Tokyo Sky Tree

Tokyo Sky Tree
東京スカイツリー
Tokyo Sky Tree under construction 634 m October 2011
General information
Status	Topped-out
Type	Broadcast, restaurant, and observation tower
Location	Sumida, Tokyo, Japan
Coordinates
Construction started	14 July 2008
Estimated completion	February 2012
Opening	22 May 2012
Cost	40 billion JPY (440 million USD)
Height
Antenna spire	634.0 m (2,080 ft)
Roof	495.0 m (1,624 ft)
Top floor	450.0 m (1,476 ft)
Technical details
Elevator count	13
Design and construction
Owner	Tobu Tower Sky Tree Co., Ltd.
Main contractor	Obayashi Corp.
Architect	Nikken Sekkei
Developer	Tobu Railway
Website
www.tokyo-skytree.jp/english/

The Tokyo Sky Tree (東京スカイツリー, Tōkyō Sukai Tsurī^?), formerly known as New Tokyo Tower (新東京タワー, Shin Tōkyō Tawā^?), is a broadcasting, restaurant and observation tower under construction in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. It has been the tallest artificial structure in Japan since 2010.^[1] The tower reached its full height of 634.0 metres (2,080 ft) in March 2011 but will not be finished until at least February 2012.

The project is being led by Tobu Railway and a group of six terrestrial broadcasters (headed by public broadcaster NHK). Construction of the tower is scheduled to be completed by February 2012, with the public opening on 22 May 2012.^[2] The completed structure will be the centrepiece of a massive commercial development located equidistant from Narihirabashi Station and Oshiage Station.

One of Tokyo Sky Tree's main purposes is as a television and radio broadcasting tower. Tokyo's current broadcasting tower, Tokyo Tower, is at 333 m (1,093 ft), and is no longer tall enough to give complete digital terrestrial television broadcasting coverage because it is surrounded by many high-rise buildings.

The Tokyo Sky Tree is currently the tallest tower in the world. It is taller than Canton Tower (600 m (1,969 ft)); the tallest structure on an island, taller than Taipei 101; and the second tallest structure in the world, after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Contents 1 Design 1.1 Color 1.2 Illumination 2 Naming and height 3 Broadcasting use 3.1 Television broadcasters 3.2 FM radio broadcasters 4 Timeline 4.1 2008 4.2 2009 4.3 2010 4.4 2011 5 Construction progress 6 See also 7 References 7.1 General 7.2 Specific 8 External links

Design

The design was published on 24 November 2006, based on the following three concepts.

• Fusion of futuristic design and traditional beauty of Japan
• Catalyst for revitalization of the city
• Contribution to disaster prevention "Safety and Security"

The base of the tower has a structure similar to a "tripod", but from a height of about 350 m and above, the tower's structure is cylindrical to withstand very strong winds.

The tower also has state-of-the-art seismic proofing, including a central shaft made of reinforced concrete.

Color

The exterior lattice is painted a color officially called "Sky Tree White". This is an original color based on a bluish white Japanese traditional color called aijiro (藍白^?).^[3]

Illumination

The illumination design was published on 16 October 2009. Two different illumination patterns (Sky blue and Purple) will be used, alternately daily. The tower will be illuminated using LED lights.

Naming and height

From 26 October to 25 November 2007, suggestions were collected from the general public for the name to be given to the new tower. On 19 March 2008, a committee chose six final candidate names: Tokyo Edo Tower, Tokyo Sky Tree, Mirai Tree, Yumemi Yagura, Rising East Tower, and Rising Tower, with the official name to be decided in a nationwide vote. On 10 June 2008 the official name of the tower was announced as "Tokyo Sky Tree". The name received around 33,000 votes (30%) out of 110,000 cast, with the second most popular name being "Tokyo Edo Tower".^[4]

The height of 634 m was selected to have a height that is easy to be remembered. The figures 6 (mu), 3 (sa), 4 (shi) stand for "Musashi" an old name of the region where the Tokyo Sky Tree stands.

Broadcasting use

Tokyo Sky Tree will be used as a communications tower for a number of different media and by numerous companies.

