The Tokyo Sky Tree by Jordy Meow licensed under the terms of CC BY-SA 3.0
This week’s crazy building is Tokyo Skytree in Tokyo, Japan. At 2,080 feet, it’s the tallest tower (and second-tallest structure of any kind) in the world.
In addition to its primary function as a TV broadcasting tower, it also has two observation decks and a restaurant.
There’s a good reason for its enormous height. It was built to facilitate broadcasting because the previous structure, the Eiffel-Tower-lookalike Tokyo Tower, was surrounded by so many high-rise buildings that they blocked the signal!
At night the tower is lit in one of two colors, representing two Japanese aesthetic ideals: sky blue for iki (i.e. chic; stylish) or purple for miyabi (i.e. elegance; refinement).
