Observation deck explained

See main article: article and Deck (building).

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. Observation decks are sometimes enclosed from weather, and a few may include coin-operated telescopes for viewing distant features.

List of public observation decks

List of public observation decks! width=2% "unsortable"
Rankwidth=15% Namewidth=2% Completion Datewidth=10% Typewidth=10% Citywidth=5% Deck height (m)width=5% Total height (m)Notes
1Shanghai Tower2015Skyscraper Shanghai[1] 632121st floor; decks are also on 118th and 119th floors.
2Ping An Finance Centre2017Skyscraper Shenzhen599.1115th floor (opened on February 10, 2018)
3Burj Khalifa2010Skyscraper Dubai148th floor
4Merdeka 1182022Skyscraper Kuala Lumpur
5Canton Tower2010Steel Tower Guangzhou
6Lotte World Tower2017Skyscraper Seoul
Abraj Al Bait2011Skyscraper Mecca
8Shanghai World Financial Center2008Skyscraper Shanghai[2] 100th floor, decks also on levels 94 & 97
9Burj Khalifa2010Skyscraper Dubai124th and 125th floors
10Tokyo Skytree2012Steel Tower TokyoThree additional observation decks at 340 m, 345 m, and 350 m
11Taipei 1012004Skyscraper TaipeiThe 101st floor indoor/outdoor rooftop observation deck opened to the public on June 14, 2019.[3] Two additional observation decks, outdoor on the 91st-floor and indoor on the 89th floor at 383.2m (1,257.2feet).
12CN Tower1976Concrete tower TorontoTwo additional observation decks at 342 m (outdoor) & 346 m (indoor).
13Willis Tower1974Skyscraper Chicago103rd floor; it is the highest observation deck (skydeck) and highest skywalk (skydeck glass balconies) in the United States [4] [5] [6] [7]
14Sky100, International Commerce Centre2011Skyscraper Hong Kong100th floor; 360-degree indoor observation deck
15One World Trade Center2014Skyscraper New York CityObservation deck on the 100th, 101st and 102nd floors
16Landmark 812019Skyscraper Ho Chi Minh CityObservation decks on 79th, 80th and 81st floors
17Petronas Towers1998Skyscraper Kuala LumpurObservation deck on 86th floor of tower 2; in addition there is the skybridge between the two towers on 41st and 42nd floors at 170 m.
18Empire State Building1931Skyscraper New York City[8] 102nd floor; additional 86th floor deck (320 m)
19Iconic Tower2023Skyscraper New Administrative CapitalObservations on 74th, 75th and 76th floors
20Lakhta Center2021Skyscraper Saint PetersburgObservations on 84th, 85th 86th and 87th floors
21Oriental Pearl Tower1994Concrete tower Shanghai15 observation levels, the highest one being outdoors
22The Strat1996Concrete Tower ParadiseTallest observation tower in the U.S.
23Tuntex Sky Tower1997Skyscraper Kaohsiung74th floor
24Jin Mao Tower1998Skyscraper Shanghai88th floor
2430 Hudson Yards2020Skyscraper New York CityObservations on 100th and 101nd floors
Ostankino Tower1967Concrete tower MoscowIndoor deck is at 337 m
25John Hancock Center1969Skyscraper Chicago94th floor
26Milad Tower2007Concrete tower TehranTop level
27China World Trade Center Tower III2010Skyscraper Beijing81st floor
28One Vanderbilt2021Skyscraper New York CityObservations deck on 62nd and 63rd floors
Ciel Tower2024Skyscraper DubaiObservation deck on 81nd, 82rd floors, 76th floor (290 m) and 60th floor (248 m)
29Shun Hing Square1996Skyscraper Shenzhen
30US Bank Tower1989Skyscraper Los Angeles69th (indoor and outdoor observation) and 70th floors (skyslide and events) CLOSED
31Kingdom Centre2002Skyscraper Riyadh41st floor
32Abeno Harukas2014Skyscraper Osaka58th–60th floor (top floor)
33Zifeng Tower2010Skyscraper Nanjing
34Eureka Tower2007Skyscraper MelbourneSkydeck 88 is at a height of 285 m
35King Power MahaNakhon2018Skyscraper BangkokObservation deck on 74th, 76th and 78th floors
Etihad Towers (Tower 2)2011Skyscraper Abu DhabiObservation deck at 300 is located on 75th floor
