The Global Building Atlas Downloader

Easily Download 3D Building Data from the Global Building Atlas

The Global Building Atlas is one of the most ambitious open mapping projects to date: a global, high-resolution dataset describing 2.75 billion buildings worldwide, including their footprints, heights, and simple 3D (LoD1) geometry. Developed by researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), the dataset offers an unprecedented view of the built environment at a truly global scale.

To make this vast dataset easier to explore and use, I’ve created a simple web map that lets anyone download building data for a chosen location — no GIS software required.

👉 The Global Building Atlas Downloader

The Global Building Atlas Downloader focuses on one thing: easy access to the data.

Instead of trying to load billions of buildings into a web map, the application lets users:

1. Navigate to any location in the world

2. Download building data for a 1-mile square area centered on the map

3. Save the result instantly as a GeoJSON file, ready for use in GIS software, data analysis tools, or 3D visualization workflows

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How does it work?

Behind the scenes, the map acts as a spatial query tool:

• The user searches for a place or pans the map to the area of interest

• When the “Download GeoJSON” button is clicked, the map calculates a bounding box covering roughly one square mile around the current map center

• That bounding box is sent to a Web Feature Service (WFS) hosted by TUM

• The server returns the matching building features as GeoJSON

• The file is automatically downloaded to the user’s computer

Importantly, the data request happens only when the user clicks the download button. Simply moving around the map does not trigger any data downloads. The first version of this link used the Global Building Database to show the 3D buildings around the current map center. However when doing this the map soon exceeded the rate limits imposed by the WFS hosted by TUM. The map now does not load or display the building data automatically. This avoids unnecessary server requests - at the cost of not being able to preview the 3D building data before downloading it.

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What can you do with the data?

Once downloaded, the GeoJSON file can be used in many ways:

• Load it into QGIS or ArcGIS for analysis

• Import it into Blender, Cesium, or Three.js for 3D visualization

• Use it in Python or R for urban metrics and modelling

• Combine it with other open datasets such as population, land use, or hazard layers

Because the data is delivered in a standard, open format, it fits easily into existing workflows.

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Have you found an interesting use for the Global Building Atlas? Let me know — I’d love to see what people build with it.

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Disclaimer: An earlier version of this map made frequent automated requests to the data service and occasionally ran into server rate limits. The current version only requests data when a user explicitly clicks the download button, which should greatly reduce the load. That said, availability ultimately depends on the upstream service, so I can’t guarantee the map will always work - especially if it sees very heavy use.