The world’s tallest broadcast tower, Tokyo Skytree, officially opened to the public May 22.
Standing 2080ft, the digital broadcast tower will be home to major television and radio broadcasters in Japan. When transmission operations are fully deployed on the tower next year, the amount of digital terrestrial broadcasting transmission in Tokyo will double.
According to a website for the tower, the decision to build the Tokyo Skytree to its height was made, in part, to minimize the impact of new high-rise buildings going up in Tokyo on DTV transmission. The height also is expected to extend the reach of broadcasters’ digital coverage.
The tower, which took four years to build, opened amid rain showers that didn’t discourage thousands of visitors from attending the opening. According to media reports, elevators stopped during the storm, briefly trapping some visitors.
On Nov. 17, 2011, Guinness World Records certified Skytree Tower as the world’s tallest tower. Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which towers 2,716ft 6in, is listed by Guinness as the tallest building in the world. Observation areas include the Tembo Deck at 1148ft and the Tembo Galleria at 1476ft.
