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World's tallest buildings 2012

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    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012
    • World's tallest buildings 2012

    • 1. Burj Khalifa, Dubai (2,717 ft.)

      An aerial view shows Burj Khalifa, under construction in the Gulf emirate of Dubai on December 17, 2009.

      The building is 163 stories tall and opened in 2010, and at 2,717 feet tall it is the world's tallest, according to Emporis, a provider of data on global construction.

      Credit: MARWAN NAAMANI/AFP/Getty Images

    • Dubai's Burj Khalifa building is seen on September 29, 2010.

      Credit: JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images

    • Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed al-Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, officially opened the Burj Khalifa tower at an ceremony lit by fireworks, on January 4, 2010.

      Credit: MARWAN NAAMANI/AFP/Getty Images

    • An Emarati man points toward the city from the observation deck of Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower on January 4, 2010.

      Credit: KARIM SAHIB/AFP/Getty Images

    • 2. Taipei 101, Taipei (1,671 ft.)

      A tourist takes a photo of the Taipei 101, the world's second-tallest skyscraper, on August 5, 2010.

      Credit: PATRICK LIN/AFP/Getty Images)

    • 3. World Financial Center, Shanghai (1,614 ft.)

      The 101-story World Financial Center in the Pudong financial district in Shanghai, June 28, 2011.

      China's construction boom and appetite for bold buildings have given a host of architects the chance to push design boundaries, and other fast-developing Asian nations have followed suit.

      Nine of the top 15 tallest buildings in the world today have been completed within the past 15 years - and seven of those new skyscrapers are in Asia.

      Credit: PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images

    • 4. International Commerce Center, Hong Kong (1,588 ft.)

      The International Commerce Center (ICC) building is seen next to a silhouette of a palm tree in Hong Kong on November 22, 2011. A recent study found that Hong Kong was the world's most expensive place to rent office space in 2010.

      Credit: Aaron Tam/AFP/Getty Images

    • 5. & 6. Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur (1,483 ft.)

      A night shot of Malaysia's landmark Petronas Twin Towers, next to the Maxix building at right, in Kuala Lumpur on February 6, 2010. Tying for fifth and sixth places on the world's tallest buildings list, they remain the tallest twin structures in the world.

      Credit: SAEED KHAN/AFP/Getty Images

    • 7. Zifeng Tower, Nanching (1,476 ft.)

      The Zifeng Tower (formerly called the Nanjing Greenland Financial Center) was designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and completed in 2009.

      Credit: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

    • 8. Willis Tower, Chicago (1,451 ft.)

      The Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) is seen on March 12, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois. The building - once the tallest in the world - was built in the 1970s to house the offices of the then-largest retailer in the world, Sears, Roebuck & Co.

      Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

    • Children check out the view from the 1,353-foot-high observatory known as the Ledge, a glass cube that juts out from the 103rd floor Skydeck of the Willis Tower, July 1, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois.

      Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

    • 9. Kingkey 100, Shenzhen (1,449 ft.)

      The Kingkey 100 (formerly called the KingKey Finance Center Plaza) is seen under construction in Shenzhen city, south China's Guangdong province, April 13, 2011.

      Credit: Yuan shuiling

    • 10. International Finance Center, Guangzhou (1,435 ft)

      An aerial view of the Guangzhou International Finance Center (IFC) and surrounding buildings in Guangzhou city, south China's Guangdong province, October 17, 2010.

      Credit: Nan sha gz

    • 11. Jin Mao Tower, Shanghai (1,380 ft.)

      A view looking down upon the Grand Hyatt Hotel within the Jin Mao Tower, in the financial district of Pudong, Shanghai, January 17, 2011.

      Credit: PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images

    • 12. Two International Finance Center, Hong Kong (1,362 ft.)

      The Var, a French Navy ship, sails through Hong Kong's Victoria Harbor, dwarfed by the territory's largest skyscraper, Two International Finance Center (IFC), June 17, 2007.

