The CN Tower

             The CN Tower is a communications and observation tower in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Standing 553.33 metres (1,815.4 ft) tall, it was completed in 1976, becoming the world's tallest free-standing structure and world's tallest tower. It held both records for 34 years until the completion of the Burj Khalifa and Canton Tower. It remains the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere, a signature icon of Toronto's skyline, and a symbol of Canada, attracting more than two million international visitors annually.

Its name "CN" originally referred to Canadian National, the railway company that built the tower. Following the railway's decision to divest non-core freight railway assets, prior to the company's privatization in 1995, it transferred the tower to the Canada Lands Company, a federal Crown corporation responsible for real estate development. Since the name CN Tower became common in daily usage, the abbreviation was eventually expanded to Canadian National Tower or Canada's National Tower. However, neither of these names are commonly used.

         In 1995, the CN Tower was declared one of the modern Seven Wonders of the World by the American Society of Civil Engineers. It also belongs to the World Federation of Great Towers, where it holds second-place ranking.

          The idea of the CN Tower originated when the 1968 Canadian National Railway had a desire to build a large TV and radio communication platform to serve the Toronto area, as well as demonstrate the strength of Canadian industry and CN in particular. These plans evolved over the next few years, and the project became official in 1972. The tower would have been part of Metro Centre (see CityPlace), a large development south of Front Street on the Railway Lands, a large railway switching yard that was being made redundant by newer yards outside the city. Key project team members were NCK Engineering as structural engineer; John Andrews Architects; Webb, Zerafa, Menkes, Housden Architects; Foundation Building Construction; and Canron (Eastern Structural Division).

THE CN TOWER

Alternative names  : Canadian National (CN) Tower
General information
Status : Complete
Type : observation, telecommunications, attraction, restaurant
Location  : Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Coordinates  : 43.6426°N 79.3871°WCoordinates: 43.6426°N 79.3871°W
Construction started :1973
Completed  :1976
Height
Antenna spire  : 553.33 m (1,815.4 ft)
Roof  : 457.2 m (1,500.0 ft)
Top floor  : 446.5 m (1,464.9 ft)
Technical details
Floor count  : 147 (equivalent)
Elevator count  : 6
Design and construction
Architect  : John Andrews Architect
                   WZMH Architects