CN Tower Toronto

cn tower

bridge/highway is that is over the valley almost in the sky megastructures

cn tower glass floor

CN Tower (Canada National Tower) is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Toronto CN Tower is visited by 2 million people every year. Built in 1976 the tallest building on the planet is a source of pride to all Canadians. The CN Tower was build for more practical reason - the expanding of downtown and the building of skyscrapers started to cause telecommunication problems. The CN tower solved these problems. It is soaring 553 meters (1815 feet) in the sky and has 2 observation decks, 360 rotating restaurant, the Horizons Café and probably the most important of all, the Glass Floor. The Glass floor was specially designed and you will have the most bizarre experience if you dare to step on it. The world will be literary at your feet! The glass is replaced every year and is very safe. Nobody has ever fallen down. It has been said that 14 hippos can sit on it and it will not break, so don’t worry about it. It is located on the lower observation deck at 1,122 feet. The Look out is located on the lower observation deck at 346m (1,136 feet) and one of the 6 high speed elevators takes you there for only 58 seconds.The Sky Pod is the smaller observatory located at 447 meters (1465 feet) and is the World's highest man-made observatory. The view from there is magnificent (on a clear day you can see . On a windy day you can experience a movement because the tower was designed to be flexible and wind resistant. The 360 Restaurant makes one full rotation for 72 minutes. I recommend visiting the restaurant in the evening. The view is spectacular.Every year in October an Annual stair climb in support of the United Way is conducted. The participants climb 1776 steps to the top of CN Tower.How to get to CN Tower : Subway Yonge-University-Spadina to Union Station Opening Hours : Daily form 9am -10 pm, Friday and Saturday from 9am - 10.30 pm

cn tower construction
construction of cn tower
cn tower pics construction

 cn tower construction photos
 cn tower under construction

  cn tower 1976

1. The CN Tower at 553.33 meters (1,815 ft., 5 inches) was once the tallest building, tower, and freestanding structure, but as of 2010 retains the title of world's tallest tower.
   
   
2. Construction on the CN Tower began on February 6, 1973 and wrapped up about 40 months later in June 1976.
   
   
3. 1,537 workers toiled five days a week, 24 hours a day to build the CN Tower.
   
   
4. The CN Tower was built at an original cost of $63 million.
   
   
5. On April 2, 1975, onlookers gazed up in amazement as a giant Erickson Air-crane Silorsky helicopter placed the final piece of the CN Tower's antenna into place, officially making it the world's tallest building.
   
   
6. The CN Tower was built to withstand an earthquake of 8.5 on the Richter scale (the Kobe earthquake in 1995 was 7.2 on the Richter scale). The upper reaches of the CN Tower were built to withstand winds up to 418 km/h (260 mph).
   
   
7. In 1995, the CN Tower is designated a Wonder of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
   
   
8. Lightning strikes the CN Tower an average of 75 times per year. Long copper strips run down the CN Tower to grounding rods buried below ground to prevent damage.
   
   
9. The CN Tower dims unnecessary exterior lights during bird migration seasons to prevent bird injuries.
   
   
10. The CN Tower is an incredible 2.79 cm (1.1 inches) within plumb, or, true vertical.
    
    
11. Six glass-faced elevators travel at 22 km/hour (15 miles/hour) to reach the observation deck in 58 seconds.
    
    
12. On a clear day, visitors to the CN Tower's observation deck can see over 160 kilometers (100 miles) -- that's all the way to Niagara Falls and across Lake Ontario to New York State.
    
    
13. The CN Tower has a hollow 1200' hexagonal core providing stability and flexibility to the full height tower.
    
    
14. The CN Tower's Glass Floor was the first of its kind when it was opened in June 1994. It is 23.8 square meters (256 sq. ft.) of solid glass and 5 times stronger than the required weight-bearing standard for commercial floors. If 14 large hippos could fit in the elevator and get up to the Observation Deck, the Glass Floor could withstand their weight.
    
    
15. The 360 Restaurant makes a complete rotation every 72 minutes giving diners a changing view of Toronto more than 1,000 feet below.

The original plan for the tower envisioned a tripod consisting of three independent cylindrical "pillars" linked at various heights by structural bridges. Had it been built, this design would have been considerably shorter, with the metal antenna located roughly where the concrete section between the main level and the Sky Pod lies today. As the design effort continued, it evolved into the current design with a single continuous hexagonal core to the Sky Pod, with three support legs blended into the hexagon below the main level, forming a large Y-shape structure at the ground level.

