Visiting The World's Biggest Buildings (PHOTOS)

Budgets may be smaller and downsizing inevitable, but when it comes to architecture, big is in. Seems whenever there's an economic downturn, buildings go to new heights. The Empire State Building went up in 1931 during the Depression. Similarly, Burj Khalifa topped out at 2,723 feet in 2010, deep into the Great Recession. When times are tough, nothing says stability like a big, solid structure. These mega-buildings are universally comforting and inspiring.

Today's superlatives of architecture trend toward high-tech achievements, and emerging regional powerhouses like Asia dominate the list. The biggest LCD screen in Beijing and the largest tented structure in Kazakhstan reveal a new competitive race that was once measured in height, but is now marked by impressive advances in engineering.

Such cutting-edge buildings put new tourism icons on the map, even as age-old examples of grand architecture continue to capture our imaginations. They remind us that the impulse to think and build big isn't a new one. Consider the Great Pyramids--the world's tallest structures for nearly four millennia--or Beijing's Forbidden City, which still holds the record for the world's largest palace complex and lures 12.8 million annual visitors.

As architects strive to outdo each other and new cities and structures command recognition, the new motto remains evident: more is more.

--Adam H. Graham

See More of the World's Biggest Buildings

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