Several extant building fulfill the engineering definition of a

tower A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures. Towers are specifi ...

: "a tall human structure, always taller than it is wide, for public or regular operational access by humans, but not for living in or office work, and are ''self-supporting'' or ''free-standing'', which means no

guy-wire A guy-wire, guy-line, guy-rope, or stay, also called simply a guy, is a tensioned cable designed to add stability to a free-standing structure. They are used commonly for ship masts, radio masts, wind turbines, utility poles, and tents. A ...

s for support." This definition excludes continuously habitable

building A building, or edifice, is an enclosed structure with a roof and walls standing more or less permanently in one place, such as a house or factory (although there's also portable buildings). Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and fu ...

s and skyscrapers as well as radio and TV masts. Also excluded because they are not designed for public or regular operational access are bridge towers or pylons,

wind turbine A wind turbine is a device that converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. Hundreds of thousands of large turbines, in installations known as wind farms, now generate over 650 gigawatts of power, with 60 GW added each yea ...

chimneys A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typ ...

transmission tower A transmission tower, also known as an electricity pylon or simply a pylon in British English and as a hydro tower in Canadian English, is a tall structure, usually a steel lattice tower, used to support an overhead power line. In electrical ...

s, sculptures and most large

statues A statue is a free-standing sculpture in which the realistic, full-length figures of persons or animals are carved or cast in a durable material such as wood, metal or stone. Typical statues are life-sized or close to life-size; a sculpture t ...

and

obelisks An obelisk (; from grc, ὀβελίσκος ; diminutive of ''obelos'', " spit, nail, pointed pillar") is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. Originally constructed by An ...

. Towers are most often built to use their height for various purposes, and can stand alone or as part of a larger structure. Some common purposes are for

telecommunications Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than that fe ...

, and as a viewing platform. The

Tokyo Skytree is a broadcasting and observation tower in Sumida, Tokyo. It became the tallest structure in Japan in 2010

Entirely self-supported towers

Towers taller than 250 meters

Towers between 200 and 250 metres tall

Please read the list criteria in the introduction before adding any entry.

Towers between 150 and 200 metres tall

Please read the list criteria in the introduction before adding any entry.

Towers between 100 and 150 metres tall

Please read the list criteria in the introduction before adding any entry.

Towers proposed or under construction

This is a list of towers that are proposed or under construction with a minimum height of 250m

Diagram

Image:Tallest towers in the world.svg, 700px, center, rect 361 86 452 681

CN Tower The CN Tower (french: Tour CN) is a concrete communications and observation tower in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Built on the former Railway Lands, it was completed in 1976. Its name "CN" referred to Canadian National, the railway c ...

rect 57 14 204 701

tokyo sky tree is a broadcasting and observation tower in Sumida, Tokyo. It became the tallest structure in Japan in 2010Canton Tower The Canton Tower (), formally Guangzhou TV Astronomical and Sightseeing Tower (), is a -tall multipurpose observation tower in the Haizhu District of Guangzhou ( alternatively romanized as ''Canton''). The tower was topped out in 2009 and it ...

rect 480 110 598 689 Ostankino Tower rect 635 181 822 687

Oriental Pearl Tower The Oriental Pearl Radio & Television Tower () is a TV tower in Shanghai. Its location at the tip of Lujiazui in the Pudong New Area by the side of Huangpu River, opposite The Bund, makes it a distinct landmark in the area. Its principal desi ...

desc bottom-left

Timeline of tallest towers

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tallest Towers In The World *Tallest

Towers A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures. Towers are specific ...

Lists of construction records

Entirely self-supported towers

Towers taller than 250 meters

Towers between 200 and 250 metres tall

Towers between 150 and 200 metres tall

Towers between 100 and 150 metres tall

Towers proposed or under construction

Diagram

Timeline of tallest towers

See also

References