top ten world architecture

architecture- tallest thru history

For a more complete list, see Top Ten World Architecture

Red Pyramid of Sneferu, Egypt c. 2600 BC

Tallest c. 2600 BC-c. 2570 BC 105 meters (345 ft)

architect	unknown
location	Dahshur
date	2600 BC (during the reign of Old Kingdom Pharaoh Sneferu)
style	Ancient Egyptian
construction	Tallest c. 2600 BC-c. 2570 BC 105 meters (345 ft)
type	Temple Tomb, Mausoleum

The Red Pyramid, named for the light crimson hue of its exposed granite surface, is the largest of the three major pyramids located at the Dahshur necropolis, and the third largest Egyptian pyramid, after those of Khufu and Khafre at Giza. At the time of its completion, it was the tallest man-made structure in the world. It is also believed to be the world's first successful attempt at constructing a "true" smooth-sided pyramid.
The Red Pyramid was not always red. It used to be cased with white Tura limestone, but only a few of these now remain at the pyramid's base on the corner. During the Middle Ages much of white Tura limestone was taken for buildings in Cairo, revealing the reddish pinkish limestone.

The Great Pyramid at Giza, Egypt c. 2570 BC

Tallest c. 2570 BC-c. AD 1300 146 meters (481 ft)

architect	unknown
location	El Giza, Egypt
date	-2600 to -2480
style	Ancient Egyptian
construction	stone Height Roof 138.8 m, 455.2 ft (Formerly height: 146.6 m, 480.9 ft)
type	Tomb

The ancient Egyptians built pyramids as tombs for the pharaohs and their queens. The pharaohs were buried in pyramids of many different shapes and sizes from before the beginning of the Old Kingdom to the end of the Middle Kingdom.

There are about eighty pyramids known today from ancient Egypt. The three largest and best-preserved of these were built at Giza at the beginning of the Old Kingdom. The most well-known of these pyramids was built for the pharaoh Khufu. It is known as the 'Great Pyramid'.

Lincoln Cathedral, England 1092–1311

Tallest c. 1300-1549 160 meters (525 ft)

architect	various
location	Lincoln, England
date	1092-1311
style	Central nave built in the Early English Gothic style. The chapels next to the Angel Choir were built in the Perpendicular style, with an emphasis on strong vertical lines, which survive today in the window tracery and wall panelling. The west front is Norman.
construction	Lincoln Cathedral was the world's tallest building from ~1300 to 1549. Height Antenna/Spire Original: 160 m (525 ft.) Current: 82.6 m (271 ft.)
type	Church

Lincoln Cathedral (in full The Cathedral Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lincoln, or sometimes St. Mary's Cathedral) is a historic cathedral in Lincoln in England and seat of the Diocese of Lincoln in the Church of England. It was the tallest building in the world for over 200 years (1300-1549), but the central spire collapsed in the sixteenth century and was not rebuilt. It is highly regarded by architectural scholars; the eminent Victorian writer John Ruskin declared, "I have always held... that the cathedral of Lincoln is out and out the most precious piece of architecture in the British Isles and roughly speaking worth any two other cathedrals we have."

St. Olaf's Church, Tallinn, Estonia 1438–1519

Tallest 1549-1625 159 meters (522 ft)

St. Mary's Church, Stralsund , Germany 1384–1478

Tallest 1625-1647 151 meters (495 ft)

architect	various
location	Stralsund, northern Germany
date	1384
style	Hanseatic Brick Gothic
construction	World's tallest structure 1625—1647. The present 104 metre polygonal spire dates from 1708.
type	Church

St. Mary’s was first mentioned in 1298 as a parish church in the New Town. It attained its present form between 1384 and 1478. The imposing westwork, built from 1416, is unparalleled in the architecture of the time. Until the 1647 fire, the tower was 151 metres high. The present 104 metre polygonal spire dates from 1708. St. Mary’s Church is the youngest Gothic brick basilica in northern Europe. It has a polygonal ambulatory with radiating chapels. An unusual feature is the triple nave transept.. The interior dimensions of the building are impressive. It is 96 metres long, 41 metres wide, and the nave is 32.95 metres high. It is thus the second largest brick church in the Hanseatic area after St. Mary’s in Gdansk. Little remains of the original interior elements. The most precious possession of the church is the Baroque organ, the last work of the Lübeck organ builder Friedrich Stellwagen, created in 1659. Under good weather conditions, the viewing deck in the church tower, 366 steps high, affords a unique panorama of the city, that includes the islands of Rügen and Hiddensee, and the Baltic Sea.

