List of tallest buildings in South America explained

South America has historically seen a relatively modest demand for skyscrapers, with the majority of the continent's tallest buildings being residential. Office buildings have not historically been built taller than residential buildings in the region, though this scenario may well change in the next decades, as South America has been experiencing substantial economic growth.

Most of the continent's high-rises are in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Venezuela, with the tallest buildings being located in Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Balneário Camboriú, Santiago, Bogotá, Cartagena, and Caracas, all of which (except Balneário Camboriú) are one of the biggest financial centres of these countries.

History

The first skyscrapers of at least 100m (300feet) height in South America were built in the 1920s, and included the Martinelli Building in São Paulo, Palacio Barolo in Buenos Aires, and the Palacio Salvo in Montevideo. Martinelli was not only the first, but the tallest skyscraper of South America until being surpassed by the Altino Arantes Building, also in São Paulo, in 1947.

Many of the tallest buildings in South America are located in central business districts that emerged as early as the 19th century, or in office parks developed during the second half of the 20th century. Some of the most notable include Catalinas Norte and Puerto Madero (Buenos Aires); along the Centro Empresarial Nações Unidas and the Central Zone of São Paulo (São Paulo); Sanhattan (Santiago); and Parque Central Complex (Caracas).

Tallest buildings

Rank	Name	Image	Location	Country	Height m / (ft)	Floors	Year	Notes
1			Santiago	Chile	3000NaN0	62	2014	Tallest building in Chile and South America; first supertall building to be constructed in South America; second tallest building in Latin America (behind Mexico's T.Op Torre 1); fifth tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere (behind Indonesia's Autograph Tower and Luminary Tower, and Australia's Q1 Tower and Australia 108).^[1]
2=					2940NaN0	81	2023	tallest buildings in Brazil.^[2]
2=					2940NaN0	81	2023	tallest buildings in Brazil.
4			Balneário Camboriú	Brazil	2900NaN0	84	2022	^[3]
5	Alvear Tower				2390NaN0	54	2017	tallest building in Argentina.^[4]
6					2350NaN0	66	2019
7			Caracas		2250NaN0	56	1979	tallest building in Venezuela; tallest building in South America from 1979 until 2014.
8	BD Bacatá (South Tower)		Bogotá	Colombia	2160NaN0	67	2015	tallest building in Colombia.^[5]
9	Epic Tower		Balneário Camboriú	Brazil	2090NaN0	55	2020
10	Estelar Hotel		Cartagena de Indias	Colombia	2020NaN0	52	2017
11	Torres Atrio (South Tower)		Bogotá	Colombia	2000NaN0	44	2019
12	Torre Colpatria		Bogotá	Colombia	1960NaN0	50	1978	tallest building in South America from 1978 until 1979.
