This list of the tallest buildings and structures in Manchester ranks skyscrapers, structures and towers in the city of Manchester, England by height. Manchester is a major city and metropolitan borough with a population of 510,772 (2012 est.). It is at the centre of the wider Greater Manchester Urban Area which had a population of 2.55 million according to the United Kingdom Census 2011. Manchester is historically notable for being the world’s first industrialised city and for the subsequent leading role it played during the Industrial Revolution. The city centre, the location of most of Manchester's tallest buildings and structures, is a regional central business district. For completed buildings, this list includes the year of completion, the height in metres and feet and its current usage. The tallest building in the United Kingdom outside London, the city's Beetham Tower, was completed in October 2006. It is 47 storeys and 169 metres (554 ft) high and consists of residential apartments and a Hilton Hotel. On the list of tallest structures are the 19th century Manchester Town Hall and the Refuge Assurance Building (now more commonly known as the Palace Hotel) from the early 20th century. The Manchester Assize Courts, once the tallest building in the city at 85 metres, was demolished after suffering unrepairable damage during the Manchester Blitz.
One of the first proposed skyscrapers in the city was the Quay Street Tower, projected to be completed in 1948, which would have stood at 110 metres (361 ft) and would have been the tallest tower in Europe. The proposal was rejected and said to be inconsiderate, as much of the city was still rebuilding after the Manchester Blitz of the Second World War. Most of Manchester's current towers were built during the 1960s and 1970s. This included the 118-metre (387 ft) CIS Tower, the UK's tallest building outside London for 43 years.