Watch Evolution of the World's Tallest Buildings From 1901 to 2022

Humanity's admiration of birds is most evident in the aircraft we've built over the years. But when we look at our cities, we also see architects and engineers trying to one-up each other by building the tallest structures, which tower proudly next to the white clouds.

It also helps that constructing tall buildings has become increasingly cost-effective after industrialization boosted urban populations and land prices in the late 1800s. In fact, between 1908 and 1931, the record for the world's tallest building was broken six times in New York. This trend was, of course, supported by fastly developing engineering: The introduction of steel frames, which could be used instead of load-bearing masonry, made towering buildings easier and less expensive to construct than using load-bearing masonry, while the invention of the elevator made living on upper floors significantly more convenient.