25 Tallest Man-Made Structures That Show Our Ingenuity

Posted by , Updated on March 22, 2024

Do you know what the tallest man-made structure is in your city? How about the world? As humans we are always looking for ways to push our boundaries and construction is no exception. You won’t believe how high we have been able to build things from bridges to sky scrapers. A quick note before we continue however. To compile this list we took the tallest structure from a number of categories including spheres, monuments, radio towers, and lighthouses. They are assembled in order of height but keep in mind that these categories are arbitrary. Yes, the Eiffel Tower is taller than the Jeddah Light but the former is an iron lattice tower and the latter is a lighthouse. Because the Kiev TV Tower is taller than the Eiffel Tower, this means the Eiffel Tower didn’t make the list. Only the tallest structure from each chosen category is represented. With that said, these are the 25 Tallest Man-Made Structures That Show Our Ingenuity

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25

Tallest Sphere - Ericsson Globe (Sweden)

Tallest Sphere - Ericsson Globe (Sweden)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

Located in Stockholm, the national indoor arena of Sweden doubles as the Sun in the Sweden Solar System, a scaled down replica of the real solar system that covers most of the country. The sphere is 85 meters tall (279 feet).

24

Tallest Lighthouse - Jeddah Light (Saudi Arabia)

Tallest Lighthouse - Jeddah Light (Saudi Arabia)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

With a height of 133 meters (436 feet) the Jeddah light is the tallest lighthouse in the world.

23

Tallest Tomb - Great Pyramid of Giza (Egypt)

Tallest Tomb - Great Pyramid of Giza (Egypt)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

The oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza metropolis, the Great Pyramid is 138.8 meters high (455.2 feet).

22

Tallest Roller Coaster - Kingda Ka (United States)

Tallest Roller Coaster - Kingda Ka (United States)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

Found at Six Flags in New Jersey, at 138.98 meters (456 feet) this roller coaster is not only the tallest in the world but also the second fastest.

21

Tallest Telescope - Arecibo Observatory (United States)

Tallest Telescope - Arecibo Observatory (United States)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

A radio telescope located in Puerto Rico, it is 150 meters high (492 feet).

20

Tallest Memorial Cross - Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos (Spain)

Tallest Memorial Cross - Santa Cruz del Valle de los Caídos (Spain)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

Built to honor those who fell during the Spanish Civil War, this cross is the world’s highest memorial cross at 152.4 meters (500 feet).

19

Tallest Dome - Basilica of Our Lady of Peace (Cote d'Ivoire)

Tallest Dome - Basilica of Our Lady of Peace (Cote d'Ivoire)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

Inspired by the Basilica of Saint Peter in Vatican City, this basilica is also listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest church in the world. The dome is 158 meters high (518 feet).

18

Tallest Industrial Hall - NASA Vehicle Assembly Building (United States)

Tallest Industrial Hall - NASA Vehicle Assembly Building (United States)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

So big that it requires special air conditioning to prevent rain clouds from forming on the inside, the NASA Vehicle Assembly Building is 160 meters high (525 feet).

17

Tallest Ferris Wheel - High Roller (United States)

Tallest Ferris Wheel - High Roller (United States)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

Found on the Las Vegas Strip, the High Roller is the tallest ferris wheel in the world at 167.6 meters (550 feet).

16

Tallest Church - Ulm Minster (Germany)

Tallest Church - Ulm Minster (Germany)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

Located in Ulm, Germany, before the turn of the 20th century it was the 4th tallest building in the world at 161.5 meters (530 feet).

15

Tallest Inclined Structure - Olympic Stadium (Canada)

Tallest Inclined Structure - Olympic Stadium (Canada)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

Although the most famous (unintentionally) inclined tower in the world is the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the Olympic Stadium in Montreal is taller at 175 meters (574 feet).

14

Tallest Masonry Tower - Anaconda Smelter Stack (United States)

Tallest Masonry Tower - Anaconda Smelter Stack (United States)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

While no longer in use, the stack is still standing at 178.3 meters (585 feet) as the tallest masonry tower in the world. This is primarily thanks to efforts of local residents who have petitioned to save it from destruction.

