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Until the mid-20th century, the record for the world's tallest structure was relatively clearly-defined (see Table Below .) Since that time, however, more debate and confusion has been present over the criteria and definitions involved. In terms of absolute height, most of the tallest structures are the dozens of radio and television broadcasting towers that are around 600 meters (2000 feet) tall. CONTESTED CRITERIA Tall-structure enthusiasts debate:
TALLEST STRUCTURES Tallest Structure by Category The tallest currently standing structure, including those structures which are partially under water, is the Mars Platform in the Gulf Of Mexico , at 990.6 m (3,250 ft). It is a Tension-leg Platform , meaning that it consists of a deck located atop a hull which is connected to pontoons located far below the water surface, which provide buoyancy support. The structure is connected to foundation piles on the sea floor by rigid tendons, which are analogous to guy-wires. As this Oil and Natural Gas platform is partially supported by Buoyancy , some critics argue that the below-water height should not be counted, in the same manner as the underground 'height' of buildings is not taken into account.
The tallest currently standing structure on land is the KVLY-TV Mast near Mayville , North Dakota , at 629 m (2,063 ft). It is a transmission antenna, consisting of a bare Metal structure supported by guy-wires. The Warsaw Radio Mast at Gabin - Konstantynow near Warsaw , Poland at 645 m (2,115 ft) was taller, but it collapsed on August 8 , 1991 . Masts such as these are generally not considered 'tall buildings', primarily because they are not self-supporting. They require guy wires to remain upright. For greater detail on communication masts, see either List Of The World's Tallest Structures , List Of Masts , or Table Of Masts . The Petronius Platform stands 610 m (2,001 ft) tall, making it the tallest freestanding structure in the world. The CN Tower in Toronto stands at 553.33 m (1,815 ft) tall, and it is the tallest freestanding structure above ground. The tallest tower built of lattice steel is Kiev TV Tower with a height of 386 metres. Built in 1934 and demolished in 1945, the tallest tower ever built of wood was the 190 metre high radio tower of the Transmitter Mühlacker in Germany. The tallest tower built of wood is currently the transmission tower of the Transmitter Gliwice in Poland at 118 meters. WAY OF COMPARISON There are two ways of comparison, the CTBUH way (explained later in this article) and the AA Skyscraper way. All About Skyscrapers (AA Skyscrapers) divided the comparison of structures into seven different categories. TALLEST BUILDINGS Category 4]] Up until 1998 the tallest building status was essentially uncontested. Counting buildings as structures with floors throughout, New York City 's World Trade Center was the tallest including the antennas, Sears Tower in Chicago excluding the antennas. As antennas were usually excluded, Sears Tower was counted as the tallest. When Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia was built, some felt that the "spire" extending to 9 meters higher than the roof of the Sears Tower was just added to "cheat" its way into the spot as tallest building. Excluding the spire, the Petronas Towers were not taller than the Sears Tower. Therefore, before the Petronas Towers were completed, the Council On Tall Buildings And Urban Habitat defined four categories in which the "world's tallest building" can be measured: # Height to the structural or architectural top (including Spire s and pinnacles, but not antennas, masts or flagpoles) # Height to the highest occupied floor # Height to the top of the roof # Height to the top of antenna The height is measured from the sidewalk level of the main entrance. In all of these categories, Sears Tower had held the top spot. After Petronas was built, Sears Tower became second in the first category only. On April 20 , 2004 , the Taipei 101 in Taipei , Taiwan was completed. Its completion gave it the record for the first three categories. in Moscow has been the tallest free-standing structure in Eurasia since 1967 .]] Today, the Taipei 101 leads in the first category with 508 m (1,667 ft); in the second category with an occupied floor at 438 m (1,437 ft); and in the third category with 448 m (1,470 ft). The first category was formerly held by the Petronas Twin Towers with 452 m (1,483 ft), and before that by Sears Tower with 443 m (1,448 ft). The second category was held by the Sears Tower, with 435 m (1,431 ft). The third category was formerly held by the Sears Tower with 442 m (1,445 ft). The Sears Tower still leads in the fourth category with 527 m (1,730 ft), previously held by the World Trade Center until the extension of the Chicago tower's western broadcast antenna in 2000, over a year prior to the Trade Center's Destruction in 2001. Its antenna included, 1 World Trade Center measured 526 m (1,727 ft). The World Trade Center became the world's