europe / originals

timeline of tall buildings in 1945



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

1624

   
   
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Rathaus
Augsburg, DE
57 meter

1758

   
   
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Mathematische Turm
Kremsmünster, AT
49 meter

1760

   
   
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City Chambers
Edinburgh, GB
42 meter

1781

   
   
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48 Rue de Valois
Paris, FR
26 meter

1797

   
   
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Ditherington Flax Mill
Shrewsbury, GB
17 meter

1860

   
   
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Victoria Tower
London, GB
99 meter

1864

   
   
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Oriel Chambers
Liverpool, GB
21 meter

1865

   
   
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The Langham
London, GB
44 meter

1873

   
   
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Midland Grand Hotel
London, GB
57 meter

1876

   
   
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Trinity Compound on Ilyinka
Moscow, RU
30 meter

1890

   
   
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Queen Anne's Mansions
London, GB
49 meter

1898

   
   
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Witte Huis
Rotterdam, NL
42 meter

1902

   
   
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Balmoral Hotel
Edinburgh, GB
56 meter

1903

   
   
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Lietuvos geležinkeliai
Vilnius, LT
36 meter

1904

   
   
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Market Street storehouse
Dublin, IE
36 meter

1905

   
   
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Afremov House
Moscow, RU
35 meter

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Gebouw Astoria
Amsterdam, NL
37 meter

1906

   
   
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De Utrecht
Amsterdam, NL
35 meter

1908

   
   
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Tower Building
Liverpool, GB
46 meter

1909

   
   
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Narva-Turm
Berlin, DE
40 meter

1910

   
   
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Polska Akcyjna Spółka Telefoniczna
Warsaw, PL
52 meter

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Sankt Erikspalatset
Stockholm, SE
58 meter

1911

   
   
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Royal Liver Building
Liverpool, GB
104 meter

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Yusuf Ziya Pasha Mansion
Istanbul, TR
46 meter

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Edificio Metrópolis
Madrid, ES
45 meter

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Hotel Savoy
Łódź, PL
37 meter

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Immeuble Cateland
Lyon, FR
31 meter

1912

   
   
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Strand Hotel
Stockholm, SE
47 meter

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Tour Chicago
Paris, FR
30 meter

1913

   
   
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Beyer-Bau
Dresden, DE
40 meter

1914

   
   
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The Yellow Building
Sofia, BG
35 meter

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Sjömansinstitutet
Stockholm, SE
47 meter

1915

   
   
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Bau 15
Jena, DE
47 meter

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Nirnsee House
Moscow, RU
41 meter

1917

   
   
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Behrensbau
Berlin, DE
60 meter

1918

   
   
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Siemensturm
Berlin, DE
71 meter

1921

   
   
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De Inktpot
Utrecht, NL
58 meter

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Philips Lichttoren
Eindhoven, NL
48 meter

1922

   
   
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68 King William Street
London, GB
51 meter

1923

   
   
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Industriehaus
Düsseldorf, DE
30 meter

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Ernemann-Turm
Dresden, DE
48 meter

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Grattacieli Gemelli 1
Milan, IT
43 meter

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Grattacieli Gemelli 2
Milan, IT
43 meter

1924

   
   
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Borsigturm
Berlin, DE
60 meter

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Wilhelm-Marx-Haus
Düsseldorf, DE
56 meter

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Ballinhaus
Hamburg, DE
51 meter

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Södra Kungstornet
Stockholm, SE
61 meter

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Norra Kungstornet
Stockholm, SE
60 meter

1925

   
   
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Stummhaus
Düsseldorf, DE
42 meter

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Prinz-Georg-Straße 100
Düsseldorf, DE
29 meter

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Hansahochhaus
Cologne, DE
65 meter

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Cammann-Hochhaus
Chemnitz, DE
40 meter

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Mosselprom House
Moscow, RU
40 meter

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Edificio del Banco Pastor en La Coruña
La Coruña, ES
41 meter

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Adelaide House
London, GB
43 meter

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Galeries Lafayette
Lyon, FR
35 meter

1926

   
   
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Kraftwerk Klingenberg
Berlin, DE
43 meter

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Círculo de Bellas Artes
Madrid, ES
67 meter

1927

   
   
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Ullsteinhaus
Berlin, DE
83 meter

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Wasserturm des Dortmunder Südbahnhofs
Dortmund, DE
42 meter

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Hochhaus Glückauf
Hanover, DE
31 meter

