Petronas Twin Towers vs Burj Dubai
Nov 13th, 2007 by Neo
I read about an interesting article on Burj Dubai in the newspapers a few days ago. That inspired me to research more on the world’s tallest skyscrapers and thus this post is born.
As it stands during its construction phase now, the Burj Dubai is already the world’s tallest freestanding structure, rising some 600 meters or over 2,000 feet tall.
When the Petronas Twin Towers (KLCC) overtook Sears Tower Chicago, the record went from 442 meters to just 452 meters, not a huge jump and even more so considering the 452 meters for the Twin Towers includes the spires at the top of the building. I know we Malaysians are all proud of this achievement, but why can’t we built it slightly higher instead of putting the spires?!
It took 24 years for that to happen. Since then the Asian economic boom is spawning some mind-boggling skyscrapers in the making.
It has been just 10 years since the Petronas Twin Towers but as you can see from the table below, city after city, each city is desperately making a bid to take that coveted title of “tallest building in the world”.
| Building & Location | Year | Meters | Chief Architect |
| Burj Dubai Dubai, UAE (under construction) |
2009 | 705-950 | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill |
| Tower of Russia Moscow, Russia(proposed) |
2010 | 648 | Skidmore, Owings & Merrill |
| International Business Center Seoul, S. Korea (proposed) |
2008 | 580 | |
| Lotte World II Busan S. Korea (proposed) |
2012 | 512 | Stephan Huh, Parker Design International |
| Taipei 101 Tower Taipei, Taiwan |
2004 | 509 | C.Y. Lee & Partner |
| Shanghai World Financial Center China (under construction) |
2008 | 492 | Kohn Pedersen Fox |
| Union Square Phase 7 Hong Kong, China (under construction) |
2010 | 474 | Kohn Pedersen Fox |
| Suyong Bay Tower Busan, S. Korea (proposed) |
2010 | 462 | Kohn Pedersen Fox |
| Xujiahui Tower Shanghai, China (proposed) |
2010 | 460 | John Portman & Associates |
| Petronas Towers Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
1998 | 452 | Cesar Pelli |
When completed, the Burj Dubai will rise past 800 meters or 2,625 feet! … head and shoulders above everyone else. Dubai is playing its trump card and I don’t think it will be overtaken for some time yet.
The Petronas Twin Towers is to me still one of the most beautiful masterpieces. Cesar Pelli and his team are pure genius. In some way they have played a key role in putting Kuala Lumpur on the world map.
Of course we can’t possibly forget Wisma Sanyan, the tallest building in the whole of Sarawak. Hope you don’t laugh at me for comparing Wisma Sanyan against Burj Dubai… hahaha… Anyone knows how tall does this building stand? 
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Tags: klcc, malaysia, petronas, twin towers
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there was a day when the tallest tower was the federal hotel at kuala lumpur, hehehe….
Jellyfish, you mean the tallest tower in Malaysia, right?
Malacca’s tallest building used to be 9 storey high.
Jason,
That’s a tall building I must say. BTW, how come you are using an email on my domain name for the comment?
Which city is Wisma Sanyan in? I know that Kuching will have a couple of new hotels… one of them – the new Convention & Exhibition Center, developed by CMS should be one of the tallest building there?
What is the point to be the tallest? No understand… This whole world people so kiasu one ar?
And Sibu that one… Try to forget about it la… Inside small like ant nia, some more so dark 
P/S: How come change theme ar??!
Alamak! Sanyang Building! I always doubt whether it is the tallest in Sarawak or not.
26 floor nia… ha ha, i hate tall building.. hard to design
Yogi,
Wisma Sanyan is in Sibu, the city of the swans.
Wong,
I don’t want to be the tallest, but I want to become the most handsome and the richest! Wahahaha…
Change theme because I get bored with the old theme, and in conjunction with the WordPress upgrade to the latest version, I changed the theme as well. How do you like my new customized theme?
Jam,
It is the tallest in Sarawak.
Clement,
Easy only. Close eyes can also design!
Seems like Taiwan tower was the tallest in the world now
No it is wrong the tallest now is Burj Dubai even on the construction level – 585.7 m.
http://www.burjdubai.com/
tapei 101 is the tallest untill the burj is completed, sorry julia.
[...] twin towers in the world? Your homework for today is to check that and let me know… the Burj Dubai isn’t a twin towers, [...]
well if we still had the world trade center it would be the second tallest but the dubia tower is taller if the dubia tower wasent her it would be the world trade center that will be taller but rember the burj tower is the size of two empire state building
The Petronas Twin Towers are still the tallest twin towers. The late WTC was second. Although when it went down.. I believe it was the 2nd tallest building no?
[...] The year is 1997, the world witnessed the unveiling of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, but shortly after Malaysia’s stock market dropped by more than 50%, several other Asian countries felt the heat of the dwindling economy as well. Burj Dubai v Petronas Twin Towers: How do they Compare? [...]