Television broadcasters

Channel	Channel name	Callsign	Signal power	Broadcast area
1	NHK General TV / NHK G (GTV)	JOAK-DTV	10 kW	Kantō (except Ibaraki Prefecture)
2	NHK Educational TV / NHK E (ETV)	JOAB-DTV		All Japan
4	Nippon Television / Nittele (NTV)	JOAX-DTV		All Kantō
5	TV Asahi / Tele-Asa (EX)	JOEX-DTV
6	TBS	JORX-DTV
7	TV Tokyo / Teleto (TX)	JOTX-DTV
8	Fuji Television (CX)	JOCX-DTV
9	Tokyo Metropolitan Television / Tokyo MX	JOMX-DTV	3 kW	Tokyo

FM radio broadcasters

Frequency	Station name	Callsign	ERP	Broadcast area
81.3 MHz	J-WAVE	JOAV-FM	44 kW	Tokyo
82.5 MHz	NHK Tokyo FM	JOAK-FM

Timeline

2008

• 14 July 2008: A ceremony was held at the site to mark the start of construction.^[5]

2009

• 6 April 2009: The foundations for the three main legs were completed.^[6]
• 7 August 2009: The tower reached a height of 100 m.^[7]
• 16 October 2009: The projected height was increased from 610 m to 634 m to make it the highest self-supporting steel tower. 6-3-4 is Mu-sa-shi in Japanese wordplay goroawase.^[8]
• 10 November 2009: The tower reached a height of 200 m.^[9]

2010

• 16 February 2010: The tower reached a height of 300 m.^[10]
• 29 March 2010: The tower reached a height of 338 m, becoming the tallest structure in Japan.^[1]
• 24 April 2010: A 1:25 scale model of the Tokyo Sky Tree was unveiled at the Tobu World Square theme park in Nikkō, Tochigi.^[11]
• 30 July 2010: The tower topped 400 m, reaching a height of 408 m.^[12]
• 11 September 2010: The tower reached 461 m, becoming the tallest structure ever built in Japan, surpassing the dismantled Tsushima Omega tower of 455 m.^[13]
• 23 October 2010: The tower reached a height of 497 m, and assembly of the main tower section was completed.
• 20 November 2010: Two tuned mass dampers with a total weight of 100 tons were temporarily placed on the tower tip at 497 m.^[14][15]
• 1 December 2010: The tower topped the 500 m mark and reached a height of 511 m, beating Taipei 101 (509 m). A lightning conductor and two tuned mass dampers were docked to the gain tower, which was gradually lifted within the central shaft.^[16]
• 16 December 2010: Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications approved NHK and five TV key stations in Tokyo's plans to install their broadcasting facilities on the tower.^[17]
• 18 December 2010: The transmitting antenna for digital terrestrial television began to be installed.

2011

• 1 March 2011: The tower topped the 600 m mark and reached a height of 604 m, beating Canton Tower (600 m) and becoming the world's tallest tower.^[18][19]
• 12 March 2011: The tower reached a height of 625 m. A full inspection was made, looking for possible damage by the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and its aftershocks.
• 18 March 2011: The tower reached its final height of 634 m at 1:34 p.m. JST.^[20]
• 23 May 2011: Dismantling four tower cranes one by one, continue till mid-July.^[21]
• 7 June 2011: Announced public opening date of Tokyo Sky Tree Town and entrance fee (Adults: 2,000 yen to 350 m level; extra 1,000 yen to 450 m level) to observation floors. ^[22]
• 17 November 2011: Guinness World Records certified the Tokyo Sky Tree as the tallest free-standing tower.^[23]

Construction progress

See also

• Tokyo Tower
• Sky City 1000
• List of tallest structures in Japan
• List of tallest freestanding structures in the world

References

General

Specific

External links

• Official website (English)
• Tokyo Sky Tree construction site webcam (available Monday–Saturday 9:00–17:00 Japan Standard Time only) (Japanese)
• Tokyo Sky Tree Live Camera from American Home Assurance Company near Kinshichō Station (Japanese)

