List of tallest buildings in the British Empire and the Commonwealth facts for kids

Kuala Lumpur has been home to the tallest buildings in the Commonwealth since 1998.

For a long time, people have argued about which building was the tallest in the British Empire and later, the Commonwealth. This competition started in the late 1800s. Countries in the British Empire shared many things, like culture. They often looked at each other to see who was doing best. This was clear at big celebrations for Queen Victoria and when the Commonwealth Games started in 1930.

Something similar happened with buildings. People in cities and regions across the Empire wanted to show off. They would claim their city had the "greatest," "biggest," or "best" building in the Empire. This was especially true in Canada. Between 1905 and 1931, cities and builders there raced to build the tallest structure.

The Race for the Sky

Most of the time, people focused on business buildings. Having the "tallest" title helped attract people to rent offices in the building. It also made the city look important to the rest of the world. They usually didn't count much taller non-business buildings. For example, St Paul's Cathedral in London is 111 meters (364 feet) tall and was finished in 1708. The Victoria Tower at the Palace of Westminster is 98.5 meters (323 feet) tall and was built in 1855. The Blackpool Tower, built in 1894, stands at 158 meters (518 feet) tall. These were often ignored because they weren't for offices or shops.

The Commonwealth of Nations slowly grew out of the British Empire over many years. The Statute of Westminster in 1931 is often seen as a key moment when this change became official. For most of the 1900s, buildings in Canada held the record for being the tallest. But since the 1990s, buildings in Asia have taken the top spot.

Rules and Records

Building height limits play a big role in this list. Until the 1960s, London, the capital, had strict rules. These rules kept buildings from being too tall to protect views of old, famous buildings.

In Montreal, until the late 1920s, buildings could only be 10 stories high. Even now, buildings there can't be taller than the sea-level height of Mont Royal. In Vancouver, since 1989, buildings were limited so they wouldn't block views of the North Shore Mountains. This meant buildings were usually no taller than about 137 meters (449 feet). In 1997, a few special spots were chosen where taller buildings could be built. Singapore limits all buildings to under 280 meters (919 feet) because of the nearby Singapore Changi Airport.

Some famous structures are not on this list. The International Commerce Centre in Hong Kong is not included. This is because it was built after Hong Kong was no longer part of the Commonwealth. Also, Toronto's CN Tower is not listed. Some people argue if it's a "building" or just a "structure."

Tallest buildings in the Commonwealth

Years	Building (original name)	City	Region	Country	Height	Floors	Image
2021–present	Merdeka 118	Kuala Lumpur	Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory	Malaysia	679 m	118	Merdeka 118
2018-2021	The Exchange 106	Kuala Lumpur	Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory	Malaysia	492 m (1,614 ft) at completion (450 m at present)	106	The Exchange 106
1998–2018	Petronas Twin Towers	Kuala Lumpur	Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory	Malaysia	379 m (1,243 ft) (452 m with spires)	88	Petronas Twin Towers
1997-1998	First Canadian Place	Toronto	Ontario	Canada	298 m (978 ft) (355 m with antenna)	72	First Canadian Place
1992-1997	Central Plaza	Central		Hong Kong	309 m (1,014 ft) (374 m with spire)	78	Central Plaza
1990-1992	Bank of China Tower	Central		Hong Kong	305 m (1,001 ft) (367 m with spire)	72	Bank of China Tower
1975-1990	First Canadian Place	Toronto	Ontario	Canada	298 m (978 ft) (355 m with antenna)	72	First Canadian Place
1972-1975	Commerce Court West	Toronto	Ontario	Canada	239 m (784 ft)	57	Commerce Court West
1967-1972	Toronto-Dominion Centre	Toronto	Ontario	Canada	223 m (732 ft)	56	Toronto-Dominion Centre
1964-1967	Tour de la Bourse	Montreal	Quebec	Canada	190 m (620 ft)	47	Tour de la Bourse
1962-1964	Royal Bank Tower	Montreal	Quebec	Canada	188 m (617 ft)	47 (originally 44)	Place Ville-Marie
1962	CIBC Building	Montreal	Quebec	Canada	187 m (614 ft)	45	Tour CIBC
1931-1962	Canadian Bank of Commerce Tower	Toronto	Ontario	Canada	145 m (476 ft)	34	Commerce Court North

Tallest buildings in the Empire

Years	Building (original name)	City	Region	Country	Height	Floors	Image
1930-1931	Canadian Bank of Commerce Tower	Toronto	Ontario	Canada	145 m (476 ft)	34	Canadian Bank of Commerce Tower
1929-1930	Royal York Hotel	Toronto	Ontario	Canada	124 m (407 ft)	28	Royal York Hotel
1928-1929	Royal Bank Building	Montreal	Quebec	Canada	119 m (390 ft)	22	Royal Bank Building
1911-1928	Royal Liver Building	Liverpool	United Kingdom	UK	98 m (322 ft)	13	The Royal Liver Building
1905-1910	Trader's Bank Building	Toronto	Ontario	Canada	54 m (177 ft)	15	Trader's Bank Building

See also

• List of tallest structures in the Commonwealth of Nations