Global Tallest Buildings by Height and Completion
The definition of a supertall skyscraper is a building over 300 meters tall. The current tallest building in the world is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, standing at 828 meters, a record it has held since its completion in 2010. The second-tallest is the Merdeka 118 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, at 678.9 meters, which was completed in 2023 and is the second-tallest building in the world by architectural height according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) CTBUH.
The Shanghai Tower in China, completed in 2015, is the third-tallest building globally at 632 meters. It is also the tallest building in China and the world's tallest twisting tower. The list of the 10 tallest buildings is dominated by China and the United Arab Emirates, with these two countries accounting for the majority of supertall skyscrapers completed in the last decade.
Construction Costs and Developers
The cost of building a supertall skyscraper varies dramatically based on location, materials, and design complexity. The Burj Khalifa's total construction cost was approximately $1.5 billion. The Merdeka 118, developed by the Malaysian conglomerate IJM Corporation and designed by Fender Katsalidis Architects, had an estimated cost of $1.5 billion USD.
The Jeddah Tower in Saudi Arabia, which is currently on hold, was planned to be the first building to exceed 1,000 meters, with an estimated cost exceeding $1.23 billion. The primary developer for this project is the Saudi Arabian firm Kingdom Holding Company, chaired by Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.
Engineering and Design Innovations
Wind Engineering and Structural Systems
Wind loads are the primary structural challenge for supertall buildings. The Shanghai Tower uses a twisting, asymmetrical form that reduces wind loads by 24% compared to a conventional rectangular tower. Its double-skin facade and tuned mass damper system are key engineering innovations that allow it to withstand typhoon-force winds.
The Burj Khalifa uses a buttressed core structural system, where the wings of the building buttress the central core, providing stability against lateral forces. This design was inspired by the Hymenocallis flower and was critical to achieving its record height without excessive material use.
Sustainable Design in Supertalls
Modern supertall skyscrapers increasingly integrate sustainable design features. The Shanghai Tower is a LEED Platinum certified building and features 270 wind turbines integrated into its crown and a double-layered glass facade that reduces heating and cooling loads.
The Salesforce Tower in San Francisco, completed in 2018, uses a high-performance curtain wall system and a water-based cooling system to reduce energy consumption. It is the tallest building in San Francisco at 326 meters and was developed by Hines for Salesforce, the cloud computing company.
Future Pipeline and Upcoming Projects
The next generation of supertall buildings is planned for Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. The Lina Lazzari Tower in Jeddah is proposed to be 1,000 meters tall, and the Dubai Creek Tower, designed by Santiago Calatrava, was planned to exceed the Burj Khalifa but its construction status remains uncertain.
In the United States, the 111 West 57th Street in New York City, also known as Steinway Tower, is the world