The idea for the main level in its current form evolved around this time, but the Sky Pod was not part of the plans until some time later. One engineer in particular felt that visitors would feel the higher observation deck would be worth paying extra for, and the costs in terms of construction were not prohibitive. It was also some time around this point that it was realized that the tower could become the world's tallest structure, and plans were changed to incorporate subtle modifications throughout the structure to this end.

 In August 1974, construction of the main level commenced. Using 45 hydraulic jacks attached to cables strung from a temporary steel crown anchored to the top of the tower, twelve giant steel and wooden bracket forms were slowly raised, ultimately taking about a week to crawl up to their final position. These forms were used to create the brackets that support the main level, as well as a base for the construction of the main level itself. The Sky Pod was built of concrete poured into a wooden frame attached to rebar at the lower level deck, and then reinforced with a large steel compression band around the outside.

Getting to the CN Tower on Foot from Downtown Toronto:

Despite being a hard-to-miss landmark, the actual entrance to the CN Tower can be a little confusing, especially for those with strollers or who need wheelchair access.

At the foot of John Street on the south side of Front Street is a set of stairs that takes you to the entrance of the CN Tower. To the right of those stairs is a wide ramp that leads to both the Rogers Centre and the CN Tower entrance.

For those who need wheelchair access, halfway up the ramp on the left are glass doors that lead to an elevator that takes you down to the CN Tower entrance. These doors are not well marked, so keep your eyes peeled.

Getting to the CN Tower by Subway:

By subway, get off at Union Station, exit at Front Street and head west.

Getting to the CN Tower by VIA Train or Go Train:

Via trains - coming in from other Canadian cities - and Go trains arriving from more local places, like Hamilton - arrive at Union Station, a 5-min walk to the CN Tower.

Getting to the CN Tower by Car from Outside Toronto:

From the South or West: Follow the QEW into Toronto, where it turns into the Gardiner Expressway. Exit onto Spadina Ave. North and turn right onto Bremner Blvd.

From the East: Take Highway 401 into Toronto and exit onto the Don Valley Parkway Southbound. As you approach Downtown, this will turn into the Gardiner Expressway. Exit at Spadina Ave. North and turn right onto Bremner Blvd.

From the North: Take Highway 400 into Toronto, exiting onto Highway 401 West. Continue until you reach Highway 427 southbound. Follow Highway 427 to downtown via the QEW/Gardiner Expressway. Exit onto Spadina Ave. North and turn right onto Bremner Blvd.

Parking near the CN Tower:

Parking in downtown Toronto, like in most big cities, is frustrating and expensive. That said, public parking lots are well-marked and plentiful around the CN Tower. If you're willing to walk 10 mins, you'll find parking prices drop significantly west of Spadina.

Visiting the CN Tower with Kids:

• Admission to CN Tower for children under 3 is free.
• CN Tower is a bustling place with lots of walking -- or waiting in line. Bringing a stroller for younger children is a good idea. Parents can take children in their strollers to all parts of the CN Tower, including the highest observation point -- Sky Pod -- and the fine-dining 360 Restaurant.
• Change stations and family washrooms are available throughout the CN Tower.
• Highchairs are available at 360 Restaurant and Horizons.

CN Tower Admission (as of 2010):

Total Tower Experience:

• Look Out + Glass Floor + Skypod + Movie + Motion Simulator Ride (Must be 107 centimetres, or 42 inches, to ride)
• Express Elevation
• All Ages: Cdn$32.99

Observation Experience:

• Look Out + Glass Floor + Skypod
• $20.99 - $26.99
  
• Look Out + Glass Floor Only:
• $14.99 - $21.99

Attractions Experience:

• Look Out + Glass Floor + Motion Simulator Ride or Movie
• $20.99 - $26.99
  If you plan on visiting other Toronto attractions, consider city pass. Admission to CN Tower and five other popular Toronto attractions is included in one price, saving visitors about $40.

CN Tower Hours:

• CN Tower is open every day except December 25th.
• The tower is open every day from 9am - 11pm..

Food Available at the CN Tower:

Marketplace is a fully licensed family eating area on the ground level with fast food and snacks.

A kiosk on the Look Out level offers nice sandwiches for $7, drinks, ice cream and other snacks.

Horizons is the less formal dining establishment on the Look Out level of the CN Tower. Nevertheless, it's a lot better quality than you'd expect for a tourist attraction restaurant. Far from cafeteria dining, Horizons has all window seating on the Look Out of the CN Tower and a sizeable menu including appetizers and full entrées such as quesadillas, panini, salads, chicken, and a nice selection of beers and wine.

