europe / originals

images of tall buildings in 1921

this collection includes buildings of least 40 meters tall that were completed before 1945. Buildings that are shorter than 40 meters but possess skyscraperesque features are included in this list, though they are not ranked

giraffes
during this period, a significant number of 'giraffe' buildings were constructed. A giraffe is defined as a low-rise building with a tower integrated into its design. To qualify for inclusion in this collection, the tower section must have habitable floors occupying more than fifty percent of its total height

color codes
later reconstructed later demolished

1. Royal Liver Building
Liverpool • GB • 104 m • 1911

Chowells via Wikimedia Commons

2. Victoria Tower
London • GB • 99 m • 1860

Rose cottage via Wikimedia Commons

3. Siemensturm
Berlin • DE • 71 m • 1918

Gunnar Klack via Wikimeda Commons

4. Ginzburg House
Kyiv • UA • 63 m • 1912 - 1941

5. Behrensbau
Berlin • DE • 60 m • 1917

A.Savin via Wikimedia Commons

6. Sankt Erikspalatset
Stockholm • SE • 58 m • 1910

I99pema via Wikimedia Commons

7. De Inktpot
Utrecht • NL • 58 m • 1921

8. Rathaus
Augsburg • DE • 57 m • 1624

Wikimedia Commons

9. Midland Grand Hotel
London • GB • 57 m • 1873

10. Balmoral Hotel
Edinburgh • GB • 56 m • 1902

Stephencdickson via Wikimedia Commons

11. Polska Akcyjna Spółka Telefoniczna
Warsaw • PL • 52 m • 1910

Emptywords at Wikimedia Commons

12. Mathematische Turm
Kremsmünster • AT • 49 m • 1758

13. Queen Anne's Mansions
London • GB • 49 m • 1890 - 1971

RIBApix

14. Philips Lichttoren
Eindhoven • NL • 48 m • 1921

Rosemoon, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

15. Strand Hotel
Stockholm • SE • 47 m • 1912

Julian Herzog via Wikimedia Commons

16. Sjömansinstitutet
Stockholm • SE • 47 m • 1914

I99pema via Wikimedia Commons

17. Bau 15
Jena • DE • 47 m • 1915

18. Tower Building
Liverpool • GB • 46 m • 1908

Derek Harper via Wikimedia Commons

19. Yusuf Ziya Pasha Mansion
Istanbul • TR • 46 m • 1911

20. Fairy-Tale House
Saint Petersburg • RU • 45 m • 1909 - 1942

21. Edificio Metrópolis
Madrid • ES • 45 m • 1911

Diego Delso via Wikimedia Commons

22. The Langham
London • GB • 44 m • 1865

The Langham via Wikimedia Commons

23. City Chambers
Edinburgh • GB • 42 m • 1760

24. Witte Huis
Rotterdam • NL • 42 m • 1898

25. Nirnsee House
Moscow • RU • 41 m • 1915

26. Narva-Turm
Berlin • DE • 40 m • 1909

27. Beyer-Bau
Dresden • DE • 40 m • 1913

adornix via Wikimedia Commons

Gebouw Astoria
Amsterdam • NL • 37 m • 1905

Jvhertum, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Hotel Savoy
Łódź • PL • 37 m • 1911

Paweł Schmidt via Wikimedia Commons

Lietuvos geležinkeliai
Vilnius • LT • 36 m • 1903

Market Street storehouse
Dublin • IE • 36 m • 1904

Afremov House
Moscow • RU • 35 m • 1905

Bogunilia via Wikimedia Commons

De Utrecht
Amsterdam • NL • 35 m • 1906

The Yellow Building
Sofia • BG • 35 m • 1914

Immeuble Cateland
Lyon • FR • 31 m • 1911

Trinity Compound on Ilyinka
Moscow • RU • 30 m • 1876

Bogunilia via Wikimedia Commons

Casa Lancia
Milan • IT • 30 m • 1907 - 1937

Tour Chicago
Paris • FR • 30 m • 1912

Goudchaux Architecte & Associés

48 Rue de Valois
Paris • FR • 26 m • 1781

Oriel Chambers
Liverpool • GB • 21 m • 1864

Ditherington Flax Mill
Shrewsbury • GB • 17 m • 1797