List of visionary tall buildings and structures

For skyscrapers under construction, see list of future tallest buildings.

The X-Seed 4000 is one of the tallest structures ever conceived. Shown in this image is the Burj Khalifa (829.8 m (2,722 ft)), tallest structure in the world at the time of completion in 2010, and the X-Seed 4000 project. (4,000 m (13,000 ft))

Visionary structures

This is a list of buildings and other structures that have been envisioned. The definition of 'vision' is that used by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The list does not include proposed or under construction buildings as these are listed at list of future tallest buildings.

Structures

Name	Pinnacle height	Year of first proposal	Structure type	Main use	Country	Place	Description	Floors
The Space elevator	100,000,000 m (62,000 mi)	1895	Massive space tether	Space tourism, space exploration and space colonization	undetermined	undetermined	An extraordinarily long cable, anchored on or near the equator, held up by the rotation of the Earth.	N/A
The Launch loop	80,000 m (50 mi)	1981	Suspended Maglev Track	Space tourism, space exploration and space colonization	undetermined	undetermined	The Launch loop is a concept that has been proposed for the purposes of orbital launch.	N/A
Scaled-down Space Elevator	20,000 m (12 mi)	2009	Pneumatic tower	Tourism, communications, wind generation and reduced cost space launch.	undetermined	undetermined	A sub-orbital or mini version. The structure would be free standing and actively guyed over its base.	N/A
StarTram Generation 2	20,000 m (12 mi)	2001	Suspended Maglev Track	Space tourism, space exploration and space colonization	U.S.	undetermined	The StarTram is a proposed concept for orbital launches. It has a long (1000–1500 km) vacuum tube, levitated via strong currents in superconducting cables.	N/A
Tokyo Tower of Babel	10,000 m (33,000 ft)	1992	Arcology	Mixed Use	Japan	Tokyo	The Tokyo Tower of Babel is the tallest building ever envisioned and if ever built would house roughly 30 million people within and take 100-150 years to build. The cost would be around ¥3 quadrillion (£16 trillion).	1000+
X-Seed 4000	4,000 m (13,000 ft)	1995	Arcology	Residential, commercial, retail real estate, as well as heavy industry	Japan	Tokyo	The X-Seed 4000 is the tallest building ever fully envisioned. Its proposed 4,000 m (13,000 ft) height, 6 km (3.7 mi) wide sea-base, and 800-floor capacity could accommodate five hundred thousand to one million inhabitants.	800
Ultima Tower	3,218 m (10,558 ft)	1991	Skyscraper	Residential, commercial, and retail real estate	U.S.	San Francisco	The Ultima Tower is a hypothetical super-tall skyscraper, designed by American architect Eugene Tsui in 1991. With a total height of 3,218 metres (10,558 ft), the tower would be 2 miles tall, and comprise 500 stories.	500
Dubai City Tower	2,400 m (7,900 ft)	2008	Skyscraper	Residential, commercial, and retail real estate	United Arab Emirates	Dubai	The Dubai City Tower is a proposed 400-floor, 2,400 m (7,900 ft) tall building to be built in Dubai, consisting of six outer buildings entwining a central core.	400
Shimizu Mega-City Pyramid	2,004 m (6,575 ft)	1996	Arcology	Residential, commercial, retail, and leisure real estate	Japan	Tokyo	The Shimizu Mega-City Pyramid is a proposed project for construction of a massive pyramid over Tokyo Bay in Japan. The structure would be approximately 14 times as high as the Great Pyramid of Giza, and would house 750,000 people. If built, it will be the largest man-made structure on Earth.	240
The Dutch Mountain	2,000 m (6,600 ft)	2012	Artificial Mountain	Tourism, leisure, commercial and wind generation	The Netherlands	Flevoland	"De Nederlandse Berg", Dutch for "The Dutch Mountain" is a proposal for an artificial mountain by Thijs Zonneveld.	N/A
