Observation deck

Observation deck

The 1793 Puente Nuevo bridge allows viewing from 120 m above the floor of El Tajo canyon.

An observation deck, observation platform or viewing platform is an elevated sightseeing platform usually situated upon a tall architectural structure such as a skyscraper or observation tower. Fitted with railings or fencing for safety, observation decks are sometimes enclosed from weather, as many skyscraper decks, and may include coin operated telescopes for viewing distant features.

Contents

List of public observation decks

Notable public observation decks include the following:

List of public observation decks
Name Built Type Location (sorts by nation) Deck ht (m) Total ht(m) Notes
1 Shanghai World Financial Center 2008 Skyscraper Shanghai &10000000000000474000000474[1] &10000000000000492300000492.3 100th floor, decks also on levels 94 & 97
2 Canton Tower 2011 Steel Tower Guangzhou &10000000000000459199999459.2 &10000000000000600000000600 Additional deck at 433.3m.
3 Burj Khalifa 2010 Skyscraper Dubai &10000000000000452100000452.1[2] &10000000000000828000000828 124th floor, outdoor
4 CN Tower 1976 Concrete tower Toronto &10000000000000446600000446.6 &10000000000000553299999553.3 Two additional observation decks at 342 m (outdoor) & 346 m (indoor).
5 Willis Tower 1974 Skyscraper Chicago &10000000000000412500000412.5 &10000000000000527299999527.3 103rd floor
6 Sky100, International Commerce Centre 2011 Skyscraper Hong Kong &10000000000000393000000393 &10000000000000484000000484 100th floor 360 degree indoor observatory, it's the highest observation deck in Hong Kong.
7 Taipei 101 2004 Skyscraper Taipei &10000000000000391600000391.6 &10000000000000509199999509.2 91st floor's outdoor observatory, it's the previous record of highest outdoor observatory in the world. The 89th floor indoor observatory is 383.2 metres (1,257 ft).
8 Empire State Building 1931 Skyscraper New York City &10000000000000369000000369[3] &10000000000000448699999448.7 102nd floor, additional 86th floor deck (320 m)
9 Oriental Pearl Tower 1994 Concrete tower Shanghai &10000000000000350000000350 &10000000000000468899999468.9 14th floor
10 Jin Mao Tower 1998 Skyscraper Shanghai &10000000000000340100000340.1 &10000000000000421500000421.5
11 Ostankino Tower 1967 Concrete tower Moscow &10000000000000337000000337 &10000000000000540100000540.1
12 John Hancock Center 1969 Skyscraper Chicago &10000000000000313800000313.8 &10000000000000343500000343.5
13 Eureka Tower 2007 Skyscraper Melbourne &10000000000000285000000285 &10000000000000297300000297.3 Skydeck 88 is at a height of 285 m
14 Royal Gorge Bridge 1929 Bridge Colorado &10000000000000291000000291 &10000000000000321000000321 spans Grand Canyon of the Arkansas River
15 1-Altitude Gallery, OUB Centre 2010 Skyscraper Singapore &10000000000000280000000280 &10000000000000280000000280 Rooftop gallery opened in 2010 as a part of 1-Altitude establishment
16 Eiffel Tower 1889 Steel truss tower Paris &10000000000000276100000276.1 &10000000000000324000000324 3rd floor
17 Menara Kuala Lumpur 1996 Concrete tower Kuala Lumpur &10000000000000276000000276 &10000000000000421000000421
18 Columbia Center 1985 Skyscraper Seattle &10000000000000275000000275 &10000000000000284000000284 73rd floor
19 Yokohama Landmark 1993 Skyscraper Yokohama &10000000000000273000000273 &10000000000000296000000296 69th floor
20 Millau Viaduct 2004 Bridge Millau &10000000000000270000000270 &10000000000000343000000343 270 m clearance
21 JPMorgan Chase Tower 1982 Skyscraper Houston &10000000000000268199999268.2 &10000000000000305399999305.4 60th floor
22 Stratosphere Tower 1996 Concrete tower Las Vegas &10000000000000266000000266 &10000000000000350199999350.2 9th floor
23 Vajont Dam 1961 Dam Erto e Casso &10000000000000261600000261.6 &10000000000000261600000261.6 "disused"
24 GE Building 1933 Skyscraper New York City &10000000000000259100000259.1 &10000000000000259100000259.1 70th floor ("Top of the Rock")
25 Tianjin Tower 1991 Concrete tower Tianjin &10000000000000253000000253 &10000000000000415199999415.2 "observation pod"
26 Mauvoisin Dam 1957 Dam Bagnes &10000000000000250000000250 &10000000000000250000000250 raised 13.5 m in 1991
27 Tokyo Tower 1958 Steel truss tower Tokyo &10000000000000249900000249.9 &10000000000000332600000332.6 6th floor
28 CCTV Tower 1992 Concrete tower Beijing &10000000000000238000000238 &10000000000000386500000386.5
29 Q1 2005 Skyscraper Gold Coast &10000000000000230000000230 &10000000000000323000000323 77th floor (SkyPoint), with the function hall on the 78th
31 Rialto Towers 1986 Office Melbourne &10000000000000225000000225 &10000000000000242300000242.3
