Haydain Neale, 1970–2009
The Making of a Medley
Transit City and Transit Cities
The Daily Photoist: November 23, 2009
Come 2011, Tokyo – not Toronto – will have the world's tallest freestanding structure. According to the CP, plans are in the works for a broadcast tower (simply named "New Tokyo Tower") that, when completed, will stand at 613.5 metres, eclipsing the CN Tower's impressive-but-not-big-enough-this-time 553 metres.
The new tower, designed by architect Tadao Ando and sculptor Kiichi Sumikawa "will stand on a triangular foundation, but its slender body will turn into a cylinder as it stretches upward, its bluish-silver colour blending into the sky."
Well, that's probably not a terrific idea – an incredibly tall structure that gently blends into the sky. We hope that those flying cars that will certainly exist by 2011 have some kind of built-in tower sensors.
As for Toronto, we'll be fine. We've got other world-famous structures! Just look at Torontoist's logo! We've still got...OCAD! And...City Hall. And...a streetcar? Shit.
Photo from Iamkevin in the Torontoist + Flickr Group.
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In the Trivia Guys' newest book Whatever Happend To?: Catching Up With Canadian Icons, they tracked-down CD Tower architect John Andrews in Australia, and he said that the CN Tower wasn't his favourite work.
I love, love, love the CN Tower. There's nothing that makes me think so much like I'm coming home when I see it from far away, and the fact that it still looks entirely modern and contemporary is a testament to the design. Andrews avoided the "Dixie cup on a stick" that towers like this too aften have. I'd say it's more of a "UFO on a skewer" and it's gorgeously proportioned.
On the topic of Australia, there were also plans to make a 1000 metre thingy in the middle of the desert a few years ago, but this was probably just a pipe dream.
maybe this will finally give us a reason to really pay attention to what we're building - we'll no longer be able to simply toss off awful architecture by alluding to the fact that the cn tower is the tallest. also, we'll be forced to create better things to advertise to tourists.
First Tokyo gets a replica of theEiffel Tower (in 1958) and now they plan to outreach the CN Tower with a tower of similar design?
Should Toronto declare war on Tokyo?
This reminds me, I've lived in the city for about 7 years now and I still haven't been up the CN Tower.
rek: Don't even try on the weekend. On its best day, the CN Tower has abysmally long lines. The higher observation deck above the Skypod costs more and it's a separate rickety elevator ride, but I think it's the much better and scarier view. It's also a tight squeeze.
I'll bet there are loads of Torontonians who haven't got around to going up the tower yet. If you're eating at 360º, you'll jump the queue. If you ever find yourself down there and the line is just way too long, walk over to Steam Whistle Brewery for a free tour, which is actually more interesting than it sounds (i.e. learning the difference between "pilsner" and "pilsener"). They give you free beer too.