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 ...
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 ...
s,
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 ...
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 design ...
desc bottom-left
Timeline of tallest towers
See also
*
Lattice tower
A lattice tower or truss tower is a freestanding vertical framework tower. This construction is widely used in transmission towers carrying high voltage electric power lines, in radio masts and towers (a self-radiating tower or as a support for a ...
*
Partially guyed tower
A guyed mast or guyed tower is a tall thin vertical structure that depends on guy lines (diagonal tensioned cables attached to the ground) for stability. The mast itself has the compressive strength to support its own weight, but does not h ...
List of tallest church buildings
This list of tallest church buildings ranks Church (building), church buildings by height. From the Middle Ages until the advent of the skyscraper, Christian church buildings were often the History of the world's tallest buildings, world's tall ...
*
List of tallest crosses
List of tallest crosses in the world (minimum height 20 metres).
List
Planned projects
* Monterrey cross, Monterrey, Mexico, 160 m, announced in 2022
* Cross of Blaszki, Poland, 100 m, announced in 2018
* Kraljevo Cross, Kraljevo, Serbia, ...
*
List of fire lookout towers
This is a list of notable fire lookout towers and stations, including complexes of associated buildings and structures. This includes lookout cabins without towers which are perched high and do not require further elevation to serve for their purpo ...
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 ...