World's Tallest Buildings

Criteria for Inclusion on the List of 100 Tallest Buildings by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat

This data was gathered and/or supplied by members and representatives of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat who represent world leaders in the field of the built environment, including research, industry, and education.

What defines a building (as opposed to a tower)? A “building” is considered to be a structure that is designed for residential, business, or manufacturing purposes. An essential characteristic of a building is that it has floors. Note that towers are NOT included in the list. Although a number of tall buildings on this list have “Tower” in their name—the famous Petronas Towers, for example—none are technically towers.

When does a building appear on the list? When a building is “topped out”—the point of construction when the structure has met its proposed structural top (see height definition below)—the building is officially ranked and is placed on the list.

Height The height of a building is measured from the sidewalk level of the main entrance to the structural top of the building. This includes spires, but does not include television antennas, radio antennas, or flag poles. Height is listed in both meters and feet and is rounded to the nearest integer. This is the official criterion used by the Council in determining ranking.

In many cases, the height of a building is supplied to the Council using only one unit of measure (either feet or meters). Based on the exact value of the unit supplied, the other unit’s value is mathematically calculated, then rounded to the nearest integer. The final determinant in ranking a building’s height is the footage—not meters—because of footage’s smaller (and therefore more precise) incremental value.

Rank Ranking is determined by height to the structural top of the building (see above). If there is a tie, the building with the larger number of stories is ranked higher. If a tie still remains, the building which was completed first is ranked higher. If a tie would still remain, the buildings would be ranked alphabetically.

Year The year in which construction of the building was officially completed. “UC” stands for Under Construction. The term “UC05” indicates that a building under construction is expected to be completed in 2005. For a building that is currently under construction to appear on the list it must be “topped out.”

Info from Infoplease.com