Skyscraper Height

Tallest building council meets Friday - chicagotribune.com

The horse is already out of the barn.

Spires are now accepted, if they meet certain requirements.

So long as the spire isn't supported by a skyhook?

Well it would seem that if one building is taller than the next then you would have a higher viewpoint.....so the building with the highest occupied floor gets my vote....after all if a shorter person than you walks by with a high hat on, does he get credit for being taller....?

I always thought that the tallest skyscraper in the US should be the Republic Plaza in Denver Colorado. The first floor of this building is about 5,280 feet above sea level. The 714 additional feet of this building puts the roof at almost 6,000 feet above sea level.

If that is the criteria then can we consider buildings like this as global a contender

I tracked this place thrice so far. its about 13000 ft High from see level.

Tallest man in the world....? Well ya got that guy at the space station....

Yeah, but the space station is out of this world.

Flagstaffs NAU dorm buildings are concidered skyscrapers at 10 stories. The elevation over sea level is 7200 feet making them taller than Denver's Republic Plaza. Maybe Denver could try again. LOL

NPR had a report on this between New York and Chicago. An antenna is not part of the measurement because it is considered not part of the architecture of the building where as a spire is considered because it is like the new world trade center in NYC. I think the rules that are used are just fine. Go NY.

'theres a current debate on which American skyscraper holds the title of tallest... ...what do you think?'

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I think that, regardless of how current or widespread the related debate might be, it remains a trick question. No American skyscraper holds the title of tallest.

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The Burj Khalifa holds the title of tallest and it is not in the United States, nor in all of North and South America (as an aside, has any one else unwittingly rattled the bees hive by referring to US citizens as 'Americans' while speaking to someone from South America?)

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If we decide to utilize special inclusion/exclusion zones so that there is no longer just one 'tallest', allowing many buildings can have the title of tallest, why limit this magnanimous gesture? Just finish what you have started, and go all the way. Any building may be rightfully titled as the tallest building within the confines of its perimeter.

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I guess I can see the appeal... the 'there are no losers, you are all winners' initiative for child rearing/education has had such wonderful results.... why not let buildings in on the good times as well.

This is precisely why I interpreted the unstated rules to make a claim that Denver's Republic Plaza should be considered the tallest. This is a debate just for a silly brag. All of these buildings are impressive structures worthy of great pride by the builders and occupants. Particularly the structure in Chopta. It looks like it was made with pure muscle power. I suspect that it is also the oldest structure in this discussion, too.

The Meyer-Womble Observatory would be a stronger contender. The elevation above sea level of it's top floor is more than double that of top floor in Denver's Republic Plaza.

By definition isn't that a sky looker and not a skyscraper.

I wonder if they succeeded in their repairs this summer?

Mount Everest is tallest in the world..

Nah. When measuring the actual structure and not just where it is located, there are others that best Mount Everest.

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Measuring from base to peak, Mauna Kea is far taller.

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Measuring from the center of the Earth, Chimborazo volcano is the tallest.

you cant start under water

So if Mount Everest is completely covered in ice and snow....it ceases to be the tallest or even tall at all?

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What is the peculiar fixation on that continually moving yardstick? What about other fluids? What about the water in the atmosphere?

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It seems kind of silly to measure a mountain from the average level of fluids sloshing around it.

and here I thought Everest was a mountain all this time

I tend to agree with you Fredski, I would take it one farther and say to be counted it has to be an enclosed floor. not just an "observation platform".

More importantly, The 1 WTC was not designed to be the tallest, that whole spire thing came about because of Mayor Bloomberg and wanting the title of tallest back in New York by any means possible. (of course it would help if they would quit renaming it)

The heights of the Freedom tower are symbolic and should be left that way to stand for what they were intended to respresent and not someones ego vainglory need.

good points

It's official: World Trade Center is USA's tallest building