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France, but this one is slightly larger – 1,092 feet compared with 1,056 for the Eiffel Tower.
This makes it the tallest freestanding steel structure in the world.
However, it is comparatively light – just about 4,000 tons compared with 7,000 tons for the
Eiffel Tower. When it opened, it was illuminated by 696 light bulbs. In 1989 these were re-
placed by 164 floodlights that change color – orange in autumn, winter, and spring; and white
in summer.
While all this may be aesthetically pleasing to the throngs that visit the main observatory at
150 meters, or the special observatory at 250 meters, the tower's main function is as a commu-
nications station. It is home to more than a dozen radio and television antennae along with
earthquake detectors, traffic cameras, and meteorological equipment. Much like the CN Tower
in Toronto and other great towers, there are several unrelated entertainment options at its base.
In this case, an aquarium and a wax museum along with the standard fare of restaurants and gift
shops.
• 3,700,000 people visit the Tokyo Tower every year (2000 estimate).
• The symbolic 100,000,000th visitor arrived in 1989.
• It takes 28,000 liters of paint to paint the Tokyo Tower.
TOWER OF PISA
Unlike many great buildings of the time, the Tower of Pisa does not serve a practical
purpose. Rather, it was constructed as a boastful statement to Pisa's nemesis, Florence. At
the time, the two were the modern equivalent of today's "superpowers" and ruled much of
the world through their control of the sea. The two were also bitter rivals, fighting for su-
premacy. In fact, construction of the tower was interrupted because of wars in 1178 with
Florence, 1185 with Florence again, and in 1284 with Genoa.
It was during one of these breaks in construction that the tower's infamous tilt was discov-
ered. It was only three storeys tall at the time, but rather than abandon the project, construc-
tion continued until the tower reached its full height of 58.36 meters when measured from its
foundation, or just
55 meters when measured from the ground.
It was at this early stage, too, that the tower first served its intended purpose – the ringing of
bells. Documents have survived that show that a bell was first placed at the top in 1198. When
construction continued, it was replaced by seven bells at the top in 1350. There are two theories
about why the tower leans.
The most popular reason is because of the unstable soil beneath. It’s of 14,700 metric tons
of gray San Giuliano limestone is simply too much weight for the ground to hold. The local soil
is mostly marshy clay and the tower exerts a force of 497 kPa on it. But some historians don't
think the lean was an accident. They believe it is an intentional architectural design that pro-
duced the tilt.
However, recent measurements and analysis of the soil have put this school of thought in
doubt. Over the centuries there have been a number of attempts to straighten out the tower. One
try in 1934, concrete was pumped underneath the tower. Another in 1838 involved excavating
the earth and drying out the ground the tower rests on. Recently, a pair of suspenders were at-
tached to lead weights and slung over the tower, which helped a bit.
Architecturally, the building is summed up thusly by its official web site: "The six arcades,
the base on which they are placed and the belfry above them subdivide the Tower into eight
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