36Eiffel Tower1889Wrought iron lattice tower Paris3rd floor
37Menara Kuala Lumpur1996Concrete tower Kuala Lumpur
38Columbia Center1985Skyscraper Seattle73rd floor
39Yokohama Landmark1993Skyscraper Yokohama69th floor
40One Liberty Place1987Skyscraper Philadelphia26928857th floor
41Bank of America Plaza (Dallas)1985Skyscraper Dallas71st floor; additional on 70th floor at 264.6m (868.1feet).
42JPMorgan Chase Tower1982Skyscraper Houston60th floor
43Sydney Tower1981Steel Tower SydneyMain indoor observation deck; outdoor skywalk attraction on roof is located at 279 meters
44Gran Torre Santiago2013Skyscraper SantiagoObservation deck named Sky Costanera is located on floors 61 and 62
45GE Building1933Skyscraper New York City70th floor ("Top of the Rock")
46Tianjin Tower1991Concrete tower Tianjin
4740 Wall Street1929Skyscraper New York City
48Osaka Prefectural Government Sakishima Building1995Skyscraper Osaka
49Etihad Towers (Tower 1)2011Skyscraper Abu Dhabi[9]
5063 Building1985Skyscraper Seoul60th floor
51Midland Square2007Skyscraper Nagoya47th floor
52Lotus Tower2019Concrete tower Colombo
53The Shard2013Skyscraper London72nd floor
54Central Radio & TV Tower1992Concrete tower Beijing
55Sunshine 601978Skyscraper Tokyo
56Federation Tower (Tower West)2008Skyscraper Moscow[10] 62nd floor
57TK Elevator Test Tower2017Concrete tower Rottweil232[11] 24630th floor (indoor and outdoor)
58Q12005Skyscraper Gold Coast77th floor (SkyPoint), with the function hall on the 78th
West Pearl Tower2006Concrete tower Chengdu
Varso Tower2023Skyscraper Warsaw50th and 53rd floor
59Roppongi Hills Mori Tower2003Skyscraper Tokyo52nd floor (indoor) and 54th floor (roof-deck)
60Taipei Nan Shan Plaza2018Skyscraper Taipei46th floor (indoor)
61Europaturm1979Concrete tower FrankfurtSince 1999, the Europaturm has been closed to the public
62Tokyo Tower1958Steel truss tower Tokyo6th floor
63Macau Tower2001Concrete tower Macau
64Sky Tower1997Concrete tower AucklandSkydeck observation deck on 60th floor
65Tour Montparnasse1972Skyscraper Paris
66Fernsehturm Berlin1969Concrete tower Berlin
67Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building1990Skyscraper Tokyo
68Main Tower1999Skyscraper Frankfurt
Marina Bay Sands2010Skyscraper Singapore
70Olympiaturm1968Concrete tower Munich
71Mohammed VI Tower2023Skyscraper SaléObservation deck on 54th and 55th floor
72Vysotsky2011Skyscraper YekaterinburgObservation deck was opened on 3 May 2012[12]
73Bitexco Financial Tower2010Skyscraper Ho Chi Minh City47th floor
74Tower of the Americas1968Concrete tower San Antonio
75German: [[Rheinturm]]|italic=no1979Concrete tower Düsseldorf
Umeda Sky Building1993Skyscraper Osaka
Tallinn TV Tower1980Tower Tallinn
76Donauturm1964Concrete tower Vienna
77N Seoul Tower1975Steel tower SeoulTower sits atop Namsan Mountain
78Vilnius TV Tower1980Tower Vilnius165326.5
79Space Needle1962Steel tower Seattle
80Calgary Tower1968Concrete tower Calgary
81Fernsehturm Stuttgart1956Concrete tower Stuttgart
Çamlıca Tower2020Concrete tower Istanbul
82Avala Tower2009Concrete tower Belgrade
83Fukuoka Tower1989Tower Fukuoka
84Kuwait viewing sphere1979Concrete tower Kuwait City(1990 Liberation Tower of ~300 m is not open to public)
85Palace of Culture and Science1955Multi-function WarsawObservation deck on 30th floor
86Spinnaker Tower2005Tower Portsmouth
87Millennium Center 2 office tower restaurant2016Skyscraper Sofia
88Kyoto Tower1964Tower Kyoto
Nagoya TV Tower1954Tower Nagoya
89Tashkent Tower1985Tower Tashkent
90Snezhanka Tower, Pamporovo, Bulgaria1978Concrete tower Pamporovo
91Kobe Port Tower1963Tower Kobe
92Sapporo TV Tower1957Tower Sapporo
93Tsūtenkaku1956Tower Osaka
94Nebraska State Capitol1930Skyscraper Lincoln14th floor

