As of March 2011, the Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai is the world's tallest building. It stands at 2,716 1/2 feet in height with 160 stories. Unlike some of the buildings that have previously held the world record, Burj Khalifa is also the tallest freestanding structure. The building took six years to build with construction starting in January of 2004 with the opening ceremony taking place in January 2010. It was in July of 2007 that Burj Khalifa achieved its first record, becoming the world's tallest building before even being finished.
The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, as of March 2011 are recognized as the tallest twin towers in the world. Standing at 1,483 feet in height, with about 88 floors, the towers have a sky bridge connecting them, which is 557 feet above street level. Ground was broken on the project in March of 1993 and the official opening ceremony took place on August 31, 1999. The towers were also officially the tallest building in the world until 2004 when the Taipei 101 skyscraper took that record away from them.
In the world of skyscrapers, the Empire State might not be a giant anymore, but it is certainly well known. Construction started on the building on January 22, 1930 and took just 1 year and 45 days to complete. The building stands at 1,454 feet in height, has 102 floors and cost almost $41 million to build. It held the world record as tallest building all the way until 1973 when the World Trade Center towers took the title. Aside from its status as a skyscraper, the Empire State is famous for being featured in movies and TV shows for decades.
With all the impressive reasons why a skyscraper can be famous, one, in particular, is notable for a very tragic reason. The World Trade Center towers stood at 1,368 and 1,362 feet in height and graced the New York skyline for 28 years. Completed in 1973, they stood as the tallest buildings in the world until 1974 and the highest twin towers until 1999. Those achievements alone are enough to make them world renowned, but the towers will forever be remembered for their destruction. Both towers were destroyed on September 11, 2001 in a tragic terrorist attack that took a shocking toll on human life.
