CN Tower, Construction Documentary The World's Tallest, 1975-2007 To The Top скачать в хорошем качестве

CN Tower, Construction Documentary The World's Tallest, 1975-2007 To The Top

CN Tower, broadcast and telecommunications tower in Toronto. Standing at a height of 1,815 feet (553 metres), it was the world’s tallest freestanding structure until 2007, when it was surpassed by the Burj Dubai building in Dubayy (Dubai), U.A.E. Construction of CN Tower began in February 1973 and involved more than 1,500 workers; the tower was completed in February 1974, and the attachment of its antenna was finished in April 1975. First opened to the public on June 26, 1976, CN Tower was built by Canadian National Railway Company and was initially privately owned, but ownership of the tower was transferred to the Canadian government in 1995; it is now managed by a public corporation. CN Tower, whose designers included John Andrews, Webb Zerafa, Menkes Housden, and E.R. Baldwin, is by far Toronto’s most distinctive landmark. It is a major tourist attraction that includes observation decks, a revolving restaurant at some 1,151 feet (351 metres), and an entertainment complex. It is also a centre for telecommunications in Toronto. This iconic project was originally initiated by the Canadian National Railways and the official design of the structure started in 1972. Constructed on former railway lands, the ambitious construction project was led by Canada Cement Company. The CN Tower represents the rapid growth and urbanization of Toronto during the late 1960s to early 1970s. In 1973, the construction was officially started with excavating the base of the structure. Why build so high? According to the CN Tower website, the 1960s brought a boom in the construction of high-rise buildings and skyscrapers: “These buildings caused serious communications problems for existing transmission towers, which were simply not high enough to broadcast over the new buildings. Signals bounced off the buildings creating poor television and radio reception for residents. With its microwave receptors at 338 m (1,109 ft.) and at the 553.33m (1,815 ft., 5 inches) antenna, the CN Tower swiftly solved the communications problems with room to spare and as a result, people living in the Toronto area now enjoy some of the clearest reception in North America. Breaking the world height record and establishing Toronto’s tower as the tallest was also a consideration. Eventually the design would erase the record held by Moscow’s Ostankino tower. According to an article in the Urban Toronto website: “There was also the question of just how high the tower should go, coupled with the very real possibility that a world record could be broken. President and CEO of Canadian National Robert Bandeen, described by Quinn as a “visionary with artistic sense”, pushed for a height surpassing that of the Ostankino Tower. His wish would be granted — the tower’s final height measured 553.3 metres, trumping Moscow’s landmark by 13 metres. The structural designers were well aware that this was going to be one of the tallest structures in the world and took the appropriate design measures to ensure the safety of the structure. The construction took place in several phases. Several design modifications took place during construction to maintain the structural integrity of the structure. The CN Tower construction project involved over 1,500 workers who worked in shifts, 24 hours a day, five days a week for 40 months to complete the structure. The project cost CAD $63 million and the completed structure was opened to the public in June 1976. The CN Tower held the record of the tallest free-standing structure in the world for 32 years until the Burj Khalifa (Dubai, U.A.E.) surpassed it in 2007. Currently, the CN Tower is the fifth highest observation deck in the world which includes several observation decks and a revolving restaurant on top of the tower. Even today, the Toronto skyline is unquestionably unimaginable without this iconic structure. For anyone visiting Toronto, this iconic structure is a definite must-visit.