(I know there's a thread on this topic somewhere, but I couldn't find it...)

At 1,667 feet, Taipei 101 just became the world's tallest building, surpassing the Petronas Towers (1,483 ft.) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Timeline of world's tallest buildings.

10 tallest buildings in the world. Interestingly, the Empire State Building, built way back in 1931, is still on the top 10 list. Except for the Sears Tower in Chicago, all other buildings in the top 10 are in Asia.

Skyscraper Museum in NYC.

The CN Tower in Toronto, by comparison, is 1,815 feet.

Marc, Have you been watching "Canadian Bacon" again??? wink

Don't they consider the CN Tower a building?

Apparently not. Also, the CN Tower is only the world's tallest "free-standing structure", assuming it still possesses that distinction. I think there are taller structures with cable supports, but I'm not sure where they are.

If you are REALLY into this kind of thing, www.skyscraperpage.com has a whole forum with diagrams and everything. Lots of gay people in the forums as well...

Sorry...just saw your links were to this very site.....I never thought Petronas deserved to be ahead of Sears anyhow....stupid antenna. :mad:

[ October 08, 2004, 06:22 PM: Message edited by: MiamiSpartan ]

The 'rules' for building height is such that if the spire is considered an integral part of the design of the building--such as the Empire State Building, Tapei 101 and Petronas Towers--then it can be considered as part of the height of the building. On the other hand, if it's just an antenna on top of a flat roof--like the Sears Tower--it can't. If you were to consider the antanae on the Sears Tower it would actually be taller than Tapei 101. And the "roof" of the Sears Tower is actually higher than Petronas roof--and almost as high as Taipei 101.

The SkyDeck of the Sears Tower is 1,353 ft. (412m)... higher than the main observation deck of the CN Tower (1,122ft/342m)... although the CN Tower has the SkyPod level at 1,465ft. (447m).

(The CN Tower is, of course, a "tower" and not an office building.)

[ October 08, 2004, 07:01 PM: Message edited by: canmark ]

Thanks for all of interesting facts and tidbits of information on skyscrapers. Now this quote made me pause and think:

Could there be a phallic thing going on here.

What you talkin' 'bout Willis?

This past week the Sears Tower was renamed the Willis Tower. Willis is an insurance company. Sears moved out of the building years ago.

Apparently the Skydeck at the top of the tower has added a glass-enclosed "ledge". Has anyone tried it out?

==========

The Burj Dubai is now the world's tallest building at 2,684 feet.

World's tallest buildings 2010 diagram.

Or how about WILLIE Tower!

Allah extends a blessing to the Burj Dubai?

Hit it, Maestro!

"Willie, Willie, Willie, Willie...won't...go home...".

Actually, I'm rather fond of the "Big Willie" It will always be the Sears Tower in my book, no matter what name they slap on it. I still want to scare my self shitless and go out on that new glass ledge.

Hmmmmmmmm... in that case, it sounds like they may need to do a cleanup after you go out there. I have mixed feeling about it. On the one hand, I think it would be fascinating. On the other hand, I have this fear of falling from great heights, and I my nerves go on edge even getting next to the floor to ceiling glass from high up. And forget the edges of cliffs or getting to close to the waist high railing of a balcony even just a few floors up. I always feel like I'm going to lose my balance and fall, or that I'm going to be pushed over. It's really strange. I love being high up, I love flying (which doesn't bother me). Until I get close to the edge. In Australia I was at the tops of these cliffs that were about 750 feet high (and no railings). I knew how high they were, and even at about 30 feet away, I was already nervous and edgy and didn't want to go any closer.

The Burj Dubai, the new tallest building in the world (it's official height is being kept secret for the opening), is set to open on Monday. The building includes offices, residences, restaurants, an Armani hotel and an observation deck on the 124th floor. wikipedia: Burj Dubai

Times of London: Burj Dubai, the first superskyscraper

Sydney Morning Herald: Fortune or folly: Dubai's towering empire opens

Chicago Tribune: The Burj Dubai: How Chicago engineers helped shape the world's tallest building