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.
The cost of employing people remains a concern.
Code of Practice for Electrical Energy Storage Systems.
ECA calls on members to comment on draft 4th edition.
Bringing together expertise and creating cultural benefits.
CIOB celebrates positive Ofsted report.
The Building Safety Regulator announces a call for evidence.
Government approach could undermine delivery and regeneration.
World's first mass timber data centre.
The overlooked environmental aspect of data centre development.
Introduction to radon awareness
New technical information sheet published by CIOB.
Updated supplier guide can help electrical contractors engage with NHP.
CIAT confirm the winners of the 2026 architectural technology awards.
Government launches a one stop shop for flood preparedness.
Sir Edwin Lutyens: Britain's greatest architect? Book review.
