The CN Tower restaurant, 360, is more than just a spectacular view. The recipient of several culinary awards, 360 also features an extraordinary wine list of more than 550 international and Canadian wines. Diners at 360 do not pay regular admission price and get preferential elevator service to the restaurant more than 350 metres (1,150 ft) above.

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Sears Tower in Chicago

Sears Tower

SKYDECK CHICAGO ATTRACTIONS

Whether it is daring to stand out on The Ledge or learning about the Windy City, visitors get a “one stop Chicago” experience on their journey to 103.

• New museum-quality exhibits highlight the iconic tower, and celebrate Chicago’s rich history and culture through captivating visuals.
• Video screens give visitors a sense of what it would be like if theystood on The Ledge, 103 floors above Chicago staples like Wrigley Field, Cloud Gate at Millennium Park or North Avenue Beach.
• New multi-media elevators give visitors one of the fastest rides in the world, while referencing points of interest that match the ascending height.
• A new theater presentation, Reaching for the Sky, tells the story of how the the building and Chicago’s well-known landmarks set architectural standards after the Great Chicago Fire and beyond.
• The Ledge provides unobstructed views of miniature-looking people, taxis and bridges from glass floors 1,353 feet over Wacker Drive and the Chicago River.

 Past & Future 

The Tower Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower) is a 110 story building in the heart of Chicago’s downtown. Willis Tower is not only one of the tallest buildings in the world, it is also a magnificent icon, impossible to miss within Chicago’s skyline.

In 1969, Sears Roebuck and Company was the largest retailer in the world, with about 350,000 employees. They decided they needed one large office space for their many employees. Architects Skidmore, Owings and Merrill were commissioned to design what would become one of the largest office buildings in the world. Fazlur Khan, the structural engineer, designed the “bundled tube” design that handled both wind and gravity.

In August, 1970 ground was broken for the beginning of construction.  Taking three years to complete, Sears Tower was finished in May 1973. The builders used enough concrete to make an eight- lane highway five miles long. Within the building, there are 25 miles of plumbing, 1500 miles of electric wiring , 80 miles of elevator cable, 796 restroom faucets, and more than 145,000 light fixtures.  The last beam put in place was signed by 12,000 construction workers, Sears employees and Chicagoans.

In 1988, Sears Roebuck and Company sold and moved out of the building, but the Sears Tower name remained until 2009 when the building was renamed after the Willis Group, a London- based global insurance broker.

Skydeck Chicago is the observation deck on the 103rd floor of the building. Approximately 1.3 million tourists visit Skydeck Chicago every year. On a clear day, you can see over 50 miles in each direction and see four states. The elevators within the building are among some of the fastest in the world, operating as fast as 1,600 feet per minute. In 2009, Skydeck Chicago opened its newest attraction, The Ledge, 4 glass boxes that extend 4.3 feet outside the Tower and stand 1,353 feet above Wacker Drive. With glass on the ceiling, floor, and all sides, it is truly, an unforgettable experience.

 sears tower structure

Interior

sears tower interior

The Greening of Willis Tower

Willis Tower has accomplished the following in the greening of the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere:

• Partnered with Smith & Gill architectural firm and mechanical engineering firm Environmental Systems Design to identify increased sustainability in building operations and energy savings.
• Contracted with Leonardo Academy to pursue LEED-EB certification.
• Instituted an aggressive building wide recycling program for paper, plastic, glass, aluminum, electronics, and construction waste. Increased building recycling rate from an average of 10 tons per month in 2007 to more than 56 tons per month in 2009.
• Installed low flow water fixtures on building toilets, urinals and faucets, conserving more than 10,000,000 gallons of water annually.
• Installed high-efficiency lighting systems with improved controls to reduce the building’s energy consumption.
• Retrofitted building restroom lighting has been with low energy ballasts, bulbs, and occupancy sensors.
• Shading windows to reduce cooling needs during warm months and heat loss through the windows during colder months.
• Reducing the environmental impact of commuters by providing bike-to-work facilities and hybrid vehicle incentives.
• Implemented a "green" cleaning program to reduce the use of harmful chemicals, improve indoor air quality, and reduce waste.
• Installed a mock-up of world's tallest "green roof" on the 90th floor roof to test its ability to absorb storm water and reduce urban heat island effect.

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Petronas Towers Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Twin towers
petronas towers
picture petronas towers malaysia

 petronas towers

 petronas towers malaysia

petronas towers floors

There are 88 floors altogether in the Petronas Towers.