Skyscrapers and towers in Tokyo List of tallest structures in Tokyo Completed Over 300 m Tokyo Tower (333 m, 1958) 200–300 m Midtown Tower (248 m, 2007) · Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building No. 1 (243 m, 1991) · NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building (240 m, 2000) · Sunshine 60 (240 m, 1978) · Roppongi Hills Mori Tower (238 m, 2003) · Shinjuku Park Tower (235 m, 1994) · Tokyo Opera City Tower (234 m, 1996) · Shinjuku Mitsui Building (225 m, 1974) · Shinjuku Center Building (223 m, 1979) · Saint Luke's Tower (221 m, 1994) · Izumi Garden Tower (216 m, 2002) · Shiodome City Center (216 m, 2003) · Dentsu Building (213 m, 2002) · Shinjuku Sumitomo Building (210 m, 1974) · GranTokyo North Tower (205 m, 2007) · GranTokyo South Tower (205 m, 2007) · Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower (204 m, 2008) · Shinjuku Nomura Building (203 m, 1978) 180–200 m Shin-Marunouchi Building (198 m, 2007) · Harumi Island Triton Square Tower X (195 m, 2001) · Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower (195 m, 2005) · Sannō Park Tower (195 m, 2000) · Sompo Japan Building (193 m, 1976) · Nittele Tower (193 m, 2003) · Sea Tower (192 m, 2008) · Mid Tower (192 m, 2008) · Acty Shiodome (190 m, 2004) · Shinjuku I-Land Tower (189 m, 1994) · Atago Green Hills Mori Tower (188 m, 2001) · Cerulean Tower (184 m, 2001) · Sumitomo Real Estate Shinjuku Oak Tower (184 m, 2002) · Century Park Tower (180 m, 1999) · NEC Supertower (180 m, 1990) · JA Building (180 m, 2009) · Park City Toyosu Building A (180 m, 2008) · Keio Plaza Hotel North Tower (180 m, 1971) 160–180 m Sumitomo Fudosan Mita Twin Buildings (179.3 m, 2006) · Marunouchi Building (179 m, 2002) · W-Comfort Towers (178.5 m, 2004) · Marunouchi Trust Tower Main Building (178 m, 2008) · Toshiba Building (165.9 m, 1984) · Shiodome Media Tower (172.6 m, 2003) · Kasumigaseki Common Gate Towers (175.8 m, 2007) · World Trade Center (Tokyo) (162.6 m, 1970) · Tokyo Shiodome Building (173.2 m, 2005) · Park Axis Aoyama 1-chome Tower (172.4 m, 2007) · Royal Park Shiodome Tower (172 m, 2003) · City Towers Toyosu The Twin (171.2 m, 2009) · Marunouchi Park Building (170.1 m, 2009) · JT Building (169.7 m, 1995) · Bay City Harumi Sky Link Tower (169 m m, 2009) · Central Park Tower La Tour Shinjuku (167.8 m, 2010) · Capital Mark Tower (167.3 m, 2007) · Sapia Tower (167.2 m, 2007) · Yebisu Garden Place Tower (167 m, 1994) · Kita-Shinjuku Area Redevelopment Plan Office Tower (166.5 m, 2011) · Naka-Meguro Atlas Tower (165 m, 2009) · Marunouchi Kitaguchi Building (147.4 m, 2004) · Tokyo Twin Parks (165 m, 2002) · Triton View Tower (165 m, 1998) · Toyosu Center Building (165 m, 1992) · Tokyo Building (164.1 m, 2005) · Akasaka Tower Residence (162 m, 2008) · Shinjuku Maynds Tower (161.1 m, 1995) · Shibaura Island Cape Tower (161 m, 2006) · Nippon Seimei Marunouchi Building (160 m, 2004) · 150–160 m Concieria Nishi-Shinjuku Tower's West (159.8 m, 2008) · Tornare Nihombashi-Hamacho (159.7 m, 2005) · Roppongi Hills Residences (159 m, 2003) · Brillia Tower Tokyo (158.9 m, 2006) · Prudential Tower (158.4 m, 2002) · Bunkyo Civic Center (145.7 m, 1994) · Shiroyama JT Trust Tower (147.7 m, 1991) · Park Court Akasaka The Tower (157.3 m, 2009) · Atago Green Hills Forest Tower (157 m, 2001) · Plaza Tower Kachidoki (155.2 m, 2004) · The Toyosu Tower (155 m, 2008) · Tokyo Dome Hotel (155 m, 2000) · Tokyo Gas Co. Headquarters (155.7 m, 1984) · KDDI Otemachi Building (155.4 m, 1990) · Takanawa The Residence (153.9 m, 2005) · Toranomon Towers Residence (153.5 m, 2006) · Ark Mori Building (153.3 m, 1986) · Toyosu 3-Chome Area 8-4 Plan (153 m, 2010) · Station Garden Tower (153 m, 2008) · Tokyo Sankei New Building (152.4 m, 2000) · JPower Headquarters (153 m, 1987) · Park Tower Gran Sky (152.9 m, 2010) · Garden Air Tower (152.6 m, 2003) · Shinagawa East One Tower (151.6 m, 2003) · Shiba-Koen First Building (151.2 m, 2000) · Futako-Tamagawa Rise Tower & Residence Tower East (151.1 m, 2010) · Odakyu Southern Tower (150.8 m m, 1998) · Air Rise Tower (150.5 m, 2007) · JR East Japan Building (150.2 m, 1997) · Nihon Keizai Shimbun Tokyo Headquarters Building (150 m, 2009) · Kudanshita 3rd Government Building - Chiyoda Ward Office (150 m, 2007) · Taiyo Seimei Shinagawa Building (150 m, 2003) · Granpark Tower (150 m, 1996) · 140–150 m Shinagawa Grand Central Tower (149.8 m, 2003) · Pacific Century Place (149.8 m, 2001) · Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Building (148.5 m, 2003) · Mitsubishi UFJ Trust & Banking Corporation Head Office (148.4 m, 2003) · Canon S Tower (147.7 m, 2003) · Akihabara Dai Building (147.5 m, 2005) · Toyosu Center Building Annex (147.4 m, 2006  · BEACON Tower Residence (147 m, 2009) · Meiji Yasuda Seimei Building (146.8 m, 2004) · Fujisoft Akihabara Building (146.7 m, 2007) · Canal First Tower (145.5 m, 2008) · NTT DoCoMo Shinagawa Building (145.1 m, 2003) · River City 21 East Towers (144.9 m, 2000) · Sumitomo Fudosan Aobadai Tower (144.5 m, 2009) · Shinagawa Intercity Towers (144.5 m, 1998) · Hotel New Otani Tokyo Tower (144.5 m, 1974) · Toyosu Ciel Tower (144.4 m, 2006) · Apple Tower (143 m, 2007) · Shinagawa V-Tower (143 m, 2003) · Shinagawa Prince Hotel New Tower (143 m, 1994) · Mizuho Bank Headquarters (142.5 m, 1980) · Regale Nihombashi-Ningyocho (142.2 m, 2007) · Shirokane Tower (141.9 m, 2005) · Hikifune Station Front Area 1 Redevelopment (141.6 m, 2009) · Akasaka Park Building (141 m, 1993) · City Tower Shinagawa (140.9 m, 2008) · ThinkPark Tower (140.5 m, 2007) · Shinjuku Kokusai Building - Hilton Tokyo (141 m, 1984) · NHK Broadcasting Center (140.1 m, 1973) · 130–140 m Station Plaza Tower (139.9 m, 2009) · Sumitomo Fudosan Nishi-Shinjuku Building (139.9 m, 2009) · World City Towers (139.9 m, 2007) · Olinas Tower (139.3 m, 2006) · Kokusai Shin-Akasaka East Building (139.3 m, 1980) · Toyosu ON Building (139 m, 1992) · River City 21 Skylight Tower (139 m, 1990) · Shibuya Cross Tower (134.1 m, 1975) · Akasaka Prince Hotel (138.9 m, 1982) · World City Towers Aqua Tower (138.7 m, 2006) · The Tower Grandia (138.7 m, 2004) · Tokyo Times Tower (138.5 m, 2004) · Roppongi T-CUBE (138.5 m, 2003) · Venasis Kanamachi Tower Residence (138.2 m, 2009) · Royal Parks Tower Minami-Senju (138 m, 2008) · Kawadacho Comfo Garden (138 m, 2003) · Otemachi Nomura Building (138 m, 1997) · Proud Tower Chiyoda Fujimi (137 m, 2009) · Cosmopolis Shinagawa (137 m, 2005) · Bay Crest Tower (136.6 m, 2005) · Renaissance Tower Ueno-Ikenohata (136.5 m, 2005) · Nippon Express Headquarters (136.5 m, 2003) · Crest Prime Tower Shiba (136.4 m, 2007) · Century Tower (136 m, 1991) · Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters (135.6 m, 1973) · Chiyoda First Building West (135 m, 2004) · NTT DoCoMo Sumida Building (135 m, 2003) · Akasaka Intercity (134.8 m, 2005) · Hotel New Otani Garden Court (134.7 m, 1991) · Vanguard Tower (134.6 m, 2007) · Riverside Sumida Center (134.4 m, 1994) · The Garden Towers (134.3 m, 1998) · Yoyogi Seminar Tower Obelisk (134 m, 2008) · Nakano-Sakaue Sun Bright Twin (134 m, 1996) · Moon Island Tower (133.8 m, 2002) · Shinjuku NS Building (133.7 m, 1982) · Shiodome Building (133.5 m, 2007) · Tokyo ANA Tower (133 m, 1986) · Kogakuin University Shinjuku Building (132.9 m, 1989) · Sumitomo Realty Shiba-Koen Tower (132.6 m, 2001) · NTT Data Shinagawa Building (132.3 m, 2003) · River City 21 River Point Tower (132 m, 1989) · Shin-Gofukubashi Building (132 m, 1979) · City Tower Shinjuku Shintoshin (130.6 m, 2005) · The Center Tokyo (130 m, 2007) · River Harp Tower Building 2 (130 m, 2000) · Tomin Tower Shinonome (130 m, 1996) · Sunshine City Prince Hotel (130 m, 1980) · Under construction Tokyo Sky Tree (634 m, 2011) · JP Tower (200 m, 2011) · Nishi-Shinjuku 8-chome Naruko Area Redevelopment (196 m, 2011) · Kachidoki View Tower (192 m, 2010) · Higashi-Ikebukuro 4-chome Redevelopment Project (189 m, 2011) Buildings listed in order of height and with year of completion Category ·  Commons

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