13	Titanium La Portada		Santiago	Chile	1940NaN0	55	2010	^[6]
14	Centro de Comercio Internacional		Bogotá	Colombia	1920NaN0	50	1977	tallest building in South America from 1977 until 1978.
15	Orion Complex		Goiânia	Brazil	1910NaN0	50	2018	^[7]
16	Centro Financiero Confinanzas		Caracas		1900NaN0	45	1994	^[8]
17	Museo Parque Central		Bogotá	Colombia	1850NaN0	45	2017
18	Torre E		Bogotá	Colombia	1840NaN0	46	2017
19=	Tour Geneve		João Pessoa		1830NaN0	51	2018
19=	Cali Tower		Cali	Colombia	1830NaN0	46	1984
21	Mercantil Tower		Caracas		1790NaN0	40	1984	^[9]
22	Millennium Palace Camboriú		Balneário Camboriú		1770NaN0	46	2014	^[10]
23=	Kingdom Park Vaca Brava		Goiânia	Brazil	1750NaN0	52	2019
23=	Coltejer Building		Medellín	Colombia	1750NaN0	37	1972
25=	E Tower North Point		Bogotá	Colombia	1720NaN0	46	2018
25=	Torre Cavia		Buenos Aires		1720NaN0	45	2009	^[11]
25=	Concordia Corporate		Nova Lima	Brazil	1720NaN0	44	2018
25=	Platina 220		São Paulo	Brazil	1720NaN0	40	2022
29	Ciudadela San Martín Torre Norte		Bogotá	Colombia	1710NaN0	47	1983
29	Mirante do Vale		São Paulo		1700NaN0	51	1960	tallest building in South America from 1960 until 1977.
30	Grand Bay Club		Cartagena de Indias	Colombia	1700NaN0	43	2009
31	Figueira Altos do Tatuapé		São Paulo	Brazil	1680NaN0	52	2021
32	Edifício Itália		São Paulo		1650NaN0	45	1965
33	Rio Sul Center		Rio de Janeiro		1640NaN0	40	1982
34	Green Tower		La Paz		163.4m (536.1feet)	40	2022	tallest building in Bolivia.^[12]
34	Majestic Building		Bucaramanga		1630NaN0	42	2015
35	Mirage 57		Barranquilla		1620NaN0	43	2016
36	Altino Arantes Building		São Paulo		1610NaN0	36	1947	tallest building in South America from 1947 until 1960.
37	Avianca Building		Bogotá	Colombia	1610NaN0	41	1969
38	Mulieris Towers		Buenos Aires		1610NaN0	44	2008
39	El Faro Towers		Buenos Aires		1600NaN0	46	2005
40	Torre del Café		Medellín	Colombia	1600NaN0	36	1975
41	Palmetto		Cartagena de Indias	Colombia	1600NaN0	42	2009
42	Repsol-YPF Tower		Buenos Aires		1600NaN0	36	2008	^[13]
43	Provincial Tower		Caracas		1590NaN0	40	1984	^[14]
40	Villa Serena		Balneário Camboriú		1590NaN0	46	2013
41	Le Parc Tower		Buenos Aires		1580NaN0	51	1995
42	Torre Norte		São Paulo		1580NaN0	38	1999
43	Parque Cidade Jardim		São Paulo		1580NaN0	41	2010
44	Brookfield Towers (Tower A)		São Paulo		1580NaN0	47	2013
45	Telecommunications Tower		Montevideo	Uruguay	1570NaN0	35	2002	tallest building in Uruguay.^[15]
46	Palmetto Eliptic		Cartagena de Indias	Colombia	1560NaN0	41	2011
47	Château Puerto Madero		Buenos Aires		1550NaN0	50	2010
48	Torre BBVA Banco Francés		Buenos Aires		1550NaN0	33	2015
49	Mansão Margarida Costa Pinto		Salvador		1540NaN0	43	2008
50	Grattacielo Building		Barranquilla	Colombia	1530NaN0	39	2014
51	Centro Financiero Latino		Caracas		1530NaN0	32	1978
