1.) Metropolitan Life Tower – New York City, USA
The Metropolitan Life Tower was the tallest building in the world for 4 years from 1909 to 1913. It is also known as Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Building or Met Life Tower. This landmark skyscraper is located at One Madison Avenue in Manhattan, New York City. Met Life Tower was surpassed by the Woolworth Building.
2.) Woolworth Building – New York City, USA
Woolworth Building was the tallest building in the world for 17 years from 1913 to 1930. This 57 story building is one of the most famous skyscrapers in New York City. This building is still one of the 50 tallest in the US and was listed in 1966 as a National Historic Landmark.
3.) Chrysler Building – New York City, USA
Chrysler Building was the tallest building in the world from 27 May 1930 to 1931. Like the first two buildings on this list, Chrysler Building is also located in New York City. Chrysler Building is 319 meters in height. It was the world’s tallest building for 11 months and surpassed by the Empire State Building.
4.) Empire State Building – New York City, USA
Empire State Building was the world’s tallest building for 41 years from 1931 to1972. This 102-story building is also located in New York City. Its name is derived from New York’s nickname - The Empire State. It was surpassed by the World Trade Center’s North Tower in 1972. When the WTC or Twin Towers were destroyed in 2001, the Empire State Building again became the tallest building in New York City.
Today, the building is the 3rd tallest skyscraper in the Americas and the 15th tallest in the world. The Empire State Building has been named one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
5.) World Trade Center North Tower – New York City, USA
he World Trade Center’s North Tower is the world’s tallest building from 1972 to 1974. It is located in New York City and part of a complex of seven buildings. It was destroyed together with the South Tower in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
.) Willis Tower – Chicago, Illinois, USA
The Willis Tower, formerly known as Sears Tower is the world’s tallest building from 1974 to1998. This 108-story building is 442 meter in height and is located in Chicago, Illinois. It held the rank as the tallest building in the world for 25 years.
Today, it is the tallest building in the United States and the 5th tallest freestanding structure in the world. In addition, it is also the world’s 5th tallest building to the roof.
7.) Petronas Towers – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The world’s tallest building from 1998 to 2004 is the Petronas Twin Towers. It is also known as the Petronas Towers or just Twin Towers. This stunning structure is located in the capital of Malaysia – Kuala Lumpur. The towers are not the tallest anymore but they still hold the distinction of being the world’s “tallest twin buildings”.
8.) Taipei 101 – Taipei, Taiwan
The world’s tallest building from 2004 to 2010 is Taipei 101 in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan or Republic of China. It is also known as the Taipei Financial Center. It has 101 floors above ground and 5 floors underground. The name of the tower reflects the number of its floor.
9.) Burj Khalifa – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The tallest building in the world from January 2010 up to present, and maybe for many more years from now, is Burj Khalifa. It is more popularly known as Burj Dubai. It is located in Dubai, UAE. This structure, which is the world’s tallest, has a stunning height of 828 meters
