12 Odd and Unusual Towers
Towers
have captivated the human mind for thousands of years; from the
biblical Tower of Babylon, through the Tower of Pisa, and on to the
modern-day Burj Khalifa. These tall buildings dwarf us while still
letting us marvel at the spectacular work we do when we work together.
Some towers, however, are more unusual than others.
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| 1. Cheminée Moretti, Paris, France This tower is the work of French artist Raymond Moretti and is 32 meters tall (104ft). |
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The
Cheminée Moretti is a system of 672 pipes with varying diameters,
painted in 19 different colors. The tower weighs 27.5 tons, and if all
the pipes were laid front to back, they would measure 22 kilometers
(13.6 miles).
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| 2. Guinigi Tower, Lucca, Italy The Italian city of Lucca is well-known for its medieval architecture, including a fully intact city wall, yet the most notable building there, is the Torre Guinigi, which towers over the city. |
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At a striking 44.5 meters (146ft), the tower hides a surprise on its roof – a garden that includes several oak trees.
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Built in the 14th-century,
it was only one amongst over 250 other towers in the city. These days,
the number of towers in the city is much lower, and the Torre Guinigi is
still the most impressive.
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| 3. Sathorn Unique, Bangkok, Thailand This 49-floor giant stands in Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand. Originally built as a luxury apartment condominium during the economic boom the region experienced in the 1990’s. |
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Construction
was halted in 1997 following the Asian financial crisis, with the
building being about 80% complete, due to lack of funds. These days, the
building stands abandoned, and the locals claim that it is haunted.
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| 4. Tower of Wind, Tokyo, Japan Located in the ocean close to Tokyo’s airport, the Tower of the Wind (Japanese: Kaze no to) and is actually a ventilation shaft for Tokyo Bay Aqualine. |
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This
beautiful building is shaped to look like the sails of a ship from a
distance. It took 31 years to build the tower, costing $11.2 billion. It
is the midway point for the undersea tunnel that connects Yokohama and
Chiba under the Tokyo Bay.
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| 5. Montreal Tower, Canada The tallest inclined tower in the world, Canada’s Montreal Tower is part of the Olympic Stadium and rises to a height of 175 meters (546ft). |
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The top of the tower provides visitors with breathtaking panoramic views of the greater Montreal region.
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The
tower’s tilt is at a 45° angle, which is very impressive considering
that the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa only has a 5° angle.
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| 6. Ciechanów Tower, Poland This odd structure was built in 1972 and was meant to serve as a restaurant and an observatory. Sadly, the project was abandoned and the tower now remains a silent, lonely witness. |
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The
tower is a hyperboloid, using its geometry to achieve maximum
structural strength while using the minimum required materials.
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| 7. Kalyazin Bell Tower, Russia Measuring 74.5 meters (244ft) tall, the Kalyazin Bell Tower stands on a tiny island in the Volga River and was the belfry of the St. Nicholas Monastery in the late 18th-century. |
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In
1939, Stalin ordered the construction of the Uglich Reservoir, which
resulted in the flooding of the old town of Kalyazin. The tower is the
only remnant of the old town and has become somewhat of a tourist
attraction.
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| 8. The Leaning Tower of Yekaterinburg, Russia Originally built as a TV broadcasting tower, the Yekaterinburg Tower was never completed due to engineering mistakes. It now measures 220 meters (720ft), though the original plans were for a 400 meters (1,310ft) tall tower. |
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Since
the construction was halt midway, the planned elevator was never
installed, forcing visitors who wish to reach the top take the stairs.
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One
of the major results of the engineering mistakes during construction
gave the tower a slight lean. Since then, the tower has become quite a
monument for the city.
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| 9. Shime Tower, Fukuoka, Japan
This
47 meter (156ft) monstrosity used to be a coal mine between 1941-1964.
It was constructed during WWII to increase the production of coal for
the Japanese Imperial Army.
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The
building stands over the mine’s shaft, going down 430 meters (1,411ft)
and rumor has it that during the war, the mine used Allied POWs as
miners.
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| 10. PL Peace Tower, Osaka, Japan
This
unusual tower stands at 183 meters (600ft) and is the headquarters of
the Church of Perfect Liberty, as well as a monument for all those who
perished in wars throughout history.
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On June 6 of
every year, the tower is the site of the world’s largest fireworks
display. The show features five times as many fireworks as the average
show, with a huge culmination that lights up the entire sky above the
city.
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| 11. Ivy Тower, Bruges, Belgium
The Gruuthuse Tower (more commonly known as the Ivy Tower) is part of the Gruuthuse Museum, dating back to the 15th-century.
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During
the autumn, the ivy covering the tower slowly turns from green to
shades of yellow, orange, red, and brown. The sight is stunning, drawing
thousands of tourists to the city during that time.
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| 12. The Pirate Tower, Laguna Beach, U.S.A.
Despite
its medieval look, this tower was built in 1926 as a private staircase
to Laguna Beach. These days, the tower is closed due to safety concerns.
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The
unusual shape and location make this tower into quite a sight, and on
windy days, one can hear the wind howling through the small windows.
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