Millennium Challenge Tower	1,852 m (6,076 ft)	2005	Skyscraper	Residential, commercial, and retail real estate	Kuwait	Kuwait City	A super-tall skyscraper designed by architect Omero Marchetti as part of his proposed "ethic city" concept. The aims of the project are to reach a nautical mile in height while "not using concrete, orthogonal grids, traditional systems, mortars, [and] cranes." If built, the tower would reach 1,852 metres (6,076 ft).	N/A
Times Squared 3015	1,733 m (5,686 ft)	2015	Vertical City	Mixed Use	USA	New York City	Times Squared 3015 is a Vertical City envisioned in New York City.	N/A
Sky Mile Tower	1,700 m (5,577 ft)	2015	Skyscraper	Residential	Japan	Tokyo	Sky Mile Tower is the central hub of Next Tokyo, a visionary project that would serve as a combatant for climate change by serving as a dam and supplying water to its 55,000 residents. The complex and Sky Mile Tower's plans are being reviewed by Tokyo's administration as of 7 February 2016.	400
Xtopia	1,614 m (5,295 ft)	2010	Skyscraper	Multiple	China	Shanghai	Xtopia is a concept building for a 300-floor high-rise self-contained community.	300
Bionic Tower	1,228 m (4,029 ft)	1997	Arcology	Residential, commercial, retail, and leisure real estate	China Hong Kong	Shanghai and Hong Kong have both expressed serious interest	The Bionic Tower is a proposed vertical city, an extremely large building designed for human habitation, designed by architects Eloy Celaya, Mª Rosa Cervera and Javier Gómez Pioz. It would have a main tower 1,228 m (4,029 ft) high, with 300 stories that would house about 100,000 people.	300
Azerbaijan Tower	1,050 m (3,440 ft)	2012	Skyscraper	Commercial, retail, and leisure real estate	Azerbaijan	Baku	Azerbaijan Tower, 1,050 m (3,440 ft) tall, is a proposed building in Baku, Azerbaijan and is planned as part of the proposed "Khazar Islands" project.	189
Murjan Tower	1,022 m (3,353 ft)	2006	Skyscraper	Residential, commercial, and retail real estate	Bahrain	Manama	Murjan Tower, 1,022 m (3,353 ft) tall, is a Swedish company's proposal for a super-tall skyscraper in Bahrain. Designed by architect Henning Larsens Tegnestue A/S, it is expected to comprise 200 floors.	200
Mubarak al-Kabir Tower	1,001 m (3,284 ft)	2006	Skyscraper	Residential, commercial, and retail real estate	Kuwait	Madinat al-Hareer	The Mubarak al-Kabir Tower, 1,001 m (3,284 ft) tall, in Madinat al-Hareer (City Of Silk Kuwait) by Eric Kuhne and Associates	234
Green Float	1,000 m (3,281 ft)	2010	Arcology	Mixed Use	Japan	Tokyo	The Green Float located in Tokyo Bay would be able to house up to 40,000 people.	N/A
Sky City 1000	1,000 m (3,300 ft)	1989	Arcology	Residential, commercial, retail, and leisure real estate	Japan	Tokyo	The Sky City 1000, 1,000 m (3,300 ft) tall, is an arcology project proposal aimed at helping put an end to major congestion and lack of greenspace in the Tokyo, Japan metropolitan area. The plan consists of a building 1,000 m (3,281 ft) tall and 400 m (1,312 ft) wide at the base, and a total floor area of 8 km² (3.1 sq mi). Drawn up by construction firm Takenaka for the city of Tokyo in 1989, its design was the first of the modern super-tall mega-structures to gain serious attention and consideration by any government.	196
Oblisco Capitale Tower	1,000 m (3,300 ft)	2018	Skyscraper	Mixed Use	Egypt	Cairo	Oblitale Capitale was a The Capital Cairo project is proposed building in Cairo, Egypt	165
Buenos Aires Forum	1,000 m (3,300 ft)	2009	Skyscraper	Mixed Use	Argentina	Buenos Aires	If built, it would be the tallest building in the world. As of 2020, no construction has been started.	200
Europa Tower (Brussels)	1,000 m (3,300 ft)	1993	Skyscraper	Office, observation, restaurant	Belgium	Brussels	Europa Tower was a skyscraper project designed by L35 Arquitectos. The tower is articulated in nine modules, the first one is 100 meters high and next ones are 96 meters high. The project was reported in the CERCHA N°19 architecture magazine in July 1993.	N/A