List of highest observation decks by type

TypeName and LocationConstructedHeightNotes
Observation Skywalk over vertical cliff free drop”Step into the Void” glass skywalk, Aiguille du Midi peak, The Alps, France[13] [14] 201310350NaN0
Observation deck inside a spireMerdeka 118, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia20235660NaN0
Enclosed observation deck on high-rise buildingShanghai Tower, Shanghai and Ping An Finance Centre, Shenzhen, China 2015 and 20175620NaN0
Outdoor observation deck on high-rise buildingBurj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE2014555.70NaN0
Skywalk over (artificial) waterfall free dropSky Corridor Waterfall Walkway, Huangteng Gorge, Guangdong, China [15] 20185000NaN0
Observation deck on towerCanton Tower, Guangzhou, China20114880NaN0
Skywalk over high-rise buildingSkydeck (The Ledge) observation deck glass balconies, Willis Tower, Chicago, USA 2009412.40NaN0
Skywalk over bridgeZhangjiajie Glass Bridge, Zhangjiajie, China [16] 20163000NaN0
Glacier Skywalk, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada [17] 20142800NaN0

Timeline of world's highest observation decks

This is a timeline of the development of world's highest observation decks since the inauguration of the Washington Monument in 1885.

Held recordName and LocationConstructedHeight of highest observation deckNotes
FromTo
18851889 Washington Monument, Washington D.C., United States1889152.30NaN0Was the world's tallest structure when completed.
18891931 Eiffel Tower, Paris, France18892750NaN0Two further observation decks 57 & 115 m.
19311973 Empire State Building, New York City, United States19313690NaN0A second observation deck is located on the 86th floor at 320 metres above ground.
19731974 World Trade Center, New York City, United States (article)1973399.40NaN0Measured from sea level, street level was 10 feet above sea level. Indoor observation deck on the 107th floor of South Tower opened on April 4, 1973. Destroyed during the September 11 attacks.
19741975 Sears Tower (since renamed Willis Tower), Chicago, United States1974412.40NaN0Measured from the Franklin Street entrance, 103rd floor observation deck opened on June 22, 1974
19751976 World Trade Center, New York City, United States (article)1973419.70NaN0Measured from sea level, street level was 10 feet above sea level. Outdoor observation deck on rooftop of the South Tower opened on December 15, 1975. Destroyed during the September 11 attacks.
19762004 CN Tower, Toronto, Ontario, Canada1976446.50NaN0Two further observation decks 342 and 346 metres above ground.
20042008 Taipei 101, Taipei, Republic of China (Taiwan)2004449.20NaN0Two other observation decks are at 3920NaN0 (91st-floor outdoor observation deck) and 3830NaN0 (89th-floor indoor observation deck).
20082011 Shanghai World Financial Centre, Shanghai, People's Republic of China20084740NaN0Other observation decks are at 4230NaN0 and 4390NaN0.
20112014 Canton Tower, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China20114880NaN0The outdoor rooftop observation deck opened in December 2011. There are also several other indoor observation decks in the tower, the highest at 433.2m (1,421.3feet).
20142016 Burj Khalifa, Dubai, UAE2010555.7 m (1,821 ft)Opened on October 15, 2014, on the 148th floor. There is another observation deck at 452.1m (1,483.3feet) on the 124th floor, which has been open since the building was opened to the public.
2016Present Shanghai Tower, Shanghai, China2015562.1 m (1,844 ft)Opened on July 1, 2016. there are also 2 more observation decks on the 118th and 119th floor, at 546 and 552 meters respectively.

Under construction

Approved

See also List of tallest buildings and structures in the world#World's highest observation deck

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: World's Highest Observation Decks. ctbuh. www.ctbuh.org. en-US. 2018-10-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20181028225620/http://www.ctbuh.org/Publications/CTBUHJournal/InNumbers/TBINObservationDecks/tabid/7043/language/en-US/Default.aspx. 28 October 2018. dead.
  2. Web site: Shanghai World Financial Center -SWFC- Official site of Shanghai Financial Center . 2022-06-12 . www.swfc-shanghai.com.
  3. Web site: Taipei 101 to open top floor to public for the first time. https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/6giBlnP-fNo . 2021-12-13 . live. .
  4. https://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-07-01-sears-tower-glass-balconies_N.htm "Sears Tower unveils 103rd floor glass balconies"
  5. Web site: The Ledge at Skydeck Chicago. May 15, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110608034757/http://www.som.com/content.cfm/sears_tower_observation_deck. June 8, 2011. dead. mdy-all. SOM.com Project Page
  6. Web site: BJ Lutz . Coating on Willis Tower Skydeck's Ledge Cracks Under Tourists . Nbcchicago.com . May 30, 2014 . August 26, 2014.
  7. Web site: Sophie Lewis . Protective layer of Willis Tower's SkyDeck cracks under visitors' feet . cbsnews . June 12, 2019. June 12, 2019.
  8. Web site: The Empire State Building. 2007-12-23. Wired New York.
  9. Web site: Etihad Towers T1 - The Skyscraper Center . Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat . 2013. dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130801075610/http://skyscrapercenter.com/abu-dhabi/etihad-towers-t1/ . August 1, 2013 .
  10. Web site: Смотровая площадка Башня Федерация.
  11. Web site: thyssenkrupp Elevator. 2021-04-06. TK Elevator. de.
  12. Web site: Открытие смотровой площадки в БЦ "Высоцкий".
  13. Web site: Aiguille du Midi : Inauguration nouvelle attraction le Tube. June 2016 .
  14. News: Step into the Void: The glass skywalk at the top of the French Alps – in pictures . The Guardian . 19 December 2013 . Coldwell . Will .
  15. Web site: Visit Guangdong's Highest Sky Corridor Waterfall Walkway in China | the Asian Magazine .
  16. News: World's tallest and longest glass bridge closes after just two weeks . 2016-09-05 . Dezeen . 2018-01-21 . en-US.
  17. News: Jasper National Park Glacier Skywalk Travel Information.
  18. China has banned the construction of skyscrapers in 2021.
  19. Web site: 2021-12-15. Millennium-Tower: So grün wird Frankfurts neuer Rekord-Wolkenkratzer. 2022-01-28. Top Magazin Frankfurt. de-DE.

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