Tallest Skyscrapers
This site is a showcase for the Tallest Skyscrapers in the world.
The word skyscraper was first applied to such buildings in the late 19th century, reflecting public amazement at the tall buildings being built in New York City.
The structural definition of the word skyscraper was refined later by architectural historians, based on engineering developments of the 1880s that had enabled construction of tall multi-story buildings. This definition was based on the steel skeleton—as opposed to constructions of load-bearing masonry, which passed their practical limit in 1891 with Chicago's Monadnock Building. Although Philadelphia's City Hall, completed in 1901, is the world's tallest load-bearing masonry structure - a title to which it still holds claim.
The steel frame developed in stages of increasing self-sufficiency, with several buildings in New York and Chicago advancing the technology that allowed the steel frame to carry a building on its own.
Today, however, many of the tallest skyscrapers are built more or less entirely with reinforced concrete. In the United States today, it is a loose convention to draw the lower limit on what is a skyscraper at 150 metres. Elsewhere, though, a shorter building will sometimes be referred to as a skyscraper, especially if it is said to "dominate" its surroundings. Thus, calling a building a skyscraper will usually, but not always, imply pride and achievement.
Skyscraper NewsCHICAGO: Capturing one city's rich architectural history Chicago Tribune, United States - It passes the corncob-like Marina Towers, the sprawling Merchandise Mart and glass-and-steel skyscrapers -- a tapestry of new and old that draws ... Tourists take in Chicago's rich architectural tapestry by boat ... |
The Sun | Developers fear new Mayor Boris Johnson means fewer skyscrapers Times Online, UK - In a signal this week that he would reverse his predecessor Ken Livingstone's support for skyscrapers, Mr Johnson appointed a critic of tall buildings, ... New mayor plans to cut skyscrapers Tory HQ team puts reins on Boris |
![]() St. Louis Post-Dispatch | From skyscrapers to Saarinen: A history of St. Louis architecture St. Louis Post-Dispatch, United States - By David Bonetti A boomtown through most of its history until at least World War I, St. Louis has inherited a fine legacy of late 19th- and early to ... |
Santiago to have world’s tallest residential tower MercoPress, Uruguay - The other two skyscrapers will stand on either side of the main tower and will be 74 stories high (290 meters). At a presentation to potential investors, ... |
![]() ARTINFO | Steve DiBenedetto: Chaoticus ARTINFO, NY - DiBenedetto’s agitated depictions of skyscrapers melting into their structural parts are sources of liberation for the buildings themselves, but ultimately ... |
Boyhood dreams inspire real-life French Spiderman Daily Times, Pakistan - It was Sector, a sponsor specialising in extreme sports, that suggested he try skyscrapers. Robert conquered his first building in Chicago in 1994. ... |
![]() KING5.com | Skyscrapers could come to South Lake Union KING5.com, WA - SEATTLE – A South Lake Union group wants zoning rules to change to allow skyscrapers – 300 to 400 feet tall – to be built in the neighborhood, ... |
![]() London SE1 | Blears orders public inquiry into skyscrapers at 20 Blackfriars Road London SE1, UK - Communities secretary Hazel Blears has ordered a public inquiry into plans for two tall buildings near the junction of Blackfriars Road and Stamford Street. ... |
Funds approved to preserve 1920s Phoenix skyscrapers Arizona Republic, AZ - A city panel approved a plan that would set aside $500000 to preserve two iconic, 1920s-era downtown Phoenix skyscrapers. The proposal would also allow a ... |
![]() DVICE | Future Skylines: plans for amazing green skyscrapers in Singapore DVICE - The Brits are once more taking Singapore by storm, but this time with their snazzy, sustainable architecture. Firm Foster + Partners has plans for an ... |