Millennium Tower (Tokyo)	840 m (2,760 ft)	1989	Skyscraper	Mixed Use	Japan	Tokyo	A Skyscraper that is envisioned by Norman Foster. If built, it would be taller than the world's current tallest building, the Burj Khalifa. It would be located in the Tokyo Bay.	170
DIB-200	800 m (2,600 ft)	1993	Skyscraper	Residential, commercial, and retail real estate	Japan	Tokyo	DIB-200, 800 m (2,600 ft) tall, is a possible mixed use supertall skyscraper project proposed by Kajima Construction, and designed by Sadaaki Masuda and Scott Howe.	200
Iconic Tower	734 m (2,408 ft)	2015	Skyscraper	Hotel, commercial	Bangladesh	Dhaka	Iconic Tower, 734 m (2,408 ft) tall, is a proposed supertall skyscraper planned for construction in Purbachal New Town, Dhaka, Bangladesh, which will be the tallest and most expensive building in the South Asian continent	142
Dream Tower	665 m (2,182 ft)	2009	Skyscraper	Commercial and retail real estate	South Korea	Seoul	Dream Tower, 665 m (2,182 ft) tall, is a proposed tower to be built in Seoul, South Korea; it will have 150 floors.	150
Bengaluru Turf Tower	663 m (2,175 ft)	N/A	Skyscraper	Residential	India	Bangalore	N/A	157
Philippine Diamond Tower	612 m (2,008 ft)	N/A	Observation tower	Leisure, observation, and broadcast	Philippines	Quezon City		N/A
Gateway Tower (Chicago)	610 m (2,000 ft)	2016	Skyscraper	Residential, commercial, and retail real estate	U.S.	Chicago	The Gateway Tower (Chicago) is a proposed super-tall skyscraper, designed by American architectural firm Gensler as a replacement for the Chicago Spire site. With a total height of 610 metres (2,000 ft), the tower would be the tallest in the Western Hemisphere, and comprise 127 stories if built.	127
The Big Bend	610 m (2,000 ft)	N/A	Skyscraper	Residential	U.S	New York City		N/A
Port Tower	593.5 m (1,947 ft)	2006	Skyscraper	Commercial, retail, and leisure real estate	Pakistan	Karachi	The Port Tower is a project approved for construction in Karachi, the financial capital of Pakistan. If completed, it would reach a height of 593 m (1,947 ft), representing the independence year of Pakistan (1947).	130
Hudson Spire	550 m (1,800 ft)	2014	Skyscraper	Residential, commercial, and retail real estate	U.S.	New York	The Hudson Spire is a supertall skyscraper proposed by a developer from Tishman Speyer as part of Manhattan's Hudson Yards development. With a total height of 550 metres (1,800 ft), the tower would be the tallest in the Western Hemisphere.	110
Al Noor Tower	540 m (1,770 ft)	2014	Skyscraper	Mixed Use	Morocco	Casablanca	The Proposed Al Noor tower will become Africa's tallest building if completed.	114
GIFT Diamond Tower	410 m (1,350 ft)	2002	Skyscraper	Commercial	India	Gandhinagar	GIFT Diamond Tower is a skyscraper proposed for Gujarat International Finance Tec-City in Gandhinagar in the Indian state of Gujarat. The proposed height is 410 metres (1,345 ft) in height. Diamond Tower and the core CBD of GIFT will comprise a total of 25,800,000 sq ft (2,400,000 m2).	87
Solar updraft tower	400–1,000 m (1,300–3,300 ft)	2001	Power plant	Power generation	Australia	Buronga, New South Wales	Solar updraft tower, Buronga, Australia, planned height between 400 m (1,300 ft) and 1,000 m (3,300 ft), state uncertain.	N/A

Cancelled proposals

Name	Pinnacle height	Year of first proposal	Structure type	Main use	Country	City	Year of projected completion	Description
Houston Tower	2,092 m (6,864 ft)	1979	Skyscraper	Residential, commercial, retail, leisure real estate, office	U.S.	Houston	Never begun	The Houston Tower was an envisioned skyscraper that would have been nearly 1.3 miles (2.1 km) tall (6864 ft/2092 m) and taken up 16 city blocks in Houston.
