The (originally referred to as
New Tokyo Tower) is a broadcasting, restaurant, and observation tower under construction in the
Narihirabashi/
Oshiage area of
Sumida ward in
Tokyo,
Japan. As of 29 March 2010 it is the
tallest artificial structure in Japan.
[, The Mainichi Daily News, 29 March 2010] When completed, the tower will have a height of 634.00 m (2,080 ft). The present
Tokyo Tower (333 m) is not tall enough to give complete
digital terrestrial television broadcasting coverage, due to the construction of many nearby high-rise buildings in the central part of the
Tokyo Metropolis.
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 December 2011, with the public opening in spring 2012. The completed structure will be the highlight of a massive commercial development around
Oshiage Station.
Design
thumb|150px|left|Tokyo Sky Tree - [[Silhouette &
cross section.
Equilateral triangle (68 m of
edge span) on the ground, gradually forming circle with graceful curves, and pure circle at 320 m elevation. (Drawn image)]]
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.
Naming
During the period 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. It was announced on 10 June 2008 that the official name of the tower would be Tokyo Sky Tree. Tokyo Sky Tree received around 33,000 votes out of 110,000 cast, with the second most popular name being Tokyo Edo Tower.
Timeline
- A ceremony was held on 14 July 2008, at the site to mark the start of construction.
- The foundations for the three main legs were completed on 6 April 2009.
- The projected height was increased from 610 m to 634 m to make it the highest self-supporting steel tower on 16 October 2009. 6-3-4 is Mu-sa-shi in Japanese wordplay goroawase.
- Construction of the tower reached a height of 100 m on 7 August 2009.
- Construction of the tower reached a height of 200 m on 10 November 2009.
- Construction of the tower reached a height of 300 m on 16 February 2010.
- On 29 March 2010 the tower became the tallest structure in Japan, reaching 338 m.
Gallery
See also