  Here are some interesting facts about the Petronas Towers:

- combined the towers have 1,000,000m2 of floor space;
- at the 41st and 42nd level a skybridge connects the two towers 170m/558f above the ground.
This bridge is 58.4m/192f long, weighs 750 tons and is open for the public since the end of 2000.
The entrance is free (closed on Monday!), but only a limited amount of timed tickets (800) is given out each day.
Chances are you will have to wait in line quite a while, before you get such a free ticket;
and you're only allowed on the bridge for a mere 10 minutes. Worth it?
Maybe, but instead a visit to the observatory of Menara Kuala Lumpur is much more interesting,
though there is an entrance fee there (of RM15);
- the towers have 32.000 windows;
- the building costs were US $ 1,2 billion;
- the towers were designed to symbolise strength and grace using geometric principles typified in Islamic architecture;
- without pinnacle the buildings are 'only' 378m/1,240f tall;
- the towers are part of the 100-acre KLCC Development.
Other components of the development include the Suria KLCC, a six-story, 93,000 square feet shopping centre
(with 270 specialty shops, cinema's and a food arcade), Menara Maxis, Menara Esso, the 20-hectare KLCC Park,
a 6,000 capacity Surau, the District Cooling Centres to provide air conditioning
and infrastructure works within the vicinity.
The whole complex was built on a former horse-racing track;
- the towers' complex includes an art gallery, an 840-seat concert hall, and an underground parking lot;
the main occupant of the buildings is Petronas, the national oil-company;
- though completed in 1998, the buildings were officially opened on August 28th, 1999;
- each tower contains 80,000 m3 of concrete in strengths up to Grade 80, almost 11,000 tonnes of reinforcement,
and 7,500 tonnes of structural steel beams and trusses.
- when standing in front of the building and looking towards the entrance,
like seen on the picture above on the left (kl015), tower 2 is the building on the left,
and tower 1 is the building on the right.

  
petronas office space programming

The Petronas Towers feature a diamond-faceted facade consisting of 83,500 square meters of stainless steel extrusions. In addition, a 33,000-panel curtain wall cladding system resides within the towers. While the stainless steel element of the towers entices the illustrious sun, highlighting the magnificent towers, they are composed of 55,000 square meters of 20.38 mm laminated glass to reduce heat by reflecting harmful UV rays.

On the top of each tower is a pinnacle standing 73.5 meters tall. The pinnacles were more than just the finishing touches to the height of the towers, each taking over 19 weeks to construct and both being assembled outside the country. One was constructed in Japan and the other in Korea. Each pinnacle is composed of 50 unique parts making up the main components: the spire, mast ball and ring ball. Together these parts weigh 176 tons. While the pinnacles may seem to be an aesthetic feature of the towers to enhance their presence and height, they also play function to aircraft warning lights and are an essential element to the overall Islamic minaret design that the towers embody.

The interiors of the towers highlight the Malaysian cultural inspiration to the design through traditional aspects such as fabric and carvings typical of the culture, specifically evident in the foyer of the entrance halls in the towers.

The construction of the Petronas Towers turned out to be a multinational effort. The structural design engineers worked out of New York City, while the wind-tunnel consultants and elevator design engineers were from Canada. In order to meet local safety construction codes, the towers had to be able to withstand 65 mph winds. In order to assure this requirement would be fulfilled the engineers tested the towers twice within a wind tunnel, first by computer simulation and second by building an actual model of the towers.

The inspiration of architect César Pelli is rooted in the tradition of the culture and the Islamic symbols including the geometric eight-pointed star floor design, the inspiration is mainly from Malaysia’s own ambition and aspiration. As evident in Pelli hoping the skybridge would symbolize a gateway to the future.

 petronas towers construction

 petronas construction

 petronas towers during construction concrete
 column rebar 40 stories

towers

 petronas towers interior

 petronas towers floor plan

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Plam Island

Palm Island Dubai
 largest man made island

dubai palm

man made island in dubai

palm island dubai (first ever man-made island)

The Palm Islands are artificial peninsulas constructed of sand dredged from the bottom of the Persian Gulf by the Belgian company Jan De Nul and the Dutch company Van Oord.

The sand is sprayed by the dredging ships, which are guided by DGPS, onto the required area in a process known as rain-bowing because of the arcs in the air when the sand is sprayed. The outer edge of each Palm’s encircling crescent is a large rock breakwater. The breakwater of the Palm Jumeirah has over seven million tons of rock.

Each rock was placed individually by a crane, signed off by a diver and given a GPS coordinate. The Jan De Nul Group started working on the Palm Jebel Ali in 2002 and had finished by the end of 2006. The reclamation project for the Palm Jebel Ali includes the creation of a four-kilometre-long peninsula, protected by a 200-metre-wide, seventeen-kilometre long circular breakwater.

