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Oh how we've grown! The first highrises (100+ metres) appeared in New York City in the late 1890s, and tall building construction has continued to reach higher and further afield. Now that the first kilometre-high building is rising in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, we thought we'd take a look at the tallest building constructed in each decade since the turn of the last century.
1900s - Metropolitan Life Tower in New York City (1909)
At 213.4 metres and 50 storeys, this tower was the first and only skyrise (200+ metres) constructed before 1910. Designed by Napoleon LeBrun & Sons, the Metropolitan Life Tower led the way for skyscraper construction in New York City.
1910s - Woolworth Building in New York City (1913)
Cass Gilbert's Woolworth Building became New York's second skyrise at 241.4 metres and 57 storeys. Three other skyscrapers were built in the city around the same time, but then development slowed down with the onset of the First World War.
1920s - Terminal Tower in Cleveland (1928)
This tower from Graham, Anderson, Probst & White takes us outside New York City - although this might be explained by the 60 highrises, skyrises and even supertalls that were completed in the city during the early 1930s. At 215.8 metres and 52 storeys, Terminal Tower remained Cleveland's tallest building until the 288.6-metre Key Tower was finished in 1991.
1930s - Empire State Building in New York City (1931)
The iconic Empire State Building topped off at 381 metres and 102 floors shortly after the onset of the Great Depression. Architects Shreve, Lamb & Harmon Associates would hold the distinction of designing the world's tallest building for decades to come.
1940s - Altino Arantes Building in São Paulo (1947)
Not only does this building take us outside of the United States for the first time, it was built during a decade when the lasting impact of the Depression along with World War II meant that not a single skyscraper was completed in New York City. At 161 metres and 36 floors, Plinio Botelho do Amaral's São Paulo design became South America's first skyscraper.
1950s - MV Lomonosov State University in Moscow (1953)
You can really see the influence of the Cold War during this decade, when five new skyscrapers were constructed in Moscow. Soviet architect Lev Vladimirovitch Rudnev played an active role in this construction boom, and is now best known for the 239-metre, 39-storey main building of Moscow State University.
1960s - John Hancock Center in Chicago (1969)
The swinging sixties bring us back to the United States, where the architects and engineers at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM) were beginning their domination of the Chicago skyline. When the 343.7-metre, 100-storey John Hancock Center was completed, it was the tallest building in Chicago and the first supertall outside of New York City.
1970s - Willis Tower in Chicago (1974)
The Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower), was the first building to pass 400 metres and remained the tallest building in the world for over two decades. To reach 442.1 metres and 108 storeys, SOM developed the bundled tube structural system using nine distinct components that are structurally and visually distinct.
1980s - The Franklin Center (North Tower) in Chicago (1989)
Despite the switch to postmodernism, SOM is once again responsible for this decade's tallest building. The north tower of the Franklin Center in Chicago rises to 306.9 metres and 60 storeys.
1990s - Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur (1998)
César Pelli's (Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects) Petronas Towers take this list to the other side of the globe. At 451.9 metres and 88 storeys, these Kuala Lumpur towers were the first buildings outside of the United States to become the world's tallest.
2000s - TAIPEI 101 in Taipei (2004)
As the first tower to cross 500 metres, TAIPEI 101 quickly stole the title of world's tallest building. While heights have been steadily rising, you'll notice that this 101-storey building in Taipei from C.Y. Lee & Partners has one less occupiable floor than the Empire State Building.
2010s - Burj Khalifa in Dubai (2010)
Our old friends at SOM are breaking records again, using the bundled tube structural system from the Willis Tower in the 828-metre, 163-storey Burj Khalifa. This Dubai megatall is currently the tallest in the world, although it is projected to be dethroned by the 1000-metre Kingdom Tower in 2018.
Our skylines have been shaped by influences as varied as world events, setback legislation, and the strict architectural doctrine of Mies van der Rohe. What stands out to you about the tallest buildings in each decade? Let us know in the comments.
