Megatall
The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) defines a ‘megatall’ building as one that is more than 600 m (1,968 ft) in height. This classification exceeds ‘supertall’ buildings which are those exceeding 300 m (984 ft) in height.
The widely recognised CTBUH criteria for determining the height of a building is the ‘…lowest, significant, open-air, pedestrian entrance to the architectural top of the building, including spires, but not including antennae, signage, flagpoles or other functional-technical equipment.’
As of February 2016, only three megatall buildings had been completed:
- The Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
- Shanghai Tower in Shanghai.
- Makkah Royal Clock Tower in Mecca.
As the CTBUH has said, this is the ‘era of the megatall’. They estimate that the number of buildings classified as megatall will have risen to seven by 2020 with the following projects having been completed:
- Ping An Finance Centre, Shenzhen.
- Greenland Center, Wuhan.
- Signature Tower, Jakarta.
- Kingdom Tower, Jeddah.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- 7 Engineering Wonders of the World.
- Buildings of a very great height ITGH.
- CN Tower.
- Core.
- Fire risk in high-rise and super high-rise buildings DG 533.
- Groundscraper.
- High-rise building.
- Megacity.
- Megastructure.
- Multi-storey structure.
- Skyscraper.
- Storey.
- Supertall.
- Super-slender.
- Tall building.
- Tallest buildings in the world.
- The history of fabric structures.
- The Mile.
- Tower.
- Twisting buildings.
- Types of building.
[edit] External references
- CTBUH - The Tallest 20 in 2020
- Dezeen - Megatall skyscraper era
Featured articles
Check out some of the best features and news from Designing Buildings as well as key stories from around the web.
National Planning Policy Framework
Understanding the 2026 changes.
ECA's public affairs priorities
Member consultation opens to shape priorities for 2027 to 2030.
Dutyholder responsibilities from 1 July 2026.
Where performance meets practice
The Building Envelope Stage at UKCW Birmingham.
CIAT publishes briefing on planning reforms.
Leaders in Learning for Practice Network
Call for conservation leaders in learning to register interest in new network.
The importance of early engagement
Construction lessons from the Trillium HealthWorks Experience Centre.
Mayors are to be given planning call in powers
Mayors across England will be able to make the most important planning decisions.
The Master Builder: William Butterfield and his times. Book review.
Why construction can't afford to ignore the skills gap.
Building Safety Regulator, 19 August
Gill Kernick appointed Independent Chair of Residents’ Panel.
Connecting knowledge, technology and conservation
Building competence for the future of built heritage.

















