Malaysia was the first country to break the United States' record of constructing the tallest buildings in the world when the Petronas Towers were completed in 1998. After just over a century (1885–1998), the distinction moved to the Eastern Hemisphere. For the next hundred years, the world's tallest building was always in the United States, with New York City accumulating 86 years, and Chicago 30 years. The skyscraper was invented in Chicago in 1884 when the Home Insurance Building was constructed using a steel frame with curtain walls instead of load-bearing walls. Similarly, the Eiffel Tower was the world's tallest structure from 1889, when it was built, but not the tallest building. For thousands of years, the Great Pyramid in Egypt was the tallest structure in the world until Lincoln Cathedral of 1311, but the Great Pyramid is not considered a building since it is not habitable. For instance, the Lighthouse of Alexandria (completed about 280 BC) has been estimated to have been 100 m (330 ft) tall, but its true height is not known. Before the 13th century, the tallest buildings in the world cannot be conclusively determined. 13, the tallest buildings and structures were mostly Christian churches and cathedrals. The title of " world's tallest building" has been borne by various buildings, such as the 3rd-century Jetavanaramaya stupa, Lincoln Cathedral, the Empire State Building and the original World Trade Center.īefore the modern skyscraper era, between c. The tallest building in the world, as of 2022, is the Burj Khalifa. The Burj Khalifa has been classified as Megatall. The 828 m (2,717 ft) tall Burj Khalifa in Dubai has been the tallest building since 2008.