13

Tallest Wooden Structure - ATLAS-I (United States)

Tallest Wooden Structure - ATLAS-I (United States)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

Better known as the Trestle, this wooden structure was a testing apparatus used by the military during the Cold War. Although it is no longer in use it still stands at 180 meters (600 feet).

12

Tallest Water Towers - Kuwait Towers (Kuwait)

Tallest Water Towers - Kuwait Towers (Kuwait)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

The lower sphere on the main tower is the water tank. The primary tower is 187 meters (614 feet) high and the three towers together serve as a symbol of modern Kuwait.

11

Tallest Monument - Gateway Arch (United States)

Tallest Monument - Gateway Arch (United States)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

Built as a symbol of America’s expansion to the west, the arch is 192 meters tall (630 feet).

10

Tallest Research Tower - Obninsk Meteorological Tower (Russia)

Tallest Research Tower - Obninsk Meteorological Tower (Russia)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

At 315 meters (1,034 feet) the Obninsk meteorological tower is the tallest tower in the world built specifically for the purpose of scientific research.

9

Tallest Bridge Pillar - Millau Viaduct (France)

Tallest Bridge Pillar - Millau Viaduct (France)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

Logically, the tallest bridge pillar is found on the tallest bridge in the world. The tallest pillar is 342 meters (1,122 feet).

8

Tallest Partially Guyed Tower - Gerbrandy Tower (Netherlands)

Tallest Partially Guyed Tower - Gerbrandy Tower (Netherlands)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

Since the bottom of the tower is free standing and the top is guyed, the tower falls into the “partially guyed” category. It is 366.8 meters high (1,203 feet) and is used for radio and TV broadcasting.

7

Tallest Lattice Tower - Kiev TV Tower (Ukraine)

Tallest Lattice Tower - Kiev TV Tower (Ukraine)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

Used for radio and TV broadcasting this is the tallest freestanding lattice steel construction in the world. It is 385 meters high (1,263 feet).

6

Tallest Radar Tower - Dimona Radar Facility (Israel)

Tallest Radar Tower - Dimona Radar Facility (Israel)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

Although located in Israel, these radio towers are owned by the United States government and track ballistic missiles through space in order to intercept them. They are 400 meters (1,312 feet) tall.

5

Tallest Chimney - Ekibastuz GRES-2 Power Station (Kazakhstan)

Tallest Chimney - Ekibastuz GRES-2 Power Station (Kazakhstan)Source: wikipedia, Image: lahmeyer.de

Referred to as the “cigarette lighter” by locals, this 419.7 meter high (1,377 feet) tower is the tallest chimney ever built.

4

Tallest Twin Towers - Petronas Twin Towers (Malaysia)

Tallest Twin Towers - Petronas Twin Towers (Malaysia)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

A landmark of Kuala Lumpur, these twin towers were also the tallest buildings in the world between 1998 and 2004. They are 452 meters high (1,482 feet).

3

Tallest Radio Mast - KVLY-TV mast (United States)

Tallest Radio Mast - KVLY-TV mast (United States)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

The tallest structure in the world until the Burj Khalifa took over in 2010, this radio mast is 628.8 meters high (2,063 feet).

2

Tallest Self Supporting Tower (not a skyscraper) - Tokyo Skytree (Japan)

Tallest Self Supporting Tower (not a skyscraper) - Tokyo Skytree (Japan)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

A broadcast and observation tower in Tokyo, Japan, the tower has seismic proofing to make it resistant against earthquakes. It is 634 meters (2,080 feet) tall.

1

Tallest Skyscraper - Burj Khalifa (United Arab Emirates)

Tallest Skyscraper - Burj Khalifa (United Arab Emirates)Source: wikipedia, Image: wikipedia

Standing at 829.8 meters (2,722 feet), the Burj Khalifa is currently the tallest man made structure in the world.