Tall buildings in London

This list of the tallest buildings and structures in London ranks skyscrapers and towers in London by their height. Since 2010, the tallest structure in London has been The Shard, which was topped out at 309.6 metres (1,016 ft), making it the tallest habitable building in Europe at the time. The second tallest is One Canada Square in Canary Wharf, which rises 235 metres (771 ft) and was completed in 1991. The third tallest is the Heron Tower in the City of London financial district, which was topped out in 2010 and stands at a height of 230 metres (755 ft), including its spire.

The Greater London area is currently about level with the Paris Metropolitan Area as the metropolitan area in the European Union with the most skyscrapers. As of 2017, there are 17 skyscrapers in London that reach a roof height of at least 150 metres (492 ft), with 19 in Paris (compared to 15 in Frankfurt, eleven in Warsaw and five each in Madrid and Milan).

The history of tall structures in London began with the completion of the 27-metre (89 ft) White Tower, a part of the Tower of London, in 1098. The first structure to surpass a height of 100 metres (328 ft) was the Old St Paul's Cathedral. Completed in 1310, it stood at a height of 150 metres (492 ft). St Paul's was the world's tallest structure until 1311, when its height was surpassed by Lincoln Cathedral in Lincoln. It regained the title when the spire of Lincoln Cathedral fell in 1549. Although the spire of the Old St Paul's was destroyed by lightning in 1561, it still stood as the tallest structure in London, while the world's tallest structure became Strasbourg Cathedral in Strasbourg, France. St Paul's was severely damaged by the Great Fire of London in 1666. The title of the tallest structure in London passed to Southwark Cathedral, which stands at a height of 50 metres (164 ft) and no structure in London again rose above 100 metres until 1710, when the current St Paul's Cathedral was completed. At 111 metres (364 ft), the cathedral remained London's tallest building until it was overtaken in 1962 by the BT Tower, which was topped out in 1964 and officially opened in 1965.

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