# Tallest Buildings **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [July 21, 2000, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-buildings/26313 "2000-07-21T02:53:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NanoByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@NanoByte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NanoByte)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2000, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-buildings/26313/1 "2000-07-21T02:53:24Z")
If there really is a Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, it should have also the following categories: 1. most stories, 2. tallest stories. . .about itself. Ray (the height of disbelief) ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2000, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-buildings/26313/2 "2000-07-21T16:05:23Z")
[Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat](http://www.lehigh.edu/~inctbuh/) I assume you are referring to the newest column that has not yet appeared online? If so, please remember to mention it in your post. ---
**Author:** ![quigley](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c67d28/32.png) [@quigley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quigley)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2000, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-buildings/26313/3 "2000-07-21T17:07:48Z")
Given the discussion on ornaments designed to increase building height, I was wondering how Cecil stopped himself from discussing the practice of surgical head implants to increase the height of sumo wrestlers: [http://home.clear.net.nz/pages/dubh/sumo/mainoumi2.html](http://home.clear.net.nz/pages/dubh/sumo/mainoumi2.html) ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2000, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-buildings/26313/4 "2000-07-21T18:48:31Z")
Here is my favourite skyscraper page [http://www.worldstallest.com/](http://www.worldstallest.com/) ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2000, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-buildings/26313/5 "2000-07-21T19:09:10Z")
Most architects are men, and as thus, the tall buildings that they design are manifestations about the insecurities of their own manhood. So, you see giant buildings going up all over the place in China, Japan, etc. Interestingly, though, you don’t see any in Africa. ---
**Author:** ![NanoByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@NanoByte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NanoByte)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2000, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-buildings/26313/6 "2000-07-21T21:11:49Z")
The Carlton Panorama, 50 stories of manhood (after enlargement) in Johannesburg, South Africa: [http://www.tourismjohannesburg.co.za/outdoors.htm](http://www.tourismjohannesburg.co.za/outdoors.htm) (OK, so it was probably designed and redesigned by Europeans or Asians.) Ray (It’s not the size that counts; it’s the stories. . .about it.) ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-buildings/26313/7 "2000-07-24T17:45:58Z")
The straight dope column to which the OP refers is: [Is the world’s tallest building in North Korea? (21-Jul-2000)](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/000721.html) ---
**Author:** ![Zulu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a9adbd/32.png) [@Zulu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zulu)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-buildings/26313/8 "2000-07-24T19:08:13Z")
Was the CN Tower in Toronto not mentioned, or did I just miss it? It stands at 1,815 feet, 5 inches. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Marquis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a8b319/32.png) [@The\_Marquis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Marquis)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-buildings/26313/9 "2000-07-24T20:58:23Z")
It seems that Zulu has beaten me to it but I have to back up his point. After reading Cecil’s last bizzare and wildy inaccurate last column I contacted the CN Tower’s PR department and verified its height at 553.55 meters as we say in Canada or 1815 feet and 5 inches in a language Cecil and his ilk would understand. My guess is that since Toronto is so far from Chicago Cecil may not have heard of it. ---
**Author:** ![Zulu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a9adbd/32.png) [@Zulu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zulu)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-buildings/26313/10 "2000-07-24T21:13:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The\_Marquis \* > \*\*My guess is that since Toronto is so far from Chicago Cecil may not have heard of it. \*\* But…but…Toron’a is the Center of the Universe! The sun always shines on Toron’a! Has anyone else seen the “Sacrilege Moments” on the Comedy Network about the CN Tower? I love it. I wonder if it’s online anywhere… And just a nitpick…I’m a she 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-buildings/26313/11 "2000-07-24T21:15:05Z")
The link in the “Tallest Buildings” column is broken. I found this picture of the North Korean building: [http://www.simonbone.com/pyongyang.html](http://www.simonbone.com/pyongyang.html) BTW, Zulu, the CN Tower wasn’t included because it’s not a building. You Canajuns really need to get over it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Marquis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a8b319/32.png) [@The\_Marquis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Marquis)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-buildings/26313/12 "2000-07-24T22:22:42Z")
What is that all about? Since when is it the Canadian people who need to get over themselves. Nothing like good ole American humility “If we didn’t have anything to do with it, it does not exist.” Appologies to Zulu…forgive me? ---
**Author:** ![Zulu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a9adbd/32.png) [@Zulu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zulu)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-buildings/26313/13 "2000-07-24T22:25:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JamesGifford \* > \*\* > BTW, Zulu, the CN Tower wasn’t included because it’s not a building. You Canajuns really need to get over it. 🙂 > \*\* Uh…then what is it? How are you defining “building”? It has walls and roof. Do people have to live in it? Have offices in it? Work in it? The CN Tower has observation decks, a cafe, a restaurant, arcades, simulator rides…if all of those aren’t in a building, what are they in? You can call it a “stucture,” but that’s just a synonym for a big building. Jenn ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-buildings/26313/14 "2000-07-24T22:29:10Z")
Here is what the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat uses as a definition of a building > [@](#): > > What is a building? A “building” is considered to be a structure that is designed for residential, business, or manufacturing purposes. An essential characteristic of a building is that it has floors. The CN Tower just has floors in the observation deck. You can’t stop the elevator halfway up and go walk around the middle of the tower. ---
**Author:** ![Zulu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a9adbd/32.png) [@Zulu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zulu)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-buildings/26313/15 "2000-07-24T22:34:42Z")
[QUOTE] \*Originally posted by Zulu \* \*\* > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JamesGifford \* > \*\* > > You can call it a “stucture,” > > \*\* Or, you can call it a structure, too :rolleyes: Marquis: Forgiven, of course. I’m used to it. “Zulu” is rather ambiguous. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Marquis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a8b319/32.png) [@The\_Marquis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Marquis)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2000, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-buildings/26313/16 "2000-07-24T22:39:14Z")
That means Canada has the worlds tallest “Thing.” I’m swelling with patriotic pride. “I’m not a lumberjack or a furtrader…but I do have the worlds biggest thing, and I AM CANADIAN!” ---
**Author:** ![Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilgore_Trout_1)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2000, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-buildings/26313/17 "2000-07-25T00:25:33Z")
it is ridiculous that cecil did not mention the cn tower. it has more than a few floors, both at its base and in the observation deck. it is used for business. therefore, it fits the definition of a building. what gives? ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2000, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-buildings/26313/18 "2000-07-25T01:04:10Z")
Can’t you Hogtowners remember anything? The CN Tower is the world’s tallest _free-standing structure._ On the other hand, Montreal has the world’s tallest inclined tower. We go! ---
**Author:** ![Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6de8d8/32.png) [@Kilgore\_Trout\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilgore_Trout_1)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2000, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-buildings/26313/19 "2000-07-25T03:00:32Z")
> [@](#): > > What is a building? A “building” is considered to be a **structure** that is designed for residential, **business** , or manufacturing purposes. An essential characteristic of a building is that it has **floors**. structure? yep. business? yep. floors? yep. tallest? yep. ---
**Author:** ![backpack\_joe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ad7895/32.png) [@backpack\_joe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/backpack_joe)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2000, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-buildings/26313/20 "2000-07-25T05:36:18Z")
It wasn’t designed for the purposes that would qualify it for a building. It was designed to be a big, tall thing that would attract people to it. It is, and it did. The business part is just added benefits, whereas, the tallest buildings were designed PRIMARILY to be useful and (maybe) being extra tall would help the image. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tallest-buildings/26313.md?page=2)