Strasbourg Cathedral, France 1439

Tallest 1647-1874 142 meters (469 ft)

St. Nikolaikirche, Hamburg, Germany 1846–1874

Tallest 1874-1876 147 meters (483 ft)

architect	George Gilbert Scott
location	Willy-Brandt-Straße (formerly Ost-West-Straße) Hamburg, Germany
date	Constructed 1846-1874
style	Gothic Revival
construction	Ruined. only tower and spire survived. St. Nikolai was the world's tallest building from 1874 to 1876. Height Antenna/Spire 147 m (482 ft.)
type	Church War memorial

The Gothic Revival St. Nikolai's Church (German: St.-Nikolai-Kirche) was formerly one of the five Lutheran Hauptkirchen (main churches) in the city of Hamburg. It is now in ruins, serving as a memorial and an important architectural landmark. When Hamburgers mention the "Nikolaikirche", it is generally to this church that is referred, and not the new Hauptkirche of St. Nikolai which is located in the Harvestehude district.

The church was the tallest building in the world from 1874 to 1876 and is still the second tallest building in Hamburg.

Cathédrale Notre Dame, Rouen, France 1202–1876

Tallest 1876-1880 151 meters (495 ft)

Cologne Cathedral, Germany 1248–1880

Tallest 1880-1884 157 meters (515 ft)

architect
location	Köln, Germany
date	1248-1880 (world's tallest building from 1880 to 1890)
style	Gothic
construction	Height Antenna/Spire 157.4 m (516 ft.)
type	Church

The Cologne Cathedral (German: Kölner Dom, officially Hohe Domkirche St. Peter und Maria) is the seat of the Archbishop of Cologne, under the administration of the Roman Catholic Church and is renowned as a monument of Christianity, of Gothic architecture and of the faith and perseverance of the people of the city in which it stands. It is dedicated to Saint Peter and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The cathedral is a World Heritage Site, being one of the best-known architectural monuments in Germany, and Cologne's most famous landmark, described by UNESCO as an "exceptional work of human creative genius".[1] Cologne Cathedral is one of the world's largest churches, being the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe. For four years, 1880-84, it was the tallest structure in the world, until the completion of the Washington Monument followed by the Eiffel Tower. It has the second-tallest church spires, only surpassed by the single spire of Ulm Cathedral, completed ten years later in 1890. Because of its enormous twin spires, it also presents the largest façade of any church in the world.

Washington Monument, United States 1884

Tallest 1884-1889 169 meters (555 ft)

architect	Robert Mills
location	Washington, DC
date	1884
style	NeoClassical
construction	Stone (Limestone clad)
type	Monument

The Washington Monument is a large, white-colored obelisk at the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It is a United States Presidential Memorial constructed for George Washington.

The monument is among the world's tallest masonry structures, standing 555 feet (169.29 m) in height and made of marble, granite, and sandstone. It was designed by Robert Mills, a prominent American architect of the 1840s. The actual construction of the monument began in 1848 but was not completed until 1884, almost 30 years after the architect's death. This hiatus in construction was because of a lack of funds and the intervention of the American Civil War. A difference in shading of the marble, visible approximately 150 feet (45 m) up, clearly delineates the initial construction from its resumption in 1876.

Its cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1848; the capstone was set on December 6, 1884, and the completed monument was dedicated on February 21, 1885. It officially opened to the public on October 9, 1888. Upon completion, it became the world's tallest structure, a title it inherited from the Cologne Cathedral and held until 1889, when the Eiffel Tower was finished in Paris, France.

The Washington Monument reflection can be seen in the aptly named Reflecting Pool, a rectangular pool extending to the west, towards the Lincoln Memorial.

Eiffel Tower, Paris, France 1889

Tallest 1889-1930 300 meters (986 ft)

architect	Gustave Eiffel
location	Avenue Gustave Eiffel, by the river Seine. Telephone 01-44-11-23-23 metro stations: (Trocadéro or Bir-Hakeim. RER: Champs-de-Mars - Tour-Eiffel (C) )
date	1887 to 1889
style	structural expressionist Victorian Industrial
construction	steel 300 m (985 ft) tall.
type	tower built for 1889 World Exposition Monument

The Industrial Revolution in Europe brought about a new trend: the use of metallurgy in construction. Because of this, the engineer's role became increasingly important, in some cases melding with or rivaling that of the architect. The Eiffel Tower is the tallest building in Paris, and reigned for 40 years as the tallest in the world.