Aeropolis 2001	2,000 m (6,600 ft)	1989	Arcology Skyscraper	Residential, commercial, retail, and leisure real estate	Japan	Tokyo	Never begun	The Aeropolis 2001 was a proposed project for construction of a massive 500-story high-rise building over Tokyo Bay in Japan. It was proposed to be a 2,000 m (6,562 ft) high building.
The Illinois	1,609 m (5,279 ft)	1956	Skyscraper	Commercial, Residential, and leisure real estate	U.S.	Chicago	Never begun	The Illinois, envisioned by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1956, was to be a mile high (1609 m / 5280 ft) skyscraper in Chicago.
Sky City (Changsha)	838 m (2,749 ft)	2013	Skyscraper	Residential, commercial, retail, and leisure real estate	China	Changsha	2013 (cancelled 2014)	Cancelled because of lack of funding.
Chicago World Trade Center	762 m (2,500 ft)	1982	Skyscraper	Office	U.S.	Chicago	Never begun	The Chicago World Trade Center, proposed in 1982, was to be a 2,500 foot skyscraper in Chicago. It was ultimately cancelled in 1991.
Phare du Monde	701 m (2,300 ft)	1934	Concrete observation tower	Leisure and retail real estate	France	Paris	1937 (construction never begun)	Phare du Monde, was a project for a 701 metre tall observation tower for the world exhibition in Paris, 1937. It was planned as a concrete tower similar to a modern TV tower, but also with a ramp for drive up access.
India Tower	700 m (2,300 ft)	2008	Skyscraper	Retail, residential, and leisure real estate	India	Mumbai	2016 (cancelled on October 16, 2015)	The tower was permanently cancelled on October 16, 2015
Grollo Tower	678 m (2,224 ft)	1997	Skyscraper	Residential, commercial, and leisure real estate	Australia	Melbourne	2004 (cancelled 2001)	Construction was cancelled on the Grollo Tower (named after the architect) in Melbourne's developing Dockland precinct in April 2001 after Melbourne's Docklands Authority ruled it out of the tender for development of the Batman Hill's precinct due to disagreements over who would pay for infrastructure improvements. The area is now occupied by a mixture of smaller commercial and residential buildings. The Grollo Tower would have been the world's tallest building at the time at 560 m (1837 ft) tall, down from the originally planned 678 m (2,224 ft) height, and still would have been the tallest building in the southern hemisphere.
Millenium Tower Las Vegas	671 m (2,201 ft)	2001	Skyscraper	Residential, commercial, and retail real estate	U.S.	Las Vegas	2001 (cancelled in 2002)	Millenium Tower Las Vegas in Las Vegas was proposed to be 671 m (2,201 ft) as the tallest building in the world, but it was cancelled in 2002 because of its massive height.
PAGCOR Tower	665 m (2,182 ft)	2008	Observation tower	Leisure and observation facilities	Philippines	Manila	Cancelled in 2010	Originally part of the plans for the PAGCOR Entertainment City, the project was scrapped due to various reasons including air traffic regulations due to close proximity to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport
Warsaw Radio Mast	646 m (2,119 ft)	Original in 1968, Replacement in 1992	Guyed mast	VHF-UHF transmission	Poland	Warsaw	1997 (cancelled 1995)	Until late 1995, there were plans to rebuild the collapsed 646 m (2,119 ft) Warsaw Radio Mast to its previous height on the same site, using the basements of the old mast. Although some refurbishment of the basements started, work was canceled after violent protests by local residents, who feared harmful radiation effects from the high-power transmitter served by the antenna. A new transmission facility with two smaller masts measuring 330 and 289 m was built as a replacement in 1998–99 at Solec Kujawski.
7 South Dearborn	610 m (2,000 ft)	1999	Skyscraper	Residential, commercial, and retail real estate as well as communications facilities	U.S.	Chicago	2004 (cancelled in 2000 due to lack of funding)	7 South Dearborn in Chicago was planned in 1999 to be 610 m (2,001 ft).
1 Dubai	600 m (2,000 ft)	2006	Skyscraper	Unknown	U.A.E	Dubai	2010 (cancelled in 2009)	1 Dubai is a proposal in Dubai to planned to be completed, but in 2009, it was cancelled.
