When did the world start building skyscrapers?

We can trace our answer back to the 1880s, when the first generation of skyscrapers appeared in Chicago and New York. The booming insurance businesses of the mid-19th century were among the first enterprises to exploit the technological advancements, which made tall buildings possible.



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The most popular choice for the title of “world's first skyscraper” is the Home Insurance Building that was built in Chicago in 1885.

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As one of the city's most famous buildings, it's hard to imagine what Liverpool used to look like before the Royal Liver Building was built. At 98m high, the Grade II listed building was dubbed as Britain's first 'skyscraper' when it opened on July 19, 1911.

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Chicago is the birthplace of the skyscraper. The Home Insurance Building, completed in 1885, is regarded as the world's first skyscraper. This building used the steel-frame method, innovated in Chicago. It was originally built with 10 stories, an enormous height in the 1800s, to a height of 138 feet (42 m).

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As of 2023, six European cities have 10 or more skyscrapers above 150 metres (490 ft): Moscow (70), Istanbul (52), London (34), Paris (29), Frankfurt (19), Warsaw (17); and only four cities in Europe have supertall skyscrapers: Moscow (7), London (1), Saint Petersburg (1), Warsaw (1).

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The Pantheon is the oldest building in the world that's still in use today. Since the 7th century, it has been a Roman Catholic church.

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Built 1148. Saltford Manor House, a Grade II listed building of Norman origin, is thought to be the oldest continuously occupied private house in England.

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Completed in 1931, the Empire State was the world's first 100-story building – or rather, the equivalent of 102 stories, since the floors between the 86th floor observation deck and the small room at the apex of the mooring mast were only estimated levels.

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