super tall facts

 

Sears tower are facing hard competion. Even in it's hometown of Chicago.

Sears to the left and Fordham spire at approximately 610 ft (2000 f) to the right.
Photo courtesy to the Fordham Company.

The status of the Fordham Spire isn't confirmed yet but the new World Trade Center, already under construction and due to finish in 2011 once again makes it a battle between Chicago and New York. It will beat sears tower in structural height(tip of spire) but not in roof-top height.

New World Trade Center, New York will not beat Sears in roof top height 1368 ft (417 m)
but in tip of spire, 1776 ft (541m). Picture courtesy to Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill.

But it's not only a race of height the fact is it's a a race of time, Shanghai World Financial Center along with the Busan Lotte Tower in South Korea's second largest city Busan are expected to be completed in 2008 and would both defeat the Sears Tower in both structural top height, highest occupied floor and top of the roof heights
(See definitions here)

Shanghai World Financial Center, 1614 ft (491 m)
Picture courtesy to Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC

Busan Lotte Tower, 1621 ft (494 m) roof-top height,
Picture courtesy to Baum Architects and Parker Durrant.

Beating all of them and already under construction is the Burj Dubai topping out at 2650 ft (807m), to some resources over 3000 ft (1000 m).

Burj Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Picture courtesy to Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill.

It's designed under the same company who designed the Sears (and the New World Trade) and will overtake the Sears and any of the other competing skyscrapers but completing in 2009, at the earliest, the Lotte Tower or the Shanghai World Financial will held some of the titles for atleast one year.

Worth mentioning are also Hong Kong's International Commerce Center already under construction and expected to finish in 2010...

International Commerce Center, 1588 ft (484 m).
Picture courtesy to Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC.

...and also under construction the Guangzhou tv tower due to complete in 2009 at 1490 ft (454 m).

Photo courtesy to IBA and Arup

Measuring the tip of spire the Guangzhou, in fact the only title the tower can aspire for, will possibly hold that title for a short period of time at 2 001 ft (610 m) depending on when the Burj completes in the same year, 2009.