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Tower
HISTORY & CULTURESbeginner
Definition
A structure significantly taller than its plan footprint — built for defence, religious significance, communication, commercial floor area, or civic presence. Towers have been built in every culture: minarets, pagodas, campaniles, lighthouses, and office towers all share the fundamental tower typology.
Example
The Burj Khalifa in Dubai (2010) at 828m is the world's tallest building — a supertall mixed-use tower with a Y-shaped plan, tapering through a series of setbacks to a slender pinnacle.