Chicago Spire	610 m (2,000 ft)	2005	Skyscraper	Residential real estate	U.S.	Chicago	2010 (cancelled 2008)	The Chicago Spire designed by Santiago Calatrava was intended to be the tallest building in the western hemisphere as well as the tallest residential building in the world. It was abandoned in 2008 due to financial problems. As of March 11, 2014, as long as the project is funded, it assumed to resume construction.
Miglin-Beitler Skyneedle	610 m (2,000 ft)	1988	Skyscraper	Commercial, and Residential real estate	U.S.	Chicago	1994 (cancelled 1992)	The Miglin-Beitler Skyneedle in Chicago was to be 610 m (2,001 ft) tall in 1988.
International Business Center	580 m (1,900 ft)	2007	Skyscraper	Commercial real estate	South Korea	Seoul	2013 (cancelled 2008)	International Business Center was a proposed skyscraper to be constructed in Seoul, South Korea for a height of 580 m (1,900 ft), it was to have 130 floors planned to be completed in 2013.
Crown Las Vegas	575 m (1,886 ft)	2006	Skyscraper	Residential, commercial, and retail real estate	U.S.	Las Vegas	2006 (cancelled in 2009)	Crown Las Vegas in Las Vegas was proposed to be 575 m (1,886 ft), but it was cancelled in 2009 after 2 major redesigns.
Kowloon MTR Tower	574 m (1,883 ft)	2003	Skyscraper	office	China	Hong Kong	2003 (cancelled 2005)	Now built as the International Commerce Center.
Grollo Tower	560 m (1,840 ft)	2001	Skyscraper	Residential and Commercial real estate	Australia	Melbourne	2001 (cancelled in 2004)	Revised version of the Grollo Tower shown above.
New York Stock Exchange Tower	546 m (1,791 ft)	1997	Skyscraper	Office	U.S.	New York	2004 (cancelled 2001)	The 546 m tall, 140 story tower was cancelled in 2001 due to 9/11.
Grant USA Tower	533.4 m (1,750 ft)	1970	Skyscraper	Commercial, retail, and leisure real estate	U.S.	Newark, New Jersey	1986 (cancelled 1986)	The Grant U.S. Tower was planned by developer Harry Grant, who started New York Apple Tours. The building was to be completed in 1986 in Newark, New Jersey and to be the tallest hotel, tallest building and tallest structure. Harry Grant went bankrupt and the building never broke ground.
Television City Tower	510 m (1,670 ft)	1985	Skyscraper	Residential, commercial, retail, and leisure real estate	U.S.	New York	1988 (cancelled 1985)	The 510 m tall, 150 story, Helmut Jahn-designed tower proposed by Donald Trump in New York, United States was cancelled in 1988 due to serious local opposition.
Eaton's / John Maryon Tower	503 m (1,650 ft)	1971	Skyscraper	Commercial and leisure real estate	Canada	Toronto	1976 (cancelled 1972)	Eaton's / John Maryon Tower was a planned 503 m (1,650 ft) (686m to spire) tall building in Toronto in 1971.
10 Columbus Circle	500 m (1,600 ft)	1986	Skyscraper	Residential, commercial, retail, and leisure real estate	U.S.	New York	1987 (cancelled 1986)	The 500 m tall, 137 story, 10 Columbus Circle in New York, United States was cancelled in 1987.
Dragon Tower	500 m (1,600 ft)	1996	Skyscraper	Residential, commercial, retail, and leisure real estate	Indonesia	Jakarta	2002 (cancelled 1998)	The 500 m tall, 101 story, Dragon Tower in Jakarta, Indonesia was cancelled in 1998 due to the Asian financial crisis.
Kaisa Feng Long Center	500 m (1,600 ft)	2011	Skyscraper	Hotel / office	China	Shenzhen	2012 (cancelled 2011)
The Hyperboloid	455 m (1,493 ft)	1956	Skyscraper	Residential, commercial, retail, and leisure real estate	U.S.	New York	1959 (cancelled 1957)	The 108 story, Hyperboloid in New York, United States, designed by I. M. Pei, was cancelled in 1957 . Now built as the Metlife Tower.
