Urban Research: CN TOWER A Monument to Canadian Architecture

via The Simpson Shack

Towering above the Toronto, Ontario, skyline like a giant needle piercing the sky, the CN Tower rises 555.3456 metres (1,822 feet 1 inch) from the shores of Lake Ontario, entering itself into the record books as the world's tallest free-standing structure. (There are other taller stuctures in the world, but they are not self-supporting.)

Sprouting out of the earth like a three-pointed star, the 'steel-reinforced, lost-tensioned concrete' structure tapers to the base of the Sky Pod 365.76 metres (1,200 feet) above the ground. Glass-front elevators whisk visitors up the outside walls of the tower in just over one minute as they watch the earth disappear below them and the horizon stretch out before them. As they step out into the lower observation level, a 120 km (75 mile) vista greets them.

CN Tower, Toronto, photo by jphilipg

The Sky Pod is actually seven separate levels, including broadcast facilities, a revolving restaurant, and two observation levels. One level is fully enclosed for the more 'faint-of-heart' visitors, offering them at least a feeling of security, while the other is partially opened, allowing visitors to fully experience the sensation of dizzying heights by looking down along the 'Y' legs of the tower.

Looking north, the city of Toronto appears as a scale model with the tallest skyscrapers pointing upwards far below. Toward the south (and during perfect weather conditions) the city of Buffalo, 158 km (98 miles) away as the crow flies, can be seen.