      Credit: LAURENT FIEVET/AFP/Getty Images

    • Images of lightning striking the International Finance Center (IFC) in Hong Kong.

      Credit: Ed Jones/AFP/Getty Images

    • 13. Trump International Hotel & Tower, Chicago (1,362 ft.)

      The glass-covered Trump Tower is seen under construction, rising up behind the Wrigley Building in Chicago's business district, on August 18, 2008.

      Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

    • U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Davis Love III teed-off for a once-in-a lifetime golf shot from the 16th floor terrace of the Trump International Hotel & Tower, September 26, 2011, in celebration of reaching the year-out mark of the 2012 Ryder Cup. The stunt raised money for charity.

      Credit: Jeff Schear/Getty Images for Ryder Cup

    • 14. Al Hamra Tower, Kuwait City (1,352 ft.)

      Laborers are seen at work on the Al Hamra Tower in Kuwait City, November 15, 2009.

      Credit: YASSER AL-ZAYYAT/AFP/Getty Images

    • 15. CITIC Plaza, Guangzhou (1,283 ft.)

      Pedestrians cross the street in front of the Citic Bank in Guangzhou, China, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007.

      Credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong

    • 16. Shun Hing Square, Shenzhen (1,260 ft.)

      Shun Hing Square (also known as Di Wang) in Shenzhen, China.

      Credit: Falconstrike2008/Wikipedia

    • 17. Empire State Buidling, New York City (1,250 ft.)

      The Empire State Building is seen on March 31, 2012 in New York City. Once the tallest building in the world, the Empire State Building was completed in 1931.

      Credit: John Lamparski/Getty Images

    • The Empire State Building towers over the Manhattan skyline on February 13, 2012 in New York City.

      Credit: John Moore/Getty Images

    • A view of Manhattan from the 86th Floor Observatory at the Empire State Building on the first day of spring March 20, 2012 in New York. In the distance: Lower Manhattan, where the Freedom Tower is currently under construction.

      Credit: STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images

    • 18 & 19. Emirates Park Towers I and II, Dubai (1,234 ft.)

      The twin towers of the Emirates Park Towers complex (seen in this artist's rendering) have been topped off, and will be opened later this year.

      Credit: The Emirates Group

    • 20. Central Plaza, Hong Kong (1,227 ft.)

      Ferries carry passengers across Victoria Harbor in the shadow of the Central Plaza (center, rear) and the Hong Kong Conference and Exhibition Center, as the sun sets over Hong Kong on July 1, 2010.

      Credit: DANIEL SORABJI/AFP/Getty Images

    • Under Construction: One World Trade Center, New York City

      One World Trade Center, the central skyscraper at Ground Zero, is seen under construction on January 30, 2012 in New York City. The price tag for One World Trade has recently been valued at $3.8 billion, which would make it the world's most expensive new office tower. Most of the cost overruns are due to the security measures being taken in the design of the building, which sits on a site that has been bombed twice by terrorists. The 1,776-foot skyscraper (which includes a 408-foot spire) is expected to be completed at the end of 2013.

      Credit: Spencer Platt

    • An artist's rendition of the completed Freedom Tower.

    • Under Construction: Aldar Central Market, Abu Dhabi (1,253 ft.)

      Construction is wrapping up on the three towers of the Aldar Central market in Abu Dhabi. The tallest of the three spires, called the Domain, is 88 stories and contains office space and a hotel.

    • Under Construction: Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower, Mecca

      An aerial view taken November 7, 2011 shows the Abraj Al-Bait Towers (also known as the Mecca Royal Hotel Clock Tower), in the holy city of Mecca during the annual Hajj pilgrimage rituals.

      When completed later in 2012, it will be the second-tallest building in the world, at 1,971 feet.

      By CBSNews.com senior editor David Morgan

      Credit: FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty Images