CN Tower in Toronto, Canada

CN TowerThe CN Tower, located in Toronto, Ontario, is a 553.3 m-high concrete communication and observation tower at the highest point in Canada. The tower is named for Canadian National Railroad, which built it. It was completed and finished in 1976 on formerly railway properties. The CN Tower, which stands at the top of a flagpole in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is the world’s tallest free-standing structure (not including antennae); it was erected in 1973.

 

History

In 1968, the Canadian National Railway (CN) proposed to construct a huge television and radio transmission tower in Toronto to serve the region and display the country’s industrial might. The idea for the complex became more concrete over the following several years, and it was completed in 1972.

 

The tower would have been part of Metro Centre, a large development on the Railway Lands south of Front Street phased out in 1965 (then known as Toronto Yard).NCK Engineering was the structural engineer for the project, and John Andrews Architects; Webb, Zerafa, Menkes & Housden Architects; Foundation Building Construction; and Canyon (Eastern Structural Division) were among its key design team members. The original design for the tower included three independent cylindrical “pillars” linked at various heights by structural bridges. This design would have been significantly shorter if it had been constructed, with the metal antenna positioned approximately where the concrete section between the primary level and SkyPod is. As the design grew, it became the current form with a single continuous hexagonal core to the SkyPod. Three support legs blended into the hexagon below the main level, forming a big Y-shape structure at ground level. The legs were blended into the hexagon to provide additional support.

 

The tower is the centerpiece of the Toronto skyline and remains a significant tourist attraction, attracting more than two million international visitors annually. It is also recognized as a National Historic Site of Canada.

 

Construction

Construction of the main level began in August 1974. To raise the tower, 45 hydraulic jacks connected to cables strung from a temporary steel crown were raised using a temporary steel crown. It took approximately a week to crawl up to their ultimate location. Brackets for the primary level and a foundation for the main level were manufactured from these forms. The Space Deck (now known as SkyPod) was made of concrete poured into a wooden frame connected to rebar at the lower level deck and then reinforced with a big steel compression band around the outside.

 

The station was designed in 1993, and construction began the following year. In 1996, after two years of work, plans for Metro Centre were abandoned because it would have been isolated on the Railway Lands in an otherwise largely unused light industrial environment. The tower’s location on the water prevented access by tourists, and there were reports of people being turned away. “All of the logic that directed the design of the lower living quarters has been thrown into confusion,” wrote Ned Baldwin, one of the project architects with John Andrews, in a letter. “I am willing to wager that Canadian National would never have built the tower had it not been for this odd situation.” To make Metro Centre more attractive, Canadian National agreed to donate the CN Tower to the City of Toronto in exchange for an exemption from property taxes. Toronto City Council approved the donation on April 26, 1976.

 

Why is CN Tower Toronto so famous?

The CN Tower is a 553.3 m-high (1,815.4 ft) concrete communications and observation tower located in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Built on the former Railway Lands, it was completed in 1976, becoming the world’s tallest free-standing structure and its tallest tower. It held both records for 34 years until the completion of Burj Khalifa and Canton Tower in 2010. It remains the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere, a signature icon of Toronto’s skyline, and a symbol of Canada. The CN Tower is a World Federation of Great Towers (WFGT) member. Restaurant 360 is located almost entirely around the outer circumference of the main floor of the CN Tower and serves Canadian cuisine. It revolves slowly, offering diners a panoramic view of Toronto as they eat. The telecommunications industry uses the CN Tower as a base for numerous microwave and radio antennas carrying FM radio signals from local broadcasters to local communities across southern Ontario, thereby extending their broadcast range without interfering with each other. Receivers on top of nearby buildings can also be used as an alternate means of picking up these signals clearly when line-of-sight conditions are poor due to weather or other circumstances.

Visit CN Tower Today!

The CN Tower is one of Toronto’s most famous landmarks, and it is one of the most recognizable structures in the world. The tower was built in 1976, and it is 553.3 meters (1,815 feet) tall. It is the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere, and it is also the 9th tallest building in the world. The CN Tower has two observation decks, one at 346 meters (1,136 feet) and one at 447 meters (1,465 feet). The tower also has a revolving restaurant called 360 at 1,151 meters (3,776 feet). The CN Tower is lit up every night with different colors to celebrate special occasions. The tower is also a center for telecommunications in Toronto, and it has an antenna used for television and radio signals. The CN Tower is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Toronto, and it attracts more than two million international visitors every year.