List of tallest buildings in the British Empire and the Commonwealth
Introduction Kuala Lumpur has been home to the tallest buildings in the Commonwealth since 1998.The title of '''tallest building in the British Empire''' (later in '''the Commonwealth''') has been contested since the late nineteenth century. In this era the nations of the British Empire possessed a large measure of cultural unity and naturally looked to each other for comparison and competition. This was evident in the  displays at Queen Victoria's silver and diamond jubilees and in the creation of the British Empire Games in 1930 (later the Commonwealth Games). A similar phenomenon occurred in the world of architecture and civics. Local boosters in cities and regions across the Empire covered the title of "greatest", "biggest", "largest" or "best" in the Empire.This boosterism was concentrated in Canada where desire to claim the title spawned a race between cities and builders between 1905 and 1931.In general the boosters focused on commercial buildings, as claiming the title was part of marketing the building to potential renters (and the city to the wider world). They conveniently ignored much taller non-commercial buildings such as St Paul's Cathedral which stands  and was consecrated in 1708, or Victoria Tower in the Palace of Westminster which was built in 1855 and measures , and the Blackpool Tower, built in 1894, and standing at 158 meters (518 feet) tall. The Commonwealth of Nations slowly evolved out of the British Empire over decades, but the 1931 Statute of Westminster is often used as a dividing point. During the twentieth century the title was held primarily by Canadian buildings. Since the 1990s, however, Asian buildings have held the title.Height restrictions have much to do with this list. Until the 1960s, London, the capital of the Empire, had especially strict height maxima to preserve the views of historic structures. Until the late 1920s, Montreal limited all buildings to a maximum of 10 stories, and it still limits buildings to less than the sea-level elevation of Mont Royal. Since 1989 Vancouver restricted buildings from blocking the North Shore Mountains, creating a practical upper limit of around 137 meters, until 1997 when seven sites were pre-selected for taller buildings as exceptions to the rule. Singapore limits all buildings to below 280 meters because of the proximity of Singapore Changi Airport.The International Commerce Centre in Hong Kong is not included because it was built after Hong Kong left the Commonwealth.The list also excludes Toronto's CN Tower as there is debate as to whether it is technically a building, or merely a structure.
Tallest buildings in the Commonwealth  Years  Building (original name)  City  Region  Country  Height  Floors  Image2021–presentMerdeka 118Kuala LumpurKuala Lumpur Federal Territory679 m118205x205px 2018-2021 The Exchange 106  Kuala Lumpur  Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory     at completion (450 m at present)  106  The Exchange 106 1998–2018 Petronas Twin Towers  Kuala Lumpur  Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory     (452 m with spires)  88  Petronas Twin Towers1997-1998First Canadian Place  Toronto  Ontario     (355 m with antenna)  72  First Canadian Place 1992-1997 Central Plaza  Central       (374 m with spire)  78  Central Plaza 1990-1992Bank of China Tower  Central       (367 m with spire)  72  Bank of China Tower1975-1990First Canadian Place  Toronto  Ontario     (355 m with antenna)  72  First Canadian Place1972-1975Commerce Court West  Toronto  Ontario      57  Commerce Court West1967-1972Toronto-Dominion Centre  Toronto  Ontario      56  Toronto-Dominion Centre1964-1967Tour de la Bourse  Montreal  Quebec      47  center1962-1964Royal Bank Tower  Montreal  Quebec      47 (originally 44)  Place Ville-Marie1962CIBC Building  Montreal  Quebec      45  Tour CIBC1931-1962Canadian Bank of Commerce Tower  Toronto  Ontario      34  Commerce Court North
Tallest buildings in the Empire  Years  Building (original name)  City  Region  Country  Height  Floors  Image1930-1931Canadian Bank of Commerce Tower  Toronto  Ontario      34  Commerce Court North1929-1930Royal York Hotel  Toronto  Ontario      28  Royal York Hotel1928-1929Royal Bank Building  Montreal  Quebec      22  Royal Bank Building1911-1928Royal Liver Building  Liverpool  United Kingdom      13  The Royal Liver Building1905-1910Trader's Bank Building  Toronto  Ontario
See also * List of tallest structures in the Commonwealth of Nations
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