World's Tallest Tower Opens in Dubai : Big Pic : Discovery News

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World'sTallestBuildings

View Caption +#1: 10. CITIC Plaza

At nearly 1,300 feet tall, CITIC Plaza in Guangzhou, China, hosts hundreds of apartments and a four-story-high shopping mall within its 80 floors.

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View Caption +#2: 9. Two International Finance Center

Standing in the Hong Kong Victoria harbor at over 1,350 feet, the Two International Finance Center tower is the third-tallest tower in China.

AP Photo/Vincent Yu

View Caption +#3: 8. Jin Mao Building

China's Pudong financial district is home to the country's two tallest buildings. With 88 stories, the Jin Mao Tower, left, comes in as the eighth tallest building in the world, standing at 421 meters (1,380 feet) tall. However, it cowers in the shadow of its counterpart, the Shanghai World Financial Center, right.

AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko

View Caption +#4: 7. Trump International Hotel & Tower

Rising above Chicago's business district, the 92-story hotel and condominium development was completed in 2009. Including its spire, it is the second tallest building in the United States, seventh in the world.

Getty/Scott Olson

View Caption +#5: 6. Willis Tower

Once the tallest in the world, the Willis Tower in Chicago was built in the 1970s under another name -- the Sears Tower -- to house the offices of the largest retailer in the world at the time, Sears, Roebuck & Co. The name was changed in 2009 when London-based insurance broker Willis Group Holdings moved into the 108-story-tall building.

Getty/Scott Olson

View Caption +#6: 5. and 4. Petronas Towers

Petronas Twin Towers 1 and 2 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, were the largest towers in the world when they first opened in 1998. Standing at 452 meters (1,483 feet) each, they've since fallen to fourth and fifth place.

View Caption +#7: 3. Shanghai World Financial Center

This night view of the Shanghai World Financial Center shows China's tallest skyscraper front and center in the Pudong, with the smaller Jin Mao Building behind it. Coming in as the third tallest building on Earth, the 492-meter (1,614-foot) landmark tower hosts the world's highest Chinese restaurant on the 93rd floor.

AP Photo

View Caption +#8: 2. Taipei 101

Topping out at 1,676 feet tall, the Taipei 101 building in Taiwan reigned supreme as the world's tallest tower for seven years after it opened in 2003. This skyscraper is approximately 165 feet taller than the Petronas Towers.

AP Photo/Wally Santana

View Caption +#9: 1. Burk Khalifa

This residential and office tower officially became the world's tallest building when it opened its doors on Jan. 4, 2010. Piercing the Dubai landscape at a height of just over 828 meters (2,716 feet) tall, the United Arab Emirates landmark and has more than 160 stories, the most of any building on Earth. BIG PIC: Discovery News producer Ian O'Neill reports on the record-breaking Burk Khalifa's grand opening. Information source: Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat

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Jan. 4, 2010 -- The Burj Khalifa (formerly known as the Burj Dubai) opened today, officially becoming the world's tallest building. Standing at a height of 828 meters (2,716 ft) tall, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) landmark has more than 160 stories, the most of any building in the world. The tower has a 360 degree observation deck on the 124th floor and plays host to the world's first Armani Hotel. The Burj Khalifa will ultimately become a community of 12,000 residents all using the building's self-contained facilities for work, home and recreation.

SLIDE SHOW: The Burj Khalifa may be the tallest building in the world, but how tough is the competition? Browse the World's Top 10 Tallest Buildings to find out.

Although new skyscrapers are completed every year internationally and the much coveted "World's Tallest" record is always being broken, the Burj Khalifa -- named after UAE President Khalifa Bin Zayed -- towers over its nearest competitor (the 508 meter tall Taipei 101 in Taiwan) by an impressive 320 meters (1050 ft).

--Ian O'Neill, Discovery News

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SLIDE SHOW: The Burj Khalifa may be the tallest building in the world, but how tough is the competition? Browse the World's Top 10 Tallest Buildings to find out.

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