19/09/2021
Toronto Fact #2: Toronto had the tallest skyscraper in the world… for a while.
The CN Tower used to be the tallest skyscraper in the world, one of our favourite facts about Toronto
Photo by Jelique Edward on Unsplash
The CN Tower in Toronto
Photo by Tyrone Murphy on Unsplash
One of the lesser known facts about Toronto: For a long time, the CN Tower stood on a tall pedestal (boom-tish) compared to other skyscrapers around the world. Ascending to a dizzying 553.3 metres (1,815 feet) in height, the CN Tower was the tallest freestanding structure in the world from the moment it was built in 1973, until 2007, when Dubai had to do as Dubai does by snatching the record with the construction of the Burj Khalifa.
Today, the CN Tower is the ninth-tallest free-standing structure, but whatever it lost in the rise and fall of competitive architectural classifications, it more than makes up for by being counted as one of the Modern 7 Wonders of the World by the American Society of Civil Engineers, who probably know what they’re talking about.
The CN Tower is the star attraction in Toronto, drawing 1.5 million tourists a year to securely self-induce vertigo on the glass-bottom viewing platform, stare out at Niagara Falls on a clear sunny day, or enjoy a very Jetsons-style dining experience at the 360° rotating restaurant. It’s the key feature of the Toronto skyline, but it sits in good company alongside 160 completed skyscrapers and over 100 more that are still under construction. Though construction takes place in Toronto at a cracking pace, we can all but guarantee none of these buildings will tower over (double boom-tish) this fabulous attraction any time soon