Building Boom Set to Vault Toronto Past Chicago in Skyscraper Rankings

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by Gresto

Definitely. To compare it to observation towers in Seattle, Vancouver, Calgary, and similar-sized ones in a number of German cities and elsewhere is asinine and disingenuous. There are things to criticize about Toronto's skyscrapers, but CN is most certainly not forgettable.

Thanks for sharing your opinion.

Mine is that most people would perceive Seattle's (much shorter) Space Needle to be much more iconic than CN Tower. Reasons vary, but its design - which was far more unique at the time of its construction - is superior to that of CN, its entire premise was based around a cultural angle, and it has also been featured much more prominently across pop culture (sports team logos, films, TV, etc.).

What is notable about CN, aside from it being the tallest structure in Canada?

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by Razor

From a global perspective, The CN tower is definitely just as synonymous to Toronto as the opera house is to Sydney, and the Golden gate Bridge is to San Fran. I fail to see why a few forumers are debating this?..Well, actually maybe not!

I haven't seen / read any forumers debate / question CN's relevance to Toronto. What I have seen - and what is perfectly reasonable, IMO - is forumers debating the significance of CN on a global scale, and whether or not it should be considered an "iconic" structure by popular standards.

[softee]

Just being the tallest structure in the western hemisphere (formerly the world) grants it iconic status, it's quite bemusing that any skyscraper enthusiast posting on a nerdy forum such as this would try to deny that.

[craigs]

Merriam Webster defines iconic as follows:

1: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an icon
2a: widely recognized and well-established
2b: widely known and acknowledged especially for distinctive excellence

So an iconic structure, then, is widely known and recognized, and widely acknowledged especially for its distinctive excellence--the Eiffel Tower, the Chrysler Building, St. Paul's Cathedral, the Roman Colosseum, the Kremlin, Christ the Redeemer in Rio--these definitely fit that definition. There are certainly others.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by Razor

From a global perspective, The CN tower is definitely just as synonymous to Toronto as the opera house is to Sydney, and the Golden gate Bridge is to San Fran.

That's not the discussion. Re-read the previous posts.

The claim was that the CN Tower had global recognition, on par with such landmarks, which is obviously untrue. No one ever claimed that those who know the CN Tower don't associate it with Toronto.

[JManc]

The CN Tower in of itself is unremarkable and most people (outside SSP nerds and Toronto-ans) could not distinguish it from other tall towers around the world. It along with the Sky-dome and First Canadian Place does give Toronto some character though.

[Northern Light]

From Wikipedia:

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.[13][14][7]

It is a signature icon of Toronto's skyline[15][16] and attracts more than two million international visitors annually.[7][17]

[PFloyd]

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

Thanks for sharing your opinion.

Mine is that most people would perceive Seattle's (much shorter) Space Needle to be much more iconic than CN Tower. Reasons vary, but its design - which was far more unique at the time of its construction - is superior to that of CN, its entire premise was based around a cultural angle, and it has also been featured much more prominently across pop culture (sports team logos, films, TV, etc.).

What is notable about CN, aside from it being the tallest structure in Canada?

Just to reiterate what was stated in a previous post, the CN Tower was the tallest free standing structure in the world (not just Canada) until the Burj Khalifa came along (from March 1975 to September of 2007) that is for 32 years.

Design-wise, I prefer the CN Tower by a long shot; that is not even close.

The cultural references you allude to, are merely done from your american cultural perspective, certainly not the view from people in the wider international context.

[galleyfox]

Originally Posted by softee

Just being the tallest structure in the western hemisphere (formerly the world) grants it iconic status, it's quite bemusing that any skyscraper enthusiast posting on a nerdy forum such as this would try to deny that.

Does Shanghai Tower even make the top 5 list of iconic structures in Shanghai despite being the tallest structure in China?

There's more to being iconic than height. It's about having a singular cultural presence that's immediately recognizable and cannot be imitated or replicated to the same effect.

I don't think the CN Tower is iconic on the global stage, since many cities built similar such observation towers. I really don't think Toronto has a globally iconic building at all to be honest. But I don't think Chicago has a truly iconic building on that stage either to put it in perspective. (The L and the Bean are its most recognizable structures.)

[PFloyd]

Originally Posted by JManc

The CN Tower in of itself is unremarkable and most people (outside SSP nerds and Toronto-ans) could not distinguish it from other tall towers around the world. It along with the Sky-dome and First Canadian Place does give Toronto some character though.

That is not at all what I hear from international people I talk to.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by PFloyd

That is not at all what I hear from international people I talk to.

