This Breathtaking Video Shows Just How Much the World's Tallest Buildings Have Grown Over the Last 120 Years

The world has changed a lot since the turn of the 20th century –– especially when it comes to our buildings.

Over the last few decades, buildings around the world have gotten taller, mightier, and accomplished way more impressive feats of engineering. However, it can be hard to really appreciate the scale of these buildings when they’re not side-by-side for comparison.

In honor of the major advances society has made in technology and engineering in the last hundred or so years, YouTube channel FilmCore created a mesmerizing animation of some of the tallest buildings ever built, from 1901 until just a little bit into the future, 2022.

The very first building in the animation is Philadelphia City Hall, built in 1901 and measuring 548 feet tall. The animation also points to how New York City was once home to the tallest buildings in the world during the 20th century, including the MetLife Building, the Chrysler Building, and the Empire State Building.

Other cities and countries that have claimed the tallest buildings in the world, in more recent times, include the Sears Tower in Chicago (1,451 feet) built in 1970, the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1,483 feet) built in 1993, Taipei 101 in Taipei, Taiwan (1,667 feet) built in 1999, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai (2,717 feet) built in 2004, and the Jeddah Tower in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (3,281 feet), built in 2013.

One entry in the video that no longer exists is the World Trade Center (1,728 feet to tip), which was completed in 1971 and tragically collapsed on September 11, 2001. These twin towers have since been replaced with One World Trade Center (also known as the Freedom Tower), which measures 1,792 feet from the ground to tip.

The final building in the animation is the Dubai Creek Tower in Dubai, which is still under construction with an estimated completion in 2022. According to the video, the tower will measure 4, 413 feet.

Looking at the video, one can really only marvel at how much has been achieved in such (relatively) little time.