As far as tall buildings go the United States has taken a back seat in the last couple of decades as super-tall towers have come up in China, Dubai, and Malaysia. However, there are still some iconic tall buildings in the USA and we take a look at some of them starting of course with the tallest building in the USA which is the One World Trade Center.
The top 10 tallest buildings in the USA
- One World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York (height 541.3m)
- Central Park Tower in Manhattan, New York (height 472.4m)
- Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois (height 442m)
- 111 West 57th Street in Manhattan, New York (height 435.3m)
- One Vanderbilt in Manhattan, New York (height 427m)
- 432 Park Avenue in Manhattan, New York (height 425.5m)
- Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago, Illinois (height 423.2 m)
- 30 Hudson Yards in Manhattan, New York (height 395m)
- Empire State Building in Manhattan, New York (height 381m)
- Bank of America Tower in Manhattan, New York (height 365.8m)
1. One World Trade Center
One World Trade Center is the tallest building in the USA. The Center recaptures the New York skyline, reasserts downtown Manhattan’s preeminence as a business centre, and establishes a new civic icon for the country.
Standing at 541.3m, One World Trade Center is the tallest building in the United States, the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, and the sixth-tallest in the world. It is a memorable architectural landmark for the city of Manhattan.
Extending the long tradition of American ingenuity in high-rise construction, the design solution is an innovative mix of architecture, structure, urban design, safety, and sustainability.
2. Central Park Tower
The park, which is also known as Nordstrom Tower, is not only the second tallest in the USA but also the tallest residential building in the world at a height of 472 meters.
Located at 225 West 57th Street in Midtown Manhattan, the building comprises 179 residential units from the 32nd floor and up. The largest of the apartments comprises eight bedrooms spread across 1,626 square meters.
Central Park Tower was topped out in September 2019 and opened in 2021. It cost US$ 3bn to complete.
3. Willis Tower
Formerly known as the Sears Tower, the Willis Tower was completed in 1974. It comprises a total of 108 floors reaching a height of 442 meters.
Noteworthy, Willis Tower became the world’s tallest building in 1974 over-stepping the World Trade Centre in New York. It held that title until 1998, when the Petronas Towers surpassed it in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Nevertheless, the tower was the tallest building in the United States for 41 years until the spot was taken over by the new One World Trade Center in 2013.
4. 111 West 57th Street
Also known as the Steinway Tower, the supertall residential building towers over Manhattan’s Billionaires’ Row on the northern side of 57th Street near Sixth Avenue.
Notably, the skyscraper topped the list of the world’s skinniest buildings when it was completed back in 2021. The building’s height-to-width ratio of 24:1. Its base is 60 feet wide and it is a designated city landmark.
Comprising a total of 60 luxury condominiums in its slender frame, 111 West 57th Street was topped-off in April 2019. It was designed by SHoP Architects and built by JDS Development, Property Markets Group, and Spruce Capital, with a total cost of US$ 2bn.
One Vanderbilt is a 67-floor supertall skyscraper at the corner of 42nd Street and Vanderbilt Avenue in midtown Manhattan, New York City.
One Vanderbilt is currently the 5th tallest building in the USA. Proposed by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and developer SL Green Realty as part of a planned Midtown East rezoning in the early 2010s, the tower stands 427 meters immediately west of Grand Central Terminal.
6. 432 Park Avenue
The residential skyscraper dubbed 432 Park Avenue is located at 57th Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.
At the time of its completion (Dec 2015), 432 Park Avenue was the third-tallest building in the United States and the tallest residential building in the world at a height of 425.5 meters.
The tower has 84 numbered stories and a mezzanine above ground. It is divided into 12-storey blocks, with double-story mechanical slots between each one to let wind gusts pass through the structure.
7. Trump International Hotel and Tower
This is a condo hotel in a skyscraper that is located in Chicago, Illinois. The 100-story building, including its spire, has a height of 423.2 meters while its rooftop is at 357 meters.
The Trump International Hotel and Tower topped out in late 2008 and construction was completed in 2009.
From the bottom up, the structure is designed with retail space, a parking garage, a hotel, and residences.
8. 30 Hudson Yards
The west side of Midtown Manhattan, New York City, is home to the 395 meters tall 30 Hudson Yards.
The facility is a component of the Hudson Yards Redevelopment Project, a scheme to renovate the West Side Yard of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Its construction began in December 2012 and was completed and the building opened on March 2019.
30 Hudson Yards is the sixth-tallest building in New York City and the eighth-tallest in the United States
9. Empire State Building
This is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The building, built between 1930 and 1931, takes its name from the epithet “Empire State,” which refers to the state of New York.
At a height, of 443.2 meters overall and a roof height of 380 meters Empire State Building takes up the 9th position in our list. Noteworthy, the building was the world’s tallest until the first tower of the World Trade Center was topped out in 1970.
Following the 9/11 attack, the Empire State Building was again New York City’s tallest until it was surpassed in 2012 by One World Trade Center. Today, the building is the seventh-tallest in New York City, the ninth-tallest in the United States and the 54th-tallest in the world.
10. Bank of America Tower
Also known as 1 Bryant Park, this is a 55-story skyscraper in New York City’s Midtown Manhattan district. To be precise, the Bank of America Tower is located at 1111 Avenue of the Americas (Sixth Avenue) between 42nd and 43rd Streets.