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Knorr-Bremse Gebäude
Berlin, DE
40 meter

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Hotel Admiralspalast
Zabrze, PL
33 meter

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Grattacielo di via Vittorio Veneto
La Spezia, IT
43 meter

1928

   
   
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Siemens Schaltwerk-Hochhaus
Berlin, DE
47 meter

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Westfalenhaus
Dortmund, DE
42 meter

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Anzeiger-Hochhaus
Hanover, DE
51 meter

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Tagblatt-Turm
Stuttgart, DE
61 meter

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Mittnachtbau
Stuttgart, DE
35 meter

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Derzhprom
Kharkiv, UA
63 meter

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Palazzo Aedes
Trieste, IT
38 meter

1929

   
   
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Postscheckamt
Breslau, DE
45 meter

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Hochhaus am Albertplatz
Dresden, DE
37 meter

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Haus Rheinpark 1
Düsseldorf, DE
38 meter

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Haus Rheinpark 2
Düsseldorf, DE
38 meter

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Deutschlandhaus
Essen, DE
39 meter

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Handelshof
Gera, DE
36 meter

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Otto-Moericke-Turm
Konstanz, DE
40 meter

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Krochhochhaus
Leipzig, DE
43 meter

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Europahaus
Leipzig, DE
56 meter

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Städtisches Hochhaus
Munich, DE
46 meter

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Opelturm
Rüsselsheim, DE
58 meter

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Haus Grenzwacht
Aachen, DE
40 meter

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Nirwanaflat
The Hague, NL
25 meter

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Mathenesserplein
Rotterdam, NL
28 meter

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Otterhall
Gothenburg, SE
56 meter

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55 Broadway
London, GB
54 meter

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Edificio Telefónica
Madrid, ES
89 meter

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Palacio de la Prensa
Madrid, ES
60 meter

1930

   
   
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Zentrale der Konsumgenossenschaft Vorwärts-Befreiung
Wuppertal, DE
44 meter

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Kathreiner-Haus
Berlin, DE
48 meter

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Reichsversicherungsanstalt für Angestellte
Berlin, DE
37 meter

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Wernerwerk-Hochhaus
Berlin, DE
57 meter

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Capitol-Hochhaus
Hanover, DE
35 meter

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Karl-Bröger-Haus
Nuremberg, DE
27 meter

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Ämterhochhaus
Würzburg, DE
33 meter

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Palais du Congo
Brussels, BE
32 meter

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Hotel Century
Antwerp, BE
48 meter

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Le Saillant de l'Yser
Brussels, BE
47 meter

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Sportpalatset
Stockholm, SE
58 meter

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Správní budova Spolchemie
Usti nad Labem, CZ
44 meter

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Kant-Garagen
Berlin, DE
24 meter

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Residenza Bertola
Turin, IT
45 meter

1931

   
   
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Országos Társadalombiztosító Intézet
Budapest, HU
73 meter

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Europahaus
Berlin, DE
51 meter

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Bamberger-Haus
Bremen, DE
40 meter

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Städtische Sparkasse
Breslau, DE
41 meter

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Gewerkschaftshaus
Frankfurt am Main, DE
33 meter

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Deutschnationalen Handlungsgehilfen-Verband
Hamburg, DE
55 meter

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Stadtbibliothek
Hanover, DE
29 meter

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Van Nelle
Rotterdam, NL
40 meter

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Flatbuilding Willemspark
The Hague, NL
42 meter

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Boerentoren
Antwerp, BE
88 meter

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Edificio La Unión and Fénix Español
Madrid, ES
62 meter

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Hotel Torni
Helsinki, FI
70 meter

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House on the Embankment
Moscow, RU
45 meter

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Edificio Los Sótanos
Valencia, ES
62 meter

1932

   
   
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Shell-Haus
Berlin, DE
37 meter

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Columbushaus
Berlin, DE
40 meter

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Faber-Hochhaus
Magdeburg, DE
45 meter

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Candida
Amsterdam, NL
38 meter

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12-verdiepingenhuis
Amsterdam, NL
47 meter

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Shell Mex House
London, GB
61 meter

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Sunlight House
Manchester, GB
52 meter

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Torrione INA
Brescia, IT
57 meter

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Kharkiv National University
Kharkiv, UA
60 meter

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India Buildings
Liverpool, GB
50 meter

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Albergo a Torre
Sestriere, IT
46 meter

