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World Tallest Skyscrapers |
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Ever since a challenge to climb the highest buildings was advertised at my local gym, I’ve been keen to find out exactly what are the highest buildings in the world, and have set an objective to climb them all.
Below is the list of tallest skyscrapers, based on the height of the topmost climbable floor, as of 2008:
 The Petronas Towers are the world’s tallest twin towers, and were the tallest buildings until the Taipei 101 building was completed in 2004.
- Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Constructed: 1992-1998
- Height: Total 452m, Top floor 375m
- Floor count: 88
- Elevator count: 78
The Petronas Towers still holds some world records though. The buildings were built on the world’s deepest foundations, at a mighty 120m deep, due to the depth of the bedrock. The towers also feature a skybridge connecting them, which is the highest 2-story bridge in the world at 170m above the ground.
 Forth in this list, the Sears tower has been the highest building in the USA since 1973, surpassing the World Trade Center and the Empire State Building.
- Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Construction: 1970-1974
- Height: Total 527m, Top floor 435.8m
- Floor count: 110
- Elevator count: 104, with 16 double-decker elevators
In 1969, Sears, Roebuck & Co. was the largest retailer in the world. Sears executives decided to consolidate their employees into one building with predictions and plans for future growth. However, Sears’ optimistic growth projections never came to pass, and the company was obliged to take out a mortgage on its signature building. By 1995 Sears had completely vacated the building, which is now a multi-tenant office building with more than 100 different companies in residence.
 An 800 ton mass damper helps stabilize the tower in high winds and earthquakes. This damper is an enormous ball of welded steel plates hanging inside the top of the building, and is visible from the restaurant and bar which encircles the space around the ball.
- Location: Taipei, Taiwan
- Constructed: 1999-2004
- Height: Total 509.2m, Top floor 439.2m
- Floor count: 101
- Elevator count: 61, with 2 double-decker elevators
Its elevators are the fastest in the world, rising at 1008m per minute and descending at 610m per minute.
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2nd: Shanghai World Financial Center |
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 Runner up to the highest building in the world is the World Financial Center in Shanghai. It was beaten to the world record before its construction was even finished.
- Location: Shanghai, China
- Construction: Estimated completion 2008
- Height: Total 492m, Top floor 472m
- Floor count: 101
- Elevator count: 31
The most distinctive feature in the design of this building is a hole through its peak. Originally it was meant to be a circular moon gate, but the intended design began facing protests from Chinese, who considered it too similar to the rising sun design of the Japanese flag. Eventually this was changed to a trapezoidal hole, which incidentally made it cheaper and easier to implement.
 In at number one in the list of the highest buildings in the world is the Burj-Dubai. Although it is not quite completed it already boasts a height exceeding 705m, almost 200m higher than the previous record holder.
- Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Constructed: Estimated completion 2008
- Height: Total 818m, Top floor 624.1m
- Number Of Floors: 164
Once completed this will be the tallest tower in the world, housing 30,000 people, restaurants, shops and leisure facilities. Once completed it will give the title of Earth’s tallest free-standing structure to the Middle East - a title not held by the region since 1311 AD when Lincoln Cathedral in England surpassed the height of the Great Pyramid of Giza, which had held the title for almost four millennia.
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