52	Universe Life Square		Curitiba		1520NaN0	45	2014
53	Go Green Building		Bucaramanga	Colombia	1500NaN0	38	2015
54	CAF Tower		Caracas		1500NaN0	40	2014
55	Intercontinental Hotel (Isla Multiespacio Complex)		Valencia		1500NaN0	40	2014
56	Girasoles Tower		La Paz		1500NaN0	40	2013	^[16]
57	Birmann 21		São Paulo		1490NaN0	24	1996
58	Premier Vision		Goiânia		1480NaN0	47	2005
59	E-Tower		São Paulo		1480NaN0	37	2005
60	Infinitum Cartagena		Cartagena	Colombia	1450NaN0	39	2018
61	Sede do BankBoston		São Paulo		1450NaN0	35	2002
62	Building of the Comptroller General of Colombia		Bogotá	Colombia	1450NaN0	32	1974
63	Galicia Central Tower		Buenos Aires		1450NaN0	33	2007
64	Le Parc Puerto Madero		Buenos Aires		1450NaN0	37	2007
65	Iluminata Tower		Barranquilla		1450NaN0	36	2016
66	Torre Telefónica Chile		Santiago	Chile	1430NaN0	33	1996	^[17]
67	Banco do Brasil Building		São Paulo		1430NaN0	24	1955
68	105 Lélio Gama St.		Rio de Janeiro		1430NaN0	40	1980
69	Solara Towers		Barranquilla		1420NaN0	36	2015
70	Alas Building		Buenos Aires		1410NaN0	41	1957
71	Eldorado Business Tower		São Paulo		1410NaN0	36	2007
72	Torre Banco de la Nación		Lima		1400NaN0^[18]	30	2015	tallest building in Peru.
73	Yacht Towers		Buenos Aires		1400NaN0	44	2010
74	Torres Maui		Rosario		1400NaN0	44	2014
75	World Trade Center Montevideo (Tower 4)		Montevideo	Uruguay	1400NaN0	40	2013
76	Torre Allianz		Bogotá	Colombia	1400NaN0	36	1996
77	Edificio Horizontes		Cartagena	Colombia	1400NaN0	37	2007
78	Fonade Tower		Bogotá	Colombia	1400NaN0	37	1974
79	Edificio de la Contraloría		Bogotá	Colombia	1400NaN0	36	1974
80	BankBoston Tower		Buenos Aires		1400NaN0	33	2001
81	Libertador 4444		Buenos Aires		1400NaN0	46	1995
82	Evolution Corporate		São Paulo		1400NaN0	35	2014
83	Plaza Centenário		São Paulo		1390NaN0	32	1995
84	Mirante João Olímpio Filho		Natal		1380NaN0	43	2009
85	Edificio Banco Continental		Lima		1370NaN0	20	1978
86	Mandarim Building		São Paulo		1370NaN0	42	2006
87	Bellini Esmeralda Plaza San Martín		Buenos Aires		1370NaN0	45	2015
88	The Point Tower		Guayaquil	Ecuador	1360NaN0	36	2013	tallest building in Ecuador.
89	Icono Tower		Asuncion		1360NaN0	37	2011	tallest building in Paraguay.
90	Torre Renoir I		Buenos Aires		1360NaN0	41	2008	^[19] ^[20]
91	Dolfines Guaraní		Rosario		1360NaN0	45	2009
92	Mundo Plaza		Salvador		1350NaN0	41	2010
93	Edificio La Previsora		Guayaquil		1350NaN0	35	1991
94	Metrópolis		Balneário Camboriú		1340NaN0	40	2010
95	Edificio Corficolombiana		Cali	Colombia	1330NaN0	32	1974
96	Barão de Iguape Building		São Paulo		1330NaN0	37	1959
97	Château Libertador Residence		Buenos Aires		1330NaN0	40	2008
98	Madero Office Tower		Buenos Aires		1310NaN0	27	2011
99	City U		Bogotá		1310NaN0	32	2016
100	Píer Maurício de Nassau		Recife		1310NaN0	42	2009
100	Hotel Marriott Santiago		Santiago	Chile	1300NaN0	42	1999	^[21]