210,000,000 m3 of rock, sand and limestone were reclaimed (partly originating from the Jebel Ali Entrance Channel dredging works). There are approximately 10,000,000 cubic metres of rocks in the slope protection works.

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Burj khalifa

Burj khalifa

construction Photo

 burj khalifa from top
burj khalifa top images

 Burj Khalifa Top observatory

tom cruise stunt
tom cruise sitting on the very top of the burj-khalifa

Burj Khalifa - previously called the Burj Dubai Our good ole city of Dubai is known for setting the standard and breaking records in terms of construction and architecture, and it is not surprising that the city houses the tallest building in the world as of 2010.

The Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest skyscraper, is the magnificent centerpiece of Downtown Dubai as you can see it.

 The Burj graces the city’s skyline and is surrounded by entertainment centers, shopping destinations, and various first-class hotels in Dubai.It is the tallest among all the Dubai towers.

The construction of the building began on September 21, 2004, and was completed on October 1, 2009.

The building was officially opened on January 4, 2010.
The Burj is a part of the 490-acre flagship development named Downtown Burj Khalifa or Downtown Dubai, located at the “First Interchange” along Sheikh Zayed Road, adjacent to Dubai’s main business district.

The primary contractor for the construction of the building was Samsung C&T of South Korea, who also built the Petronas Twin Towers and the Taipei 101. The Burj is more than just the world’s tallest building.

It is a living wonder, a spectacular work of art, and an incomparable accomplishment of engineering. As of 2010, the Burj has no equal in terms of concept and execution. Kish and I witnessed the construction of this gigantic structure throughout before its official launch.

This wondrous structure is an unparalleled example of global collaboration, an emblematic symbol of progress, and a sign of the new, vibrant, and thriving Middle East.

In less than 30 years, the city transformed from being a regional center to a global city.

The Burj embodies this success which is not brought about by oil reserves, but by ingenious and innovative human talent.
Dubai is notorious for this!

The building is over 800 meters and more than 160 stories tall, and holds the following world records as of 2010: tallest skyscraper to top of spire, tallest structure ever built, tallest extant structure, tallest freestanding structure, building with most floors, world's highest elevator installation, situated inside a rod at the very top of the building, world's fastest elevators at speed of 64 km/h, highest vertical concrete pumping (for a building and any construction), the first world's tallest structure in history to include residential space, and the highest outdoor observation deck in the world.

Here is a picture from the peak of the Burj Khalifa taken by a construction worker during its build-out. The tower is so high, you can actually see the surface of the earth as it curves round. 

While it is unmatched in every aspect, it is the exceptional design of Burj Khalifa that really sets it apart. The architecture features a triple-lobed footprint, which is inspired by the Hymenocallis flower. The tower consists of three elements arranged around a central core.

The modular, Y-shaped structure, with setbacks along each of its three wings provides a naturally stable arrangement for the structure and provides good floor plates. Twenty-six helical levels reduce the cross section of the tower incrementally as it spirals skyward.

The central core surfaces at the top and concludes in a sculpted spire. A Y-shaped floor plan extends views of the Arabian Gulf. Viewed from the base or the air, Burj Khalifa is reminiscent of the onion domes widespread in Islamic architecture. Don’t mean to get all Shakesperean on you, but this structure truly amazes me.

Over 40 wind tunnel tests were conducted on Burj Khalifa to test the effects the wind would have on the tower and its occupants. These ranged from initial tests to validate the wind climate of Dubai, to large structural analysis models and facade pressure tests, to micro-climate analysis of the effects at terraces and around the tower base. Even the temporary conditions during construction were tested with the tower cranes to ensure safety at all times.

Concourse level to level 8 and level 38 and 39 will feature the Armani Hotel Dubai, decorated by couture designer, Giorgio Armani. Levels 9 to 16 will exclusively house plush one and two bedroom Armani Residences. Based on how much the construction plans and dates had changed, I wouldn’t be surprised if these tentative plans shift around as well.

Floors 45 through 108 contain private ultra-luxury residences. The Corporate Suites occupy most of the remaining floors, except for level 122 which is a restaurant and level 124, the tower's public observatory.

The Burj Khalifa was formerly known as Burj Dubai, and was renamed during the opening ceremony in honor of the current President of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan. The reason? Rumor is that Dubai didn’t have the money to finish the construction amidst the global economic crisis that hit in 2008. Abu Dhabi came to the rescue to ensure completion of the project.

When you visit Dubai, The Burj Khalifa is one city structure that is impossible to miss. Definitely highly recommended! 

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