1 World Trade Center officially tallest building in the U.S.

The Durst Organization’s 1 World Trade Center is officially the country’s tallest tower at 1,776 feet, according to a ruling today from the nonprofit council that judges building height.

The Height Committee of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat had debated whether 1 World Trade’s 408-foot steel mast can be considered a “spire,” and thus a part of the building’s architecture, meaning it counts toward its official height. Without the mast, the building stands only 1,368 feet tall, well below the 1,450-foot Willis Tower in Chicago, formerly known as the Sears Tower.

This morning’s ruling also makes 1 World Trade the third-tallest building in the world, USA Today reported. The top honor goes to Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, which is 2,717 feet tall, according to the paper. [USA Today] – Hiten Samtani