The Skylon Tower, in Niagara Falls, Ontario, is an observation tower that overlooks both the American Falls, New York and the larger Horseshoe Falls, Ontario from the Canadian side of the Niagara River. Construction of the Skylon began in May 1964. The tower was opened on October 6, 1965 by New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller and Ontario Premier John Robarts. It costs $7 million at the time of its construction. Canadian Pacific Hotels was hired to operate the tower restaurants and lounges.
While much redevelopment has taken place in the surrounding city, the Skylon Tower complex still retains much of its look and feel from the 1970s and 80s. In August and September 2008 the roof of Skylon was restored to its original bright copper colour. Standing at 160 meters from street level and 236 meters from the bottom of the falls, the tower required approval from both Canadian and United States air transport authorities, due to its proximity to the international boundary. It was the second tower to be built using the slipform method, in which concrete is continually poured into a form moving slowly up the tower.
The tower features three outside mounted Yellow Bug elevators. At the time of their construction they were the first such elevators in Canada. They can carry passengers to the top of the tower in 52 seconds. Unlike conventional elevators that are guided by side rails, the Skylon elevators operate with a guide rail on the backside only. Special equipment is employed to prevent the cables from becoming tangled in the wind or impeded by snow and ice in the winter. A curtain wall on the outside of the tower behind each elevator protects the counterweight and traveling cables from the elements.
The tower has two restaurants at its top, the lower Revolving Dining Room and the upper Summit Suite Buffet. The Revolving Dining Room seats 276 people and revolves once every hour by resting on a circular rail that is propelled by a 3 horsepower (2.2 kW) motor. An observation deck sits at the tower summit. The base of the tower features a number of gift shops, fast food restaurants and a large amusement arcade. A floor for conventions is also available, but is seldom utilized.
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from GermanyDavid Stolz landmarks 26/362 | continents 2/7 | comments 5 | reviews 0 2014-01-09 00:08
Great place and marvelous view!
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from Turnovo, BulgariaMila landmarks 50/362 | continents 5/7 | comments 6 | reviews 0 2013-04-09 20:18
The view from the tower to the falls is amazing :)
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