I don’t remember exactly why I found myself looking up Moscow’s Ostankino Tower, a 1772 ft (540 m) tall radio-television tower. Compared to the world’s tallest buildings, it’s taller than all the greats: the Taipei 101, the Sears Tower, Empire State Building, though some people keep towers — even those with observation platforms — in a category separate from skyscrapers.

So what’s a tower enthusiast to do? Go take a look at the World Federation of Great Towers (also at Wikipedia). That’s how I found the Olympic Tower, in Montreal.

The Federation makes no distinction between towers and skyscrapers. Well, actually, there are some distinctions. Here’s their membership criteria:

• Structures must have the shape of a tower
• Structures must be symbolic of tourism in the town or country where they are situated
• Structures must have an Observation or Viewing Deck, with the purpose of receiving tourists at the Tower
• The construction of the tower must be completed and the tower open and functioning as an observatory/public venue

Oh, there’s a $1500 annual membership fee. And, yeah, there are a few conspicuous absences. It’s not clear if they don’t meet the criteria, or if they just don’t pay, but you won’t find Petronas Towers, or Sears, or a lot of others in the in the list. So back to Wikipedia for their list of the world’s tallest structures, including radio towers, chimneys, pylons, minarets, oil platforms, silos, buildings in-progress, and skyscrapers that aren’t eligible for World Federation of Great Towers.

But as great and tall as all these things may be, they still have nothing on our Warren Rocket.

tags: broadcast tower, empire state building, great towers, kvly-tv mast, moscow, ostankino tower, oylmpic tower, radio television tower, russia, sears tower, taipei 101, tallest, tallest structures, tallest towers, world federation of great towers, world record, world’s tallest

Zach likes tall buildings. Perhaps it relates to his superhero obsession (leap giant buildings in a single bound and all), but it’s undeniable that he likes them.

Here, he gushes about the details of what makes a tall building and how it is measured. Judging can be to the top of the highest occupied floor, top of the roof, architectural top (including spires), and top of mast or antenna. Of course, the building must be freestanding and habitable too.

What counts? Taipei 101 wins everything but the “top of antenna” prize, which goes to the Sears Tower. The Petronas Towers are second tallest in most books, with the Empire State Building and Jin Mao Building rounding things out. What doesn’t count are the KVLY-TV tower (2063 ft tall), the Petronius offshore oil platform (2001 ft, including underwater structure), and the Canadian National Tower (1815 ft).

Ahh, just read Zach’s story to understand why or why not and what might be.

Related books: Building Big and Unbuilding by David Macaulay, Skyscrapers, and Devil in the White City (for a picture of how architecture and society were both changing during the birth of skyscrapers).

tags: canadian national tower, empire state building, jin mao building, kvly tv tower, offshore oil platform, petronas towers, sears tower, taipei 101, tall buildings, tallest building