#observation decks

[stone-cold-groove]

Souvenir brochure for the Empire State Building Observatory - circa 1957.

[crimsonblackrose]

I really like visiting look out spots. It’s fun to get another view and to just walk around taking in the city. So I figured visiting the Sapporo TV Tower would be a good way to end my first full day in Hokkaido.

The Sapporo TV Tower was finished in August of 1957 and designed by Tachu Naito. The tower is 147.2 meters/482 feet tall with it’s observation deck 90.38 meters/296.5 feet from the ground.

Tawakkie or Terebi-Tōsan also known as TV Dad is the tower’s mascot and he can be found everywhere. There’s even a TV Dad shrine.

It’s also a good spot to do some souvenir shopping especially since it’s open later than a lot of other tourist-y spots. (I bought too many enamel pins.)

The Sapporo TV Tower is open from 9am until 10pm with the last tickets sold at 9:50pm. Tickets for adults are 720 yen and you do have an option to take a commemorative photo. Underneath the tower is an outdoor restaurant that is open late that sells local specialties (genghis khan aka grilled lamb) and seems to be a sort of beer garden. It was pretty busy every time I walked past.

Sapporo TV Tower さっぽろテレビ塔 I really like visiting look out spots. It's fun to get another view and to just walk around taking in the city.

[weburbanist]

Daring Glass Observation Deck Opens Atop 77-Story Tower in Bangkok

Daring Glass Observation Deck Opens Atop 77-Story Tower in Bangkok

Over 1,000 feet above the streets of Bangkok, thrill-seeking tourists creep out onto the glass floor of an observation deck at the top of a futuristic-looking tower. The new observatory is the crown jewel of the MahaNakhon building by Buro Ole Scheeren, a residential skyscraper adjacent to Chongnonsi Sky Train Station. Dubbed the “Skytray,” the sheet of glass cantilevers from the top of the…

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[diversifiedvariety]

[weburbanist]

Vessel: Climb This Sculptural NYC Landmark to Look Out Onto Hudson Yards

Vessel: Climb This Sculptural NYC Landmark to Look Out Onto Hudson Yards

Unlike most of New York City’s standout architecture, this sculptural, almost alien-looking structure set to rise above the new Hudson Yards development will be open for the public to explore. Architect Thomas Heatherwick envisions this centerpiece as a way to take all of the visitors to the square and “sort of sprinkle them into the air,” encouraging them to interact with each other and with…

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[weburbanist]

Record Breakers: 12 Legitimately Sky-Scraping Tower Projects

Record Breakers: 12 Legitimately Sky-Scraping Tower Projects

After a few years of recession-induced stalling, record-smashing skyscrapers are going up around the world at a steady pace, knocking each other out of the top positions every year or so. While Dubai’s Burj Khalifa has held strong as the world’s tallest building, a number of new super-tall structures have sprouted up in the last two years to claim titles as the tallest in various cities and…

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[newyorker]

"The rooftop observation deck is one of the city’s most distinctive architectural traditions. New York not only raised the world’s first modern skyline but pioneered a new way to see it: from a series of perches atop its highest peaks.”

In a portfolio in this week’s issue, James Sanders examines the long ascent to Manhattan’s observation decks, with accompanying photographs by Pari Dukovic.

See more views from the top of the town.

[flickr]

Observation decks, a gallery by Flickr on Flickr.

Photos from those lookout spots that offer amazing views of landscapes and cityscapes. What observation decks have you been to? Share your photos from them as comments in the gallery.

Photos by alimoche67, hidesax, ivanbam_b, and joyful JOY.