CTBUH Global News
May17

Written by:host
5/17/2012 12:19 PM 

The world's tallest telecom tower, Tokyo Skytree, is set to open May 22 after four years of construction as the main attraction of a 34-story entertainment complex in Tokyo. The tower is expected to boost developer Tobu Railway Co.'s revenue by 28.3 billion yen ($352 million), according to Bloomberg.

The 634-meter (2,080-foot) Tokyo Skytree is more than twice as tall as the Eiffel Tower and surpasses the previously tallest communications tower, Canton Tower in China, by 34 meters. A list of the world's 50 tallest towers can be found here.

The tower, which cost 65 billion yen, will have two observation decks, one at 350 meters and another at 450 meters. Visits up the tower are fully booked through July 11, a Tobu spokesman told Bloomberg.

The Skytree stands on three legs with a central column in the style of a pagoda to make it more earthquake-resistant. Its steel frame changes from a triangle at the base to a circle at the top, and its curves and arches reflect a traditional Samurai sword, according to Tobu’s website.
The company hopes that the tower will increase revenues by providing more rail destinations to attract both local and foreign tourism. A number of Japanese rail companies have built complexes such as Sky Tree to combat decreasing ticket sales, Bloomberg reports.

The Sky Tree retail complex contains more than 300 shops and restaurants, a planetarium and an aquarium.

Watch a video tour of the tower here.

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