The tallest buildings in the world (for now)

The Trump Tower is a recent addition to the Chicago skyline and enjoys a prime riverfront location right on Michigan Avenue. The mostly residential and hotel-dedicated skyscraper offers amazing views and, before plans were scaled back, was at one point slotted to become the world’s tallest building.

This building actually has the highest roof in New York City, but it doesn’t have a spire like the Empire State Building and One World Trade Center. The tower has 88 aboveground floors, 104 condominium units and the title of “tallest residential building in the world.”

But 432 Park building’s run as tallest residential building will be short-lived, as Dubai’s Marina 101, the fifth building from the left, will take over once people actually move in. (New York will get the title back once the Central Park Tower is completed.) It’s been topped out; the 30-plus-story Hard Rock Hotel and luxury residences are being installed now.

Like Marina 101, Wuhan Center is topped out but not yet occupied. Set near both a lake and the Yangzhi River. Its sustainable design signals a growing focus on reducing pollution in China.

The Willis Tower was for years the tallest building in the world and known as the Sears Tower. No more, but it’s still the second-tallest in America and an icon of Chicago’s epic skyline.

This spired tower was built specifically to withstand strong earthquakes. It has what resemble sections and looks a bit like some Tetris pieces stacked together. The tower is home to the InterContinental Nanjing.

The majestic skyscrapers ooze a distinctly Malaysian design and are connected by a two-story skybridge a full 558 feet above the ground. The towers provide office space and feature a large shopping mall below them.

The tallest building in one of the world’s most stunning skylines, the ICC has towered over Hong Kong since 2010. It’s far more than an office building: It hosts a shopping mall, a 101^st-floor restaurant and the highest hotel in the world: Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong.

According to The Skyscraper Center, the tower was “shaped by the intersection of two sweeping arcs and a square prism — shapes representing ancient Chinese symbols of heaven and earth, respectively.” The tower also hosts the world’s second-highest hotel, the Park Hyatt Shanghai.

This Taiwanese tower was the tallest building in the world upon its completion in 2004. Taipei 101 and the surrounding area put on a dazzling display every New Year’s, and it is the tallest green building in the world (meaning it received LEED Platinum Certification).

The number 1,776 is no coincidence; built to symbolize freedom and resilience, One World Trade Center even stands at a patriotic height. With its spire, it stands as the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.

This brand new skyscraper towers high over South Korea’s capital and hosts a wide variety of tenants, ranging from movie theaters to an “officetel,” a mixed residential and commercial zone where people can both work and live.

This new stainless steel beauty evokes the classic streamlined-and-spired skyscraper look. It gives Shenzhen the second-tallest building in China.

Also known as the Makkah Royal Clock Tower, this majestic work of architecture rises up in Islam’s holy city of Mecca, within walking distance of the Grand Mosque. The Abraj Al-Bait complex features several towers to house the thousands of pilgrims who flock to the city. The clock tower is the highest of them and displays the four largest and highest clock facades in the world.

The second-tallest building in the world and the second to break the incredible 2,000-foot barrier. It’s a smooth, swirly, eco-friendly building and completes a trio of Shanghai towers on this list. It’s been called a “vertical city,” complete with indoor gardens in addition to its variety of commercial, retail and hotel space.

Almost 700 feet taller than its closest competitor, the Burj Khalifa pierces the clouds and incorporates design influenced by the desert flower Hymenocallis and Islamic architecture. It houses the world’s highest nightclub, the world’s highest restaurant and the world’s highest observation deck.