developed a new design of an elevator with an electric drive. It found application in the idea of ​​balancing the weight of the cabin going up, the weight of the second cabin, which is moving down. These innovations have removed lift height restrictions. An interesting solution to remove restrictions on the height of the building was the use of lifting with transfers.

The tallest skyscrapers in the world. Photo.

As soon as the very first skyscrapers in the world appeared, a real race began in their construction in the construction of the tallest building. The most intense years in the history of skyscrapers can be considered the 20s of the last century, when in New York one after another several high-rise buildings shot up, claiming the title of "the tallest building in the world."

In New York in 1913, the 57-storey skyscraper Woolworth Building appeared, which had a height of 241 meters and was built in the Neo-Gothic style, which is characterized by a combination of the latest achievements science and traditional architecture. For 17 years, this skyscraper has held the title of the tallest building in the world, the tallest skyscraper in the world (photo below), and the townspeople still have a special love for it.

Photo of the Woolworth Building in 1913 -

… and today -

The pace of this race noticeably slows down in the early 30s. This decade can be characterized by the construction of two skyscrapers. The first was built in 1930 at the expense of Walter Percy Chrysler, who placed the offices of his company in it. It is called the Chrysler Building, it has 77 floors and a roof height of 282 meters, and together with the spire - 320 meters.

But it was bypassed by the Empire State Building, inaugurated on May 1, 1931. It was this building that became the world symbol of skyscraper construction for almost half a century.

It has 102 floors, the roof height is 381 meters, and together with the antenna - 443 meters. Completed in just 13 months, the structure held the height record until 1972.

***

History of skyscrapersin USSR.

In the Soviet Union in 1937 began the construction of the world's tallest skyscraper, which should be 495 meters high. However, the Great Patriotic War did not allow to finish this project, and after its completion, they did not return to the project.

However, skyscrapers in Moscow were built, they became the famous seven Stalinist skyscrapers. Among them, the tallest building is Moscow State University, which has a height of 240 meters. It was this building that was included in all world ratings of skyscrapers. However, they were not the first skyscrapers erected in Moscow.

At the beginning of the century, in 1912, the Nirnsee House of Cheap Apartments was erected, which has a height of 40 meters. At the dawn of the history of skyscrapers in the USSR in Moscow, such structures were called "cloud cutters".

But the highest pre-revolutionary civil construction was the building of the Telephone Station, erected in Milyutinsky Lane in 1908 and having a height of 78 meters. The technologies used by Russian engineers made it possible already at that time to erect buildings 100 and even 150 meters high, but the construction of cloud-cutters was limited by both aesthetic and religious considerations. Therefore, until the mid-50s, the proud title of the tallest building in Moscow was borne by a medieval building - the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, dominating architectural structures capital Cities. The height of the bell tower is 81 meters.

***

The last third of the 20th century was marked by a new race in the construction of skyscrapers. The difficulty in determining the tallest skyscrapers in the world (photographs of which we are considering in this article) was the complexity of architectural forms. Therefore, these titles are constantly disputed, based on measurements that are taken both on the roof and with additional spiers and antennas. At the 110-story building, which was considered the highest chicago tower Sears Tower, now bearing the name of Willis Tower and having a height of 442 meters ...

... this title was intercepted in 1998 by the Petronas Towers, located in Kuala Lumper and having the following criteria - 88 floors, 452 meters in height.

***

Then the Taipei 101 skyscraper appeared in 2004, which has a height of 509 meters and has 101 floors. But even then, the Willis Tower argued for the title of the tallest skyscraper in the world (photo below), if we take into account the antenna located on the roof of the building.

The controversy was stopped by the construction of the Dubai Burj Khalifa tower, which exceeded all records. This tower has a roof height of 643 meters, a spire of 828 meters, and has 150 floors.

The photos of this record holder are simply amazing -

***

In 2013, China announced the construction of a 220-story Sky City skyscraper in Changsha, with a height of 838 meters. At the same time, the construction of this building was intended to break another record, having built it in record time - 90 days.

True, these 3 months did not include preparatory work. However, the start date of construction was constantly postponed, and now the grand opening of the building is planned for May 2014.

But even this height is not the limit, the builders want to take a height of more than a kilometer. Skyscrapers of this height are laid in several countries - in Bahrain - 1022-meter, 1400-meter (along the spire) in Dubai ("Al Burj" or "Nakhil")

- 1007-meter tower in Saudi Arabia ("Kingdom Tower") -