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Article last updated on January 30, 2024 Past Events

Dubai skyline Dubai skyline

The world's tallest structure, Burj Khalifa (to the left), dominates Dubai.

The tallest buildings in the world, or the highest-lying structures on Earth, as declared by the international nonprofit Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), which has its headquarters in Chicago. A tall building is defined by the CTBUH as one that is more than 50 meters (165 feet) tall and has 14 stories or more.

Regarding the future of architecture, Jeanne Gang

the creator of Aqua Tower,One of the most well-known modern architects in the world is Jeanne Gang, whose works include the St. Regis Chicago and the Lincoln Park Nature Boardwalk.

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The confluence of multiple technological and societal advancements led to the rise of towering structures in the late 1700s. These advancements included the 1857 installation of the nation's first safe passenger elevator (in the Haughwout Department Store in New York City), the development of the Bessemer process—which was first employed in the 1860s and led to the significant advancement in skyscraper construction—and the utilization of a framework made of wrought iron and cast iron to support the weight of upper floors. Because steel is lighter and stronger than iron, using a steelframe allowed for the construction of genuinely towering structures. Buildings that are at least 14 stories tall were made possible by further advancements in engineering, materials, and other technology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. For example, the engineers of the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, used a buttressed core, which is a type of concrete spine that goes through a whole structure.