At 553.33 metres (1,815.39 feet), the Canadian National Tower is the tallest tower and freestanding structure in the world. It is located in the city of Toronto, Ontario, Canada and is considered the signature icon of the city. The CN Tower attracts over 2 million visitors yearly. Until 2003 it was the world's tallest, when Moscow's tower got reconstructed after a fire, getting a longer antenna.
Built in 1976 by Canadian National Railway (CN) to demonstrate the strength of Canadian industry, the tower was originally designed as a radio and television transmitting antenna. However, CN soon found it was far more lucrative as a tourist attraction than a transmission tower. With over a million tourists climbing the tower each year it has yet to have an unprofitable year. The construction costs were repaid in fifteen years.
At 342 m is the Glass Floor and Outdoor Observation Deck, at 346 m are Horizons Cafe and the Indoor Observation Deck, and at 351 m is the 360 Restaurant, which rotates once every 72 minutes. The restaurant has a minimum purchase requirement and a vast menu. These three decks are collectively the Sky Pod.
In 1995, the CN Tower was declared one of the modern Seven Wonders of the World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. It also belongs to the World Federation of Great Towers. The following year, the Guinness Book of World Records officially changed the CN Tower's classification to "World's Tallest Building and Free-Standing Structure".
Did you know: On July 23, 1999 Ashrita Furman became the fastest person to go up the CN Tower using a Pogo stick.
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Official website
It was not until 2003 that Canada's CN Tower was declared the world's tallest building. Currently, the world's tallest building is in Dubai. Nevertheless, skyscrapers like the CN Tower are a good spot for tourists. It was even declared one of the seven modern wonders. That's awesome!
Posted by: Buck Arunachalam | September 16, 2011 at 01:40 PM