The World’s Tallest Buildings at True Scale (2026 Comparison)

How tall can we build? This animated comparison puts 13 of the world's tallest buildings side by side at true relative scale, from London's Shard (309.6 m) to Dubai's Burj Khalifa (828 m), with facts about how each was designed and built. All heights are architectural heights as defined by the CTBUH (Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat). Antennas are not counted. 0:00 How tall can we build? 1:10 How height is measured 1:44 Ch 1 – The First Giants 4:32 Ch 2 – Engineering Beyond Limits 10:16 Ch 3 – The Megatall Era 13:02 Ch 4 – The Tallest Building on Earth 15:26 Bonus – Tokyo Skytree & Jeddah Tower 16:58 Final comparison