Back in the late 19th century, if a building had 10 floors, it was considered a skyscraper. The world's first skyscraper was the ten-story Home Insurance Building in Chicago built in 1884-1885. At 42m high it towered over the city's residents but, nowadays would be overshadowed (literally) by the next generation of giants.

With advancements in construction technology and the development of steel frames, buildings shot up and the definition of a sky scraper shifted to encompass anything above 100m. The world's tallest sky scraper, the Burj Khalifa, is over 8 times this.

Get up to dizzying heights by exploring the view from some of these modern giants, with Street View.

Burj Khalifa, Dubai: 828m tall

Here we are, quite literally on top of the world. The Burj Khalifa is the tallest building on the planet. There's no better view on earth!

Taipei 101, Taiwan: 509m tall

Tapei 101 was the tallest building in the world until the Bhurj Khalifa topped it. You can reach these dizzying heights at equally dizzying speeds in elevators which travel at 38 miles per hour!

Wilis Tower, Chicago: 527m tall

Don't look down! Or do, if you can stomach it. The bird's-eye view of Chicago from the skydeck of Wilis Tower is a sight to behold.

The Shard, London: 306m tall

Looking out from the top of Renzo Piano's iconic design is just as inspiring as looking at the building itself. Europe's tallest skyscraper offers views of London's seemingly endless urban sprawl.

Lotte World Tower, Seoul: 554.5m tall

The first 100-story building in Korea, the Lotte World Tower scaled new heights for the nation. Enjoy the Seoul-ful view.

International Commerce Centre, Hong Kong: 484m tall

The tallest building in Hong Kong overlooks the vast Victoria Harbour.

One World Trade, New York: 541m tall

The Empire State Building is steeped in history, but it's no longer New York's tallest skyscraper! That honor now rests with One World Trade, from the top of which you can look out over the Hudson to see the whole of Brooklyn and beyond.