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Rascacielos de Collblanc
L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, ES
41 meter

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Bel-Air-Turm
Lausanne, CH
55 meter

1933

   
   
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Flatgebouw Parklaan
Rotterdam, NL
30 meter

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Prudential House
Warsaw, PL
69 meter

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Edificio Carrión
Madrid, ES
56 meter

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Hochhaus Herrengasse
Vienna, AT
52 meter

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Nebotičnik
Ljubljana, SI
70 meter

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Budynek Feniksa
Kraków, PL
39 meter

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Torre Duchi D'Aosta
Sestriere, IT
60 meter

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Torre Balilla
Massa, IT
52 meter

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Torre Palazzo Municipale
La Spezia, IT
48 meter

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Palazzo dei Sindacati dell'Industria
Milan, IT
35 meter

1934

   
   
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Ungerpleinflat
Rotterdam, NL
43 meter

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Bergpolderflat
Rotterdam, NL
27 meter

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Les Pavillons français
Brussels, BE
55 meter

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Palatul Telefoanelor
Bucharest, RO
53 meter

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Gratte Ciel Est
Villeurbanne, FR
61 meter

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Gratte Ciel Ouest
Villeurbanne, FR
61 meter

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Drapacz Chmur
Katowice, PL
53 meter

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Palác Všeobecného penzijního ústavu
Prague, CZ
47 meter

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Torre Littoria
Turin, IT
85 meter

1935

   
   
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Hôpital Beaujon
Clichy, FR
70 meter

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Folketeateret
Oslo, NO
47 meter

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Obchodný a obytný dom Manderla
Bratislava, SK
45 meter

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Bau 36
Jena, DE
66 meter

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Palazzo and Torre Rasini
Milan, IT
50 meter

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Palazzo del Gas
Bologna, IT
45 meter

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Palazza Moderno
Bologna, IT
43 meter

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Banco Vitalicio
Madrid, ES
54 meter

1936

   
   
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Résidence Ernestine
Brussels, BE
35 meter

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Hôtel Principi di Piemonte
Turin, IT
51 meter

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Colonia Fara
Chiavari, IT
49 meter

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Casa della Fontana
Milan, IT
44 meter

1937

   
   
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Haus der Wissenschaft
Braunschweig, DE
47 meter

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Résidence de la Cambre
Brussels, BE
61 meter

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Tour Albert
Brussels, BE
56 meter

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Tour Léopold
Brussels, BE
56 meter

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Komunalnej Kasy Oszczędności
Chorzów, PL
40 meter

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Senate House
London, GB
62 meter

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Torre Snia Viscosa
Milan, IT
60 meter

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Casa Alta
Trieste, IT
47 meter

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Palazzo Lancia
Bologna, IT
50 meter

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Palazzi Federici
Rome, IT
42 meter

1938

   
   
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Baťův mrakodrap
Zlín, CZ
78 meter

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Palazzo Montecatini
Milan, IT
53 meter

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Postitalo
Helsinki, FI
39 meter

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Palazzo INA
Genoa, IT
47 meter

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Palazzo Gaslini
Genoa, IT
48 meter

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Palazzo Terzano
Genoa, IT
38 meter

1939

   
   
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Erasmushuis
Rotterdam, NL
40 meter

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Apollo House
Amsterdam, NL
45 meter

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Palace Albanija
Belgrade, RS
53 meter

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Exchange Flags
Liverpool, GB
43 meter

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Torre Locatelli
Milan, IT
67 meter

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Torre Dante Due
Genoa, IT
83 meter

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Àrbori Palace
Fiume, IT
53 meter

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Mali Neboder
Fiume, IT
43 meter

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Palazzo del Toro
Milan, IT
42 meter

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Garage Traversi
Milan, IT
25 meter

1940

   
   
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GEB-toren
Rotterdam, NL
61 meter

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Dzirnavu 57
Riga, LV
32 meter

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Torre Piacentini
Genoa, IT
100 meter

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Istituto Nazionale Assicurazioni
Vercelli , IT
40 meter

1941

   
   
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BIGZ Building
Belgrade, RS
60 meter

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Grattacielo Leon Pancaldo
Savona, IT
66 meter

1942

   
   
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Boekentoren
Ghent, BE
64 meter

1944

   
   
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Edifício Rialto
Porto, PT
38 meter

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Edificio Fàbregas
Barcelona, ES
65 meter