Canton Tower

Fun Facts

• • Construction required such precise engineering that the project team implemented near mass customisation for the joint designs, ensuring every single column and brace perfectly fitted the complex geometry.
• • It features the world's highest horizontal ferris wheel, consisting of sixteen transparent passenger cars that circumnavigate the roof to provide unparalleled views.
• • Local residents affectionately nicknamed the structure Slim Waist due to its narrow curvature, a moniker so popular it inspired the creation of an official mascot.
• • The Skywalk, an open air staircase that spirals around the tower core, allows adventurous visitors to physically walk up through the structure, with parts of the floor made of transparent glass.
• • The distinctive twisted shape of the tower is a hyperboloid structure, a design principle inspired by the work of Russian engineer Vladimir Shukhov, who patented the concept in 1899.
• • The lighting design uses individually controllable LED nodes, allowing the entire exterior of the tower to function as a giant, programmable light show that illuminates the night sky.
• • The structure incorporates a massive tuned mass damper, an engineering marvel specifically designed to counteract the sway caused by strong winds encountered at extreme altitudes.
• • The tower briefly held the title of the tallest tower in the world, succeeding the CN Tower and later being surpassed by the Tokyo Skytree, which solidified its global status.
• • The tower is not just for observation, as it hosts various programmatic zones including 4D cinemas, exhibition halls, and multiple revolving restaurants.
• • To maintain the sleek aesthetic of the base, all essential infrastructure, including metro and bus station connections, was cleverly constructed underground.