See also

• List of tallest buildings in the Southern Hemisphere
• List of tallest buildings in Argentina
• List of tallest buildings in Bolivia
• List of tallest buildings in Brazil
• List of tallest buildings in Chile
• List of tallest buildings in Colombia
• List of tallest buildings in Ecuador
• List of tallest buildings in Paraguay
• List of tallest buildings in Peru
• List of tallest buildings in Uruguay
• List of tallest buildings in Venezuela
• List of tallest buildings in Latin America

Notes and References

1. Web site: A Visit to Gran Torre Santiago: South America's Tallest Building. Worldwide Walkers. June 16, 2020. October 2, 2022. October 3, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221003203917/https://wowiwalkers.com/a-visit-to-gran-torre-santiago-south-americas-tallest-building/. live.
2. Web site: https://g1.globo.com/sc/santa-catarina/noticia/2024/06/18/predio-neymar-sc-ganha-mais-13-metros-mais-alto-pais-lista.ghtml . 'Prédio do Neymar' em SC ganha mais 13 metros com pináculos e volta a ser o mais alto do país, aponta lista . G1. 18 June 2024 . 18 June 2024.
3. Web site: Emporis GmbH . One Tower, Balneário Camboriú, Brasil . https://web.archive.org/web/20170302113039/https://www.emporis.com/buildings/1234391/one-tower-balneario-camboriu-brazil . dead . March 2, 2017 . Emporis.com.
4. Web site: Marcuzzi. Josefina. Puerto Madero: crece la torre más alta de la ciudad. La Nacion. es. August 17, 2015. January 13, 2023. April 20, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210420194125/https://www.lanacion.com.ar/buenos-aires/puerto-madero-crece-la-torre-mas-alta-de-la-ciudad-nid1819798/. live.
5. Web site: Edificio BD Bacatá es oficialmente el más alto de Colombia y será entregado en agosto. El Espectador. es. 2 June 2015. 29 January 2023. 29 January 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230129231147/https://www.elespectador.com/bogota/edificio-bd-bacata-es-oficialmente-el-mas-alto-de-colombia-y-sera-entregado-en-agosto-article-564174/. live.
6. Web site: Ficha Técninca . Titanium La Portada . es . 2008 . March 27, 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110923044620/http://www.titaniumlaportada.cl/en/proyecto_ficha_tecnica.html . September 23, 2011 .
7. Web site: Conheça o novo prédio mais alto do Brasil. 2017-11-02. 2 November 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171102194444/http://forbes.uol.com.br/colunas/2017/11/conheca-o-novo-predio-mais-alto-do-brasil/. dead.
8. Web site: Emporis GmbH . Centro Financiero Confinanzas, Caracas, Venezuela . https://web.archive.org/web/20070211021432/http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=centrofinancieroconfinanzas-caracas-venezuela . dead . February 11, 2007 . Emporis.com.
9. Web site: Emporis GmbH . Banco Mercantil, Caracas, Venezuela . https://web.archive.org/web/20070210181545/http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=bancomercantil-caracas-venezuela . dead . February 10, 2007 . Emporis.com . 2010-07-29.
10. Web site: Emporis GmbH . Millennium Palace, Balneário Camboriú, Brasil . https://web.archive.org/web/20140906222808/http://www.emporis.com/building/millennium-palace-balneario-camboriu-brazil2 . dead . September 6, 2014 . Emporis.com . 2014-09-06.
11. Web site: Torre Cavia. The Skyscraper Center. Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. January 13, 2023. January 13, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230113212936/https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/torre-cavia/2613. live.
12. Web site: ¿Cómo es el Green Tower, el edificio más alto de Bolivia?. How is the Green Tower like, the tallest building in Bolivia?. ANF. es. 25 March 2022. 25 January 2023. 27 March 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220327124358/https://www.noticiasfides.com/nacional/sociedad/como-es-el-green-tower-el-edificio-mas-alto-de-bolivia-414473. live.
13. Web site: YPF Tower. 2016-11-07. CTBUH. The Skyscraper Center. 2016-11-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20161107160216/http://legacy.skyscrapercenter.com/CTBUH_Building_Factsheet.php?id=3358. live.
14. Web site: Emporis GmbH . Centro Financiero Provincial, Caracas, Venezuela . https://web.archive.org/web/20070209033913/http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=centrofinancieroprovincial-caracas-venezuela . dead . February 9, 2007 . Emporis.com . 2010-07-29.
15. Web site: Torre Antel. Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The Skyscraper Center. October 5, 2022. October 6, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221006010900/https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/building/3516. live.
16. Web site: Tapia. Guadalupe. En el edificio más alto del país el m2 vale entre $us 700 y $us 1.000. La Razón. es. 25 June 2012. 25 January 2023. 25 December 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221225125816/https://www.la-razon.com/sociedad/2012/06/25/en-el-edificio-mas-alto-del-pais-el-m2-vale-entre-us-700-y-us-1-000/. live.
17. Web site: Torre Telefónica Chile. Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The Skyscraper Center. October 2, 2022. October 4, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221004190443/https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/torre-telefonica-chile/4237. live.
18. Web site: El edificio más alto del Perú. CosapiOficial. 5 October 2015. YouTube. 15 June 2017. 19 February 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200219231038/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYAZ8YPBQXk&gl=US&hl=en. live.
19. Web site: Renoir I. 2016-11-07. CTBUH. The Skyscraper Center. 2016-11-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20161108052606/http://legacy.skyscrapercenter.com/CTBUH_Building_Factsheet.php?id=4445. live.
20. Web site: Renoir I. 2016-11-07. Skyscraperpage. 2016-11-08. https://web.archive.org/web/20161108052904/http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=34683. live.
21. Web site: Boulevard Kennedy & Santiago Marriott. Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat. The Skyscraper Center. October 2, 2022. October 4, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221004190509/https://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/boulevard-kennedy-santiago-marriott/4577. live.