32 Sky Tower 1997 Concrete tower Auckland &10000000000000220000000220 &10000000000000328000000328
33 Verzasca Dam 1965 Dam Ticino &10000000000000220000000220 &10000000000000220000000220
34 Mratinje Dam 1975 Dam Mratinje &10000000000000220000000220 &10000000000000220000000220 in Plužine municipality[1]
35 Westin Peachtree 1973 Skyscraper Atlanta &10000000000000220000000220 &10000000000000220000000220 73rd floor
36 Prudential Tower 1964 Skyscraper Boston &10000000000000213000000213[4] &10000000000000228000000228 50th floor ("Prudential Skywalk")
37 Detroit Marriott 1977 Skyscraper Detroit &10000000000000212300000212.3 &10000000000000221500000221.5 70th floor
38 Tour Montparnasse 1972 Skyscraper Paris &10000000000000209000000209 &10000000000000209000000209
39 Fernsehturm Berlin 1969 Concrete tower Berlin &10000000000000203780000203.78 &10000000000000368029999368.03
40 Almendra Dam 1970 Dam Almendra &10000000000000202000000202 &10000000000000202000000202
41 Kölnbrein Dam 1979 Dam Malta &10000000000000200000000200 &10000000000000200000000200
42 Maintower 1999 Skyscraper Frankfurt &10000000000000200000000200 &10000000000000240000000240
43 Olympiaturm 1968 Concrete tower Munich &10000000000000192000000192 &10000000000000291000000291
44 Gateway Arch 1965 steel/concrete St Louis ~&10000000000000185000000185 &10000000000000192000000192
45 Bitexco Financial Tower 2010 Skyscraper Ho Chi Minh City &10000000000000181000000181 &10000000000000262500000262.5 47th floor
46 Tower of the Americas 1968 Concrete tower San Antonio &10000000000000176000000176.0 &10000000000000229000000229.0
47 Olympic Stadium 1987 Concrete tower Montreal &10000000000000175000000175 &10000000000000175000000175
48 Rheinturm 1982 Concrete tower Düsseldorf &10000000000000174500000174.5 &10000000000000240500000240.5
49 Carew Tower 1931 Skyscraper Cincinnati &10000000000000171300000171.3 &10000000000000175000000175.0 roof observation deck
50 Reunion Tower 1978 Concrete tower Dallas &10000000000000170699999170.7 &10000000000000170699999170.7
51 Petronas Tower 1998 Steel tower Kuala Lumpur &10000000000000170000000170.0 &10000000000000452899999452.9 skybridge between the two towers on 41st and 42nd floors
52 Space Needle 1962 Steel tower Seattle &10000000000000158500000158.5 &10000000000000184400000184.4
53 Calgary Tower 1968 Concrete tower Calgary &10000000000000157500000157.5 &10000000000000190800000190.8
54 Las Vegas Eiffel Tower 1999 Steel tower Paradise &10000000000000140199999140.2 &10000000000000164599999164.6 ½ scale (originally to be full-sized)
55 Foshay Tower 1929 Skyscraper Minneapolis &10000000000000136199999136.2 &10000000000000185000000185 30th floor
56 Custom House Tower 1915 Skyscraper Boston &10000000000000136000000136 &10000000000000151000000151 26th floor
57 Avala Tower 2009 Concrete tower Belgrade &10000000000000135000000135 &10000000000000204500000204.5
58 Kansas City City Hall 1937 Skyscraper Kansas City &10000000000000135000000135 &10000000000000151000000151 30th floor
59 Penobscot Observatory 2007 bridge tower Penobscot R &10000000000000133000000133[5] &10000000000000136000000136 3rd level (1st & 2nd levels @ 122 & 128 m)
60 Edifice Marie-Guyart 1972 Skyscraper Quebec City &10000000000000126500000126.5 &10000000000000126500000126.5 31st floor
61 Smith Tower 1914 Skyscraper Seattle &10000000000000122000000122 &10000000000000141000000141 35th floor
62 Kuwait viewing sphere 1979 Concrete tower Kuwait City &10000000000000120000000120 &10000000000000187000000187 (1990 Liberation Tower of ~300 m is not open to public)
63 National Monument (Indonesia) 1975 Obelisk Monument Jakarta &10000000000000115000000115 &10000000000000132000000132
64 KölnTriangle 2006 Skyscraper Cologne &10000000000000103200000103.2 &10000000000000103200000103.2 29th floor[6]
65 Faro de Moncloa 1992 Concrete Tower Madrid &1000000000000009000000090 &10000000000000110000000110
66 Statue of Liberty 1886 Statue Liberty Island &1000000000000008000000080 &1000000000000009300000093[7] crown level (~90 m torch level closed to public in 1916)[2]
67 Liberty Memorial 1926 Concrete tower Kansas City &1000000000000006600000066 &1000000000000006600000066
68 Coit Tower 1933 Concrete tower San Francisco &1000000000000006400000064 &1000000000000006400000064
69 Mt Washington towers 2000 Steel Structure Pittsburgh &1000000000000006600000066 &1000000000000006600000066 towers overlook Downtown Pittsburgh
70 John Hancock Tower 1976 Skyscraper Boston &1000000000000006000000060 &10000000000000241000000241 Closed to the public since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.[8]