Brisbane Central Tower	450 m (1,480 ft)	1987	Skyscraper	Unknown	Australia	Brisbane	1987 (cancelled in 1993)
Minuzzo Tower	450 m (1,480 ft)	1993	Skyscraper	Unknown	Australia	Brisbane	1993 (cancelled in 1995)
CBD-1	445 m (1,460 ft)	1993	Skyscraper	Unknown	Australia	Sydney	1995 (cancelled in 1997)
Psary, Poland broadcast tower	440 m (1,440 ft)	2009	Reinforced concrete and steel television tower	DVB-T signal transmission	Poland	Psary, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship	undetermined	At Bodzentyn, Poland a 440 metres tall tower is proposed for distributing DVB-T signals from the satellite station to TV broadcasting sites. It will be, if built, the tallest man-made structure in Europe outside Russia.
Bank of the Southwest Tower	429 m (1,407 ft)	1997	Skyscraper	Office	U.S.	Houston	1982 (cancelled 1984)	The 86 story tower was cancelled in 1984 due to an oil bust in Texas.
Palace of Soviets	415 m (1,362 ft)	1932	Skyscraper	Bureaucratic administrative center and conference hall	U.S.S.R.	Moscow	1947 (cancelled 1942)	The Palace of Soviets in Moscow, planned in 1932, was to be 415 m (including a 100 m Lenin statue), and would have been the tallest building in the world at the time if completed. Construction was halted during World War II, during which the uncompleted structure was partially dismantled; its foundations were later to serve as the world's largest open-air swimming pool before being razed in 1995.
The Monument to the Third International	400 m (1,300 ft)	1919	Grand Monument	Conference hall, bureaucratic administrative center, information administrative center	U.S.S.R.	Moscow	None given	During the Russian October Revolution of 1917, Vladimir Tatlin designed a structure named The Monument to the Third International, which was to serve as the international headquarters of the Komintern. Better known as the Tatlin Tower, the structure was to rise to a height of 400 m (1,312 ft), which would have made it by far the tallest building in the world at that time, but time & resource shortages as well as the social upheavals that resulted from the Russian Civil War, economic mismanagement, and political repressions halted the project.
Millennium Freedom Tower	376.8 m (1,236 ft)	1998	Observation tower	Leisure and observation facilities	U.S.	Newport, Kentucky	2000 (above ground construction never begun)	The Millennium Freedom Tower was a project to be located in Newport, Kentucky, United States was originally proposed in 1998 to be dedicated on Dec 31, 1999. The original height was a proposed 1,234 feet (376 m) and was later lowered to 1,103 ft (306 m). Pilings were driven in 1998, but construction never continued above ground.
Watkin's Tower	358 m (1,175 ft)	1890	Iron latticed observation tower	Leisure and retail real estate	U.K.	Wembley	1894 (construction halted 1896)	Watkin's Tower in Wembley, London was planned in 1891 to surpass the Eiffel Tower by 50 m (164 ft), but construction stopped before that height was reached due to unstable land and insufficient funds. The tower remnants were dismantled in the 1900s, and the site was redeveloped as Wembley Stadium.
Scandinavian Tower	325 m (1,066 ft)	1997	Skyscraper	Residential	Sweden	Malmö	2004	The Scandinavian Tower was intended to be the tallest skyscraper in Europe. It was abandoned in 2004 in favor of Malmö Tower.
World Science Tower	N/A	1964	Guyed mast	Leisure facilities	U.S.	Larkspur, Colorado	N/A	The World Science Tower was going to be one of the world's tallest buildings, proposed in 1964. It was to be located near Larkspur, Colorado, U.S. It would have had an amusement park at its base.
Volkshalle	290 m (950 ft) with spire 320 m (1,050 ft)	1937	Skyscraper	Cultural and convention center	Nazi Germany	Berlin	1950 (cancelled 1942)	Huge domed monument building planned by Adolf Hitler and Albert Speer for Germania the projected renewal of the German capitol Berlin.

See also

• List of buildings with 100 floors or more
• List of cities with the most skyscrapers
• List of tallest buildings and structures
• Unfinished building