Chrysler Building, New York, United States 1928–1930

Tallest 1930-1931 319 meters (1,046 ft)

architect	William Van Alen
location	405 Lexington Avenue at 42^nd Street
date	1928-1930
style	Art Deco
construction	77 floors, 319.5m (1048 feet) high, 29961 tons of steel, 3,826,000 bricks, near 5000 windows. Cost: $ 20,000,000 The building is clad in white brick and dark gray brickwork is used as horizontal decoration to enhance the window rows. The eccentric crescent-shaped steps of the spire (spire scaffolding) were made of stainless steel (or rather, similar nirosta chrome-nickel steel) as a stylized sunburst motif, and underneath it steel gargoyles, depicting American eagles (image), stare over the city. Sculptures modeled after Chrysler automobile radiator caps (image) decorate the lower setbacks, along with ornaments of car wheels. The three stories high, upwards tapering entrance lobby has a triangular form, with entrances from three sides, Lexington Avenue, 42nd and 43rd Streets. The lobby is lavishly decorated with Red Moroccan marble walls, sienna-coloured floor and onyx, blue marble and steel in Art Deco compositions. The ceiling murals, painted by Edward Trumbull, praise the modern-day technical progress -- and of course the building itself and its builders at work. The lobby was refurbished in 1978 by JCS Design Assocs. and Joseph Pell Lombardi.
type	Office Building
	Click here for Chrysler Building gallery

The Chrysler Building is an Art Deco skyscraper in New York City, located on the east side of Manhattan at the intersection of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue. Standing at 319 m (1,047 ft) high,[1] it was briefly the world's tallest building before it was surpassed by the Empire State Building in 1931. However, the Chrysler Building remains the world's tallest brick building.[2][3] After the destruction of the World Trade Center, it was again the second tallest building in New York City until December 2007, when the spire was raised on the 365.8 m (1,200 ft) Bank of America building, pushing the Chrysler Building into third position. In addition, the New York Times Building, which opened in 2007, is exactly tied with the Chrysler Building in height, making the two buildings tied for 3rd position.[4] Despite the change in tallness ranking in New York, the Chrysler Building is still a classic example of Art Deco architecture and considered by many, at least among contemporary architects, to be one of the finest buildings in New York City.

Empire State Building, New York, United States 1930–1931

Tallest 1931-1967 381 meters (1,250 ft)

architect	Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, William F. Lamb as chief designer
location	350 Fifth Ave., bet. W33 and W34
date	1930-1931
style	Art Deco
construction	Steel frame 102 floors, 1252 feet, 381 meters high. Effective use of setbacks to emphasize tower. The building is clad in Indiana limestone and granite, with the mullions lined in shiny aluminium. There are in all 6,500 windows, with spandrels sandblasted to blend their tone to that of the windows, visually creating the vertical striping on the facade. The windows and spandrels are also flush with the limestone facing, an aesthetic and economic decision.
type	Office Building
	Click here for an Empire State Building gallery

The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in New York City, New York at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. Its name is derived from the nickname for the state of New York. It stood as the world's tallest building for more than forty years, from its completion in 1931 until construction of the World Trade Center's North Tower was completed in 1972. Following the destruction of the World Trade Center in 2001, the Empire State Building became for the second time, the tallest building in New York City.
The Empire State Building has been named by the American Society of Civil Engineers as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. The building and its street floor interior are designated landmarks of the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission, and confirmed by the New York City Board of Estimate.[5] It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1986.[3][6][7] In 2007, it was ranked number one on the List of America's Favorite Architecture according to the AIA. The building is owned by Harold Helmsley's company and managed by its management/leasing division Helmsley-Spear.

Ostankino Tower, Moscow, Russia 1963–1967

Tallest 1967-1975 537 meters (1,762 ft)

CN Tower, Toronto, Canada 1973–1976

Tallest 1975-2007 553 meters (1,815 ft)

Burj Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 2004–2008

Tallest 2007-present 800 meters (2,625 ft)

architect	Architect Skidmore, Owings and Merrill
location	located at the "First Interchange" (aka "Defence Roundabout") along Sheikh Zayed Road at Doha Street.
date	Groundbreaking 21 September 2004, Estimated completion 30 December 2008
style	Modern
construction	Height Antenna/Spire ~818 m (2,684 ft) Floor count 164
type	Armani Hotel (the first of its kind) will occupy the lower 37 floors. Floors 45 through 108 will have 700 private apartments Corporate offices and suites will fill most of the remaining floors, except for a 123rd floor lobby and 124th floor (about 440 metres (1,444 ft)) indoor/outdoor observation deck.

Burj Dubai (Arabic: برج دبي "Dubai Tower") is a supertall skyscraper currently under construction in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. When it is completed in late 2008, it is predicted to be the tallest man-made structure in the world, as well as the tallest building by any measure. Scheduled for occupancy in September 2009, the building is part of a 2 km² (0.8 sq mi) development called 'Downtown Burj Dubai' and is located at the "First Interchange" (aka "Defence Roundabout") along Sheikh Zayed Road at Doha Street.
The building is being built mainly by a South Korean company Samsung, along with the Belgian company Besix and the UAE company Arabtec. It was designed by American Adrian Smith before he left Skidmore, Owings and Merrill LLP (SOM) of Chicago to start his own independent practice, Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture in October 2006. However, SOM continues to lead the architectural, structural engineering and mechanical engineering of Burj Dubai. The total budget for the Burj Dubai project is about $4.1 billion US and for the entire new 'Downtown Burj Dubai', $20 billion US.