List of highest observation decks by type

Type Name and Location Constructed Height Notes
Enclosed Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai, China 2008 474 m (1,555 ft)
Outdoor Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 2010 452.1 m (1,483 ft)
On skyscraper Shanghai World Financial Center, Shanghai, China 2008 474 m (1,555 ft)
On tower Canton Tower, Guangzhou, China 2011 459.2 m (1,507 ft)
Bridge Royal Gorge Bridge 1929 291 m (955 ft) Above water level.
Dam Vajont Dam 1959 262 m (860 ft) Dependant on weather and whether open to the public.
Demolished One & Two World Trade Center (article), New York City, USA 1972 & 1973 420 m (1,378 ft) Destroyed during the September 11 attacks.

Timeline of world's highest observation decks

This is a timeline of the development of world's highest observation decks since inauguration of the Eiffel Tower in 1889.

Held record Name and Location Constructed Height of highest observation deck Notes
From To
1889 1931 Eiffel Tower, Paris, France 1889 275 m (902 ft) Two further observation decks 57 & 115 m.
1931 1973 Empire State Building, New York City, USA 1931 369 m (1,211 ft)[3] A second observation deck is located on the 86th floor at 320 metres above ground.
1973 1974 World Trade Center, New York City, USA (article) 1973 399.4 m (1,310 ft) Indoor observatory on the 107th floor of South Tower opened on April 4, 1973. Destroyed during the September 11 attacks.
1974 1975 Willis Tower, Chicago, USA 1974 412.4 m (1,353 ft) 103rd floor observation deck opened on June 22, 1974
1975 1976 World Trade Center, New York City, USA (article) 1973 420 m (1,378 ft) Outdoor observatory on rooftop of the South Tower opened on December 15, 1975. Destroyed during the September 11 attacks.
1976 2008 CN Tower, Toronto, Canada 1976 446.5 m (1,465 ft) Two further observation decks 342 and 346 metres above ground.
2008 - Shanghai World Financial Centre, Shanghai, People's Republic of China 2008 474 m (1,555 ft) Other observation decks are at 423 m (1,388 ft) and 439 m (1,440 ft).

See also

References