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Ranking · Vanity Ratio
Buildings ranked by Vanity Ratio - the gap between architectural top and where the elevator actually stops.
What this list is
The Fake Tall Kings list ranks buildings by Vanity Ratio in descending order - worst offenders first. Vanity Ratio measures the gap between the architectural top (the number used in official rankings) and the highest occupied floor (the floor where the elevator stops). A building with a 36% Vanity Ratio is marketed at a height that is 36% taller than its highest usable floor. The list targets the metric. The editorial analysis is about how buildings are measured and ranked, not about the people who built them.
The Wall of Shame, drawn to scale - worst Vanity Ratio left to most honest right
Each silhouette drawn to scale. Silver = the height humans actually reach. Amber = the decorative steel above it.
#1
Bank of America Tower
New York City
234m
36.0% vanity
#2
Emirates Office Tower
Dubai
240.4m
32.3% vanity
#3
Zifeng Tower
Nanjing
316.5m
29.7% vanity
#4
Burj Khalifa
Dubai
585.4m
29.3% vanity
#5
One World Trade Center
New York City
386.5m
28.6% vanity
#6
One Vanderbilt
New York City
310.9m
27.2% vanity
#7
Merdeka 118
Kuala Lumpur
502.8m
25.9% vanity
#8
CITIC Plaza
Guangzhou
296.9m
23.9% vanity
#9
Lakhta Center
Saint Petersburg
357m
22.8% vanity
#10
Almas Tower
Dubai
279.3m
22.4% vanity
#11
Gevora Hotel
Dubai
276.3m
22.4% vanity
#12
Shun Hing Square
Shenzhen
298m
22.4% vanity
#13
Bank of China Tower
Hong Kong
288.3m
21.5% vanity
#14
111 West 57th Street
New York City
346m
20.5% vanity
#15
23 Marina
Dubai
313.5m
20.2% vanity
#16
Central Plaza
Hong Kong
299m
20.0% vanity
#17
Abraj Al-Bait
Mecca
494m
18.6% vanity
#18
Tianjin CTF Finance Centre
Tianjin
439.4m
17.1% vanity
#19
Landmark 81
Ho Chi Minh City
382.7m
17.1% vanity
#20
Petronas Tower 1
Kuala Lumpur
375m
17.0% vanity
#21
Petronas Tower 2
Kuala Lumpur
375m
17.0% vanity
#22
Autograph Tower
Jakarta
319.9m
16.5% vanity
#23
JW Marriott Marquis Dubai T1
Dubai
298.1m
16.1% vanity
#24
JW Marriott Marquis Dubai T2
Dubai
298.1m
16.1% vanity
#25
Marina Torch
Dubai
300.1m
14.7% vanity
#26
Taipei 101
Taipei
438m
13.8% vanity
#27
Princess Tower
Dubai
356.9m
13.6% vanity
#28
Marina 101
Dubai
371m
12.7% vanity
#29
30 Hudson Yards
New York City
340m
12.2% vanity
#30
Suzhou IFS
Suzhou
399.1m
11.3% vanity
#31
Jin Mao Tower
Shanghai
375m
10.8% vanity
#32
Hanking Center
Shenzhen
320m
10.8% vanity
#33
The Exchange 106
Kuala Lumpur
405.4m
10.7% vanity
#34
Lotte World Tower
Seoul
499m
10.1% vanity
#35
Central Park Tower
New York City
431.9m
8.6% vanity
#36
432 Park Avenue
New York City
392.1m
7.8% vanity
#37
Shanghai Tower
Shanghai
583.5m
7.7% vanity
#38
Ping An Finance Centre
Shenzhen
555.1m
7.3% vanity
#39
Willis Tower
Chicago
412.4m
6.7% vanity
#40
Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre
Guangzhou
496m
6.4% vanity
#41
International Finance Centre 2
Hong Kong
387.6m
5.9% vanity
#42
Guangzhou IFC
Guangzhou
415.1m
5.4% vanity
#43
Changsha IFS Tower T1
Changsha
431m
4.7% vanity
#44
Shanghai World Financial Center
Shanghai
474m
3.7% vanity
#45
KK100
Shenzhen
427m
3.4% vanity
#46
Empire State Building
New York City
373.1m
2.1% vanity
#47
International Commerce Centre
Hong Kong
476m
1.7% vanity
#48
CITIC Tower (China Zun)
Beijing
522m
1.1% vanity
← Scroll or use page numbers →
Top 3 · Worst Vanity Ratio
1
Bank of America Tower
New York City · US
Vanity Ratio
36.0%
The incumbent Padded Pinnacle frontrunner. 131.8m of structure above the highest occupied floor - 36% of the building is decorative non-occupiable steel.
