World’s Tallest Building Without a Foundation Is in This Indian City—Can You Guess It?

World’s Tallest Building Without a Foundation Is in This Indian City—Can You Guess It? (Image: Canva)

The Iconic Hawa Mahal in Jaipur is widely described as the world's tallest building without a foundation. Built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh and designed by Lal Chand Ustad, this five-story red and pink sandstone palace appears to as a honeycomb in stone. The facade is broken up by hundreds of little jharokhas (latticed windows) that direct breeze into the building, cooling rooms naturally during Jaipur's summer season.

The majority of sources estimate that there are 953 jharokhas, which allowed royal women to observe daily street life without being seen. The exterior of the building receives all the glamour, but within are plain rooms, corridors, and tiny courts—functional, not lavish—since the original use of this structure was observational privacy, not royal dwelling. The jharokhas facilitate cross-ventilation, allowing cool breezes to flow through the palace, keeping it airy and comfortable even during hot summers.

The Question is, how can a five-story building survive without a conventional foundation?
Hawa Mahal's pyramidal massing, curved plan, and densely spaced masonry piers transfer loads effectively downwards while resisting overturning. it has a lean of around 87° and curves, which, collectively, act like a soft buttress. Rather than employing a deep, solid foundation, the structure employs geometry and continuity of material to remain stable on a fairly shallow foundation. That is why the building is often highlighted in heritage reports as an engineering oddity of the late 18th century. Context is important.

Hawa Mahal is surrounded by an urban grid designed by Jai Singh II, and Jaipur's old centre is dense with sturdy, load-bearing sandstone construction. Venturi effect cooling of the palace occurs when wind passes through narrow openings and across water elements in the courts.
Today, Hawa Mahal is a well-preserved, remarkable landmark in Jaipur, and its aesthetic design makes it a must-visit tourist attraction for the Instagrammers and a fascinating story for the history geeks.