tallest buildings to be demolished–indeed, its site entered the record books twice on September 11 , 2001 , in that category, replacing the Singer Building , which once stood a block from the WTC site. The Ostankino Tower and the CN Tower are excluded from these categories because they are not "habitable buildings", which are defined as frame structures made with floors and walls throughout. History of Record Holders in each CTBUH category TALLEST STRUCTURES IN WORLD HISTORY CURRENTLY-STANDING TALLEST SKYSCRAPERS Note that this list, with the exception of the comparison section, is limited to a certain type of structure, and is characterized by a very specific type of height measurement. Most of the tallest structures in the world are guyed broadcasting towers. The structures on this list are ''not'' sorted by the absolute highest point on the building, due to the nature of the skyscrapers. 1 Height for inhabited buildings (with stories) does not include TV towers and antennas. 2 The tallest tower in the Southern Hemisphere. ''Source: Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat.'' PROPOSED RECORD-BREAKING STRUCTURES In 1956 , Frank Lloyd Wright proposed a structure known as The Illinois , which would have been one mile (1609 m) high. This structure was considered by many both technically impossible and wholly unneeded. Since that time some 4000 ft (1220 m) tall or higher skyscrapers or pyramids have been proposed as population pressures have seemed to indicate a need for them, but as of now, no structure approaching the height of The Illinois is past a planning stage. (See X-Seed 4000 , Sky City 1000 and Pyramid City ) The UK architectural firm, Eric Kuhne and Associates, based in London, is in very serious and confidential talks with the Kuwaiti Government about building a 1,001 meter tall Mubarak Al-Kabir Tower in the newly-approved 150-billion-dollar Madinat al-Hareer development, which would include the construction of a new Olympic city and stadium. On March 30, 2006, Kuwaiti newspapers released images Mubarak al-Kabir Tower of the new Madinat Al-Hareer (or "City of Silk") development, to be located north of Kuwait Bay and connected to Kuwait City by a bridge. The development will feature the Mubarak Tower, the world's tallest at 1001 meters, along with a new international airport, hotels, resorts, residences, and an Olympic City. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in the next five to seven years, with the entire project taking twenty-five years to complete. The expected cost of the project is twenty-five billion Kuwaiti dinars (over seventy-five billion U.S. dollars). The proposed Solar Chimney referred to as Solar Tower Buronga in Buronga , New South Wales , Australia would be 1,000 m (3,281 ft) tall. Engineering feasibility has been demonstrated to the satisfaction of consulting engineers, and construction is a matter of financial viability. The 492 m (1,614 ft; roof height) Shanghai World Financial Centre in Shanghai , China has proposed completion in 2007, but has been delayed by evaluation of soil stability. A competing on-going project for the world's tallest is the 490 m (1,608 ft) Union Square Phase 7 in Hong Kong , also scheduled for completion in 2007. This would make either building the tallest under categories 2 and 3 by the CTBUH. The Freedom Tower of the new World Trade Center in New York City will reach 1,776 ft (541.3 metres) to its spire and about 1,368 ft (416.9 metres) to its roof once completed in 2011 . The cornerstone was laid on July 4 , 2004. The Al Burj and the Burj Dubai are Skyscraper s currently under development in Dubai , United Arab Emirates . The final heights for both are unknown, but both will be at least 700 meters (2,296 feet). The Burj Dubai is designed to be completed around 2008 , which would put it at the number one spot in all four of CTBUH's categories, as well as make it the tallest free-standing manmade structure above ground. The new Guangdong TV Tower at Guangzhou , China may also become one of the world's tallest structures. There are some plans for a 609.6 metre high free-standing TV tower at Bayonne, New Jersey . Serious thought and design work has been invested in a concept called the Space Elevator , which could conceivably extend from ground level to well past Geosynchronous Orbit ; a height of 100,000 km, although the current state-of-the-art in technology cannot produce the materials needed for such an engineering feat. If built, it would shatter the current record for the tallest structure by a factor of almost 200,000. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2006 on the Strait Of Messina Bridge , When completed the bridge will be the Largest Suspension Bridge as well as the tallest. The height of the two towers will be 382.6 metres, taller than the current record holder, the Millau Viaduct in France (341 metres). PROPOSED TALL STRUCTURES Tallest Structure by Category Radio masts taller than 600 metres Towers/Skyscrapers
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