2
Emirates Office Tower
Dubai · AE
Vanity Ratio
32.3%
3
Zifeng Towerdata under review
Nanjing · CN
Vanity Ratio
29.7%
Ranks 4-48 · Confirmed occupied height
Burj Khalifa
Dubai · AE
29.3%
828m / 585.4m
One World Trade Center
New York City · US
28.6%
541.3m / 386.5m
One Vanderbilt
New York City · US
27.2%
427m / 310.9m
Merdeka 118
Kuala Lumpur · MY
25.9%
678.9m / 502.8m
CITIC Plaza
Guangzhou · CN
23.9%
390.2m / 296.9m
Lakhta Center
Saint Petersburg · RU
22.8%
462m / 357m
Almas Tower
Dubai · AE
22.4%
360m / 279.3m
Gevora Hotel
Dubai · AE
22.4%
356.3m / 276.3m
Shun Hing Square
Shenzhen · CN
22.4%
384m / 298m
Bank of China Tower
Hong Kong · HK
21.5%
367.4m / 288.3m
111 West 57th Street
New York City · US
20.5%
435m / 346m
23 Marina
Dubai · AE
20.2%
392.8m / 313.5m
Central Plaza
Hong Kong · HK
20.0%
373.9m / 299m
Abraj Al-Bait
Mecca · SA
18.6%
607m / 494m
Tianjin CTF Finance Centre
Tianjin · CN
17.1%
530m / 439.4m
Landmark 81
Ho Chi Minh City · VN
17.1%
461.3m / 382.7m
Petronas Tower 1
Kuala Lumpur · MY
17.0%
451.9m / 375m
Petronas Tower 2
Kuala Lumpur · MY
17.0%
451.9m / 375m
Autograph Tower
Jakarta · ID
16.5%
382.9m / 319.9m
JW Marriott Marquis Dubai T1
Dubai · AE
16.1%
355.4m / 298.1m
JW Marriott Marquis Dubai T2
Dubai · AE
16.1%
355.4m / 298.1m
Marina Torch
Dubai · AE
14.7%
352m / 300.1m
Taipei 101
Taipei · TW
13.8%
508.2m / 438m
Princess Tower
Dubai · AE
13.6%
413.4m / 356.9m
Marina 101
Dubai · AE
12.7%
425m / 371m
30 Hudson Yards
New York City · US
12.2%
387.1m / 340m
Suzhou IFS
Suzhou · CN
11.3%
450m / 399.1m
Jin Mao Tower
Shanghai · CN
10.8%
420.5m / 375m
Hanking Center
Shenzhen · CN
10.8%
358.9m / 320m
The Exchange 106
Kuala Lumpur · MY
10.7%
453.6m / 405.4m
Lotte World Tower
Seoul · KR
10.1%
555m / 499m
Central Park Tower
New York City · US
8.6%
472.4m / 431.9m
432 Park Avenue
New York City · US
7.8%
425.5m / 392.1m
Shanghai Tower
Shanghai · CN
7.7%
632m / 583.5m
Ping An Finance Centre
Shenzhen · CN
7.3%
599.1m / 555.1m
Willis Tower
Chicago · US
6.7%
442.1m / 412.4m
Guangzhou CTF Finance Centre
Guangzhou · CN
6.4%
530m / 496m
International Finance Centre 2
Hong Kong · HK
5.9%
412m / 387.6m
Guangzhou IFC
Guangzhou · CN
5.4%
438.6m / 415.1m
Changsha IFS Tower T1
Changsha · CN
4.7%
452m / 431m
Shanghai World Financial Center
Shanghai · CN
3.7%
492m / 474m
KK100
Shenzhen · CN
3.4%
442m / 427m
Empire State Building
New York City · US
2.1%
381m / 373.1m
International Commerce Centre
Hong Kong · HK
1.7%
484m / 476m
CITIC Tower (China Zun)
Beijing · CN
1.1%
527.7m / 522m
Methodology note
Sorted by Vanity Ratio descending. Only buildings with confirmed highest occupied floor data are included. 52 buildings in the top 100 by architectural height have unverified occupied floor data and are excluded until confirmed. See the full methodology and the Honest 100 for the companion ranking by occupied height.