World's Tallest Non-Metal Structures; You've Never Heard of Them

World's Tallest Buildings as of 1884

In "Image of the Day: Gigapixeled Fantasy City?" (7 May 2011), I highlighted the world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa , which is  828m (2,717 ft) tall.

What is (or what was) the tallest man-made structure ever built in history that did not include metal? It's not a simple answer. Remember the Pyramids in Egypt? Of course you do. The Great Pyramid of Giza (aka the Pyramid of Khufu or Pyramid of Cheops) was built with limestone and granite stones around 2560 BCE. Its original height, 146.5m (481 ft) made it the tallest building of any kind in the world for about four millennia. Can you guess what building in 1311 finally surpassed the Great Pyramid as the tallest structure in the world? No, you cannot.

In 1311, Lincoln Cathedral in Lincoln, England (aka St. Mary's Cathedral) raised its central tower to a reported height of 160m (525 ft), which made it the first man-made structure to be higher than the Great Pyramid, breaking a record that had lasted for nearly 4,000 years. However, the cathedral's spire was actually made with lead that was encased in wood. That's kinda cheating, isn't it, because using metal created in a foundry gives builders an edge. Or does it? The cheat seemed to have backfired, because the spire collapsed 238 years later (1549), perhaps because of the weight.

So, in 1549, the title of tallest building transferred over to another St. Mary's -- St. Mary's Church in Stralsund, Germany. In 1495, the brick church had raised its steeple to the height of 151m (495 ft), which had put it shorter than the cathedral in Lincoln, but taller than the pyramid in Giza. It's not clear if the top of this tower was also metal or not; however, it did not last more than 152 years, because it was hit by lightning (attracted by the metal?) and burned down in 1647. Can the churches take a hint? When St. Mary's steeple was destroyed, there was no other structure in the world that stood higher than the Great Pyramid's original height, so in essence, the pyramid regained its throne, which had been usurped by metal-topped structures anyway. Okay, it had lost about 21 feet of its original height because of erosion, but we're not going to count that.

In 1647, by default, Strasbourg Cathedral in France, built in 1439, became the "tallest" building in the world, at 142m (466 ft) -- 18m below Lincoln Cathedral, 9m below St. Mary's, and even 5m below the Great Pyramid's original height. Isn't it strange how the tallest structure in the world was continually shrinking? So, the Greeks, Romans, Middle Ages, and the Renaissance were unable maintain a structure higher than what the ancient Egyptians were able to construct with a bunch of stones. How embarrassing. It took another 227 years (1874) before a building was constructed that finally was taller than the Great Pyramid (barely), and did not collapse or turn to ash (well, more on that later). So, I'll pose the question to you a second time: Can you guess what building finally surpassed the Great Pyramid as the tallest stone structure in the world, and managed to keep standing? No, you've failed a second time to answer that question correctly.

The spire of St. Nicholas Church in Hamburg, Germany was completed in 1874 and reached 147m (483 ft), just 2 feet taller than the Great Pyramid, which had been built 4,434 years earlier. The spire still stands to this day, but it should have an asterisk: During World War II, the rest of the church was destroyed by bombs, less than 70 years after it had been built. This church that apparently honors Santa Claus held its "tallest" title for only 2 years, when it was passed by France's Rouen Cathedral (151m) in 1876, and then by Germany's Cologne Cathedral (157m) in 1880. Finally, in 1884, the tallest stone structure ever built in human history up to that point -- and the first one that was not inspired by religion -- was completed. You know what my next question is, but this time you might actually have the right response.

Begun in 1848, the Washington Monument (Washington, DC, USA) received its capstone in 1884 at the height of 169m (555 ft). A free-standing obelisk made of limestone, granite, and gneiss, the monument was surpassed as the tallest structure just 5 years later by the Eiffel Tower (301m / 986 ft.), but that was easy to do, since it was made entirely of metal. So, the Washington Monument remained as the tallest stone or masonry structure ever made. Recently, however, there have been some contenders for that title, including by some structures you have never heard of.

The San Jacinto Monument in Texas was completed in 1939 to commemorate the Battle of San Jacinto in 1836. It claims to be the tallest monumental column in the world, topping out at 173m (567 ft), including the two terraces on the which the column sits. However, the structure is constructed with reinforced concrete, which means it has lots of metal behind that concrete facade. So, the Washington Monument retains its title. Or does it?

The Juche Monument in Pyongyang, DPRK (North Korea) was completed in 1982. The four-sided granite tower is 170m (560 ft) tall, about 5 feet higher than the Washington Monument. However, the monument is topped by a 20m star made of out of glass and metal, so it is also disqualified for the title. But wait, there's more!

What if the tallest non-metal structure in the world isn't a church, monument, or building at all, but something you hadn't even thought of? Well, it seems to be a chimney -- did you think of that? The romantically named Anaconda Smelter Stack in Montana (aka "The Stack") is made out of bricks, and sits on a concrete foundation. It reaches a height of 178m (585 ft), easily taller than the Washington, San Jacinto, and Juche monuments. Completed in 1919, its purpose was to discharge exhaust gases from the accompanying smelter, which actually went out of business and demolished in 1981. So now it sits alone on a hill. The grounds that surround it is a park; however, because the area remains highly toxic, it is a park to which visitors aren't allowed to enter, even to gawk. So, that is the tallest non-metal structure ever constructed by Humankind. Except that we've forgotten one other.

We've been reviewing stone, bricks, and masonry, but we've ignored another non-metal building material: Mud. No, I'm kidding -- really, do you think someone can construct something out of mud that can reach over 600 feet into the air (the Tower of Babel does not count)? No. But someone did do that with wood.
 
In 1934, a radio transmitter in Mühlacker, Germany was built out of wood. It was 190m (623 ft) tall -- the tallest man-made non-metal structure ever created in history. It did not fall to termites or fire, but was purposely toppled in 1945, just a month before the end of World War II, by retreating German troops who didn't want the tower to fall into the hands of the Allies -- fearing, I suppose, that their enemies could gain a nice view of the countryside or practice bungee jumping.

So, in summary: The tallest non-metal structure ever built was made of wood and no longer exists. And the tallest non-metal structure that still exists is a chimney that cannot be visited.


Mühlacker Radio Transmitter



San Jacinto Monument, Juche Monument, Anaconda Stack