Technically, I'm international. It's a concrete communications tower. It's makes Toronto's skyline more iconic but by itself, it could easily be confused with many other communications towers. The designers of the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai were probably the only ones who took liberty in deviating from that basic design. The vast majority of people could not identity the CN Tower by itself. They struggle with buildings like the Empire State Building or Sears Tower.

[dc_denizen]

Actually I am going to have to agree the CN tower is iconic, at least as much as the Sydney opera house, but mainly in the parochial North American context (space needle is only other major tower in North America like it, while many European cities have their own similar towers)

[craigs]

It is the absolute apex of Toronto's skyline, and is that city's most notable structure, but outside this forum, I'm not sure most people--in North America, let alone Africa, Asia, etc.--would be able to pick the CN Tower out of a global lineup of communications towers.

[lio45]

Originally Posted by samne

That's fair...Could agree with that.

I'd agree with that. "First-tier iconic" would be Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Statue of Liberty, etc.

CN Tower is on the next rung, though. At least one rung higher than Random European City TV Tower. (Though possibly on the same rung as Berlin's tower.)

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by PFloyd

the CN Tower was the tallest free standing structure in the world (not just Canada) until the Burj Khalifa came along (from March 1975 to September of 2007) that is for 32 years.

Impressive fact, but that alone doesn't automatically make CN Tower "iconic".

Originally Posted by PFloyd

Design-wise, I prefer the CN Tower by a long shot; that is not even close.

That's not surprising. You live in Toronto.

Originally Posted by PFloyd

The cultural references you allude to, are merely done from your american cultural perspective, certainly not the view from people in the wider international context.

Okay. What cultural significance does CN Tower have, from a "wider international context"? And FYI, "it was the tallest free standing structure in the world" does not = "cultural significance", not by a long shot.

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by lio45

I'd agree with that. "First-tier iconic" would be Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Statue of Liberty, etc.

CN Tower is on the next rung, though. At least one rung higher than Random European City TV Tower. (Though possibly on the same rung as Berlin's tower.)

Towers only (not listing monuments, bridges, etc.)

First Tier ("iconic"):

ESB
Chrysler
Original WTC
Eiffel Tower
Sears Tower
Library (US Bank) Tower
Shanghai WFC
Burj Khalifa

All are instantly recognizable, prominently featured in international media and have unique design characteristics.

Second Tier:

One World Trade Center / Freedom Tower
Transamerica Pyramid
Space Needle
CN Tower
John Hancock

Surely there are others globally that fall into each of the above categories. This list simply indicates where CN Tower ranks among its notable peers.

[Northern Light]

First, let me note, this thread is WAY off topic at this point.

Second, let me note the reason, certain posters who are both myopic and ignorant of the broader world, and who insist on dissing Toronto at every opportunity.

Enough!

I don't care what you think, nor does anyone else who matters.

Stop.

Your view is wrong.

No one asked you to like Toronto or Canada or the CN Tower.

No one from Canada said any of the preceding were best this or that.

We just object to people who haven't traveled beyond the borders of the United States and who speak only one language, no, not English, but troll.....wasting everyone's time and driving a thread off track.

Lets move on now, please and TY.

[Gresto]

Originally Posted by JAYNYC

Mine is that most people would perceive Seattle's (much shorter) Space Needle to be much more iconic than CN Tower. Reasons vary, but its design - which was far more unique at the time of its construction - is superior to that of CN, its entire premise was based around a cultural angle, and it has also been featured much more prominently across pop culture (sports team logos, films, TV, etc.).

Really?! Look, you may be right. I must confess, I don't really know how the CN Tower is perceived internationally. That the Space Needle is considered architecturally interesting or iconic is news to me, which is not meant to be a derogation of Seattle. I am vaguely aware of it, and it figured prominently in the superb political thriller The Parallax View, but other than that...
Among the reasons others have already cited, CN is iconic because, by dint of its soaring height, it's simply not to be overlooked by anyone who visits or has seen pictures of Toronto. I also like its elegant, timeless design, but that's purely subjective. If someone hates it, I can't assert he's wrong. Ostankino in Moscow is but a few feet shorter than CN, but I find it a much uglier, more ungainly and utilitarian structure.

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by Gresto

Really?! Look, you may be right. I must confess, I don't really know how the CN Tower is perceived internationally. That the Space Needle is considered architecturally interesting or iconic is news to me, which is not meant to be a derogation of Seattle. I am vaguely aware of it, and it figured prominently in the superb political thriller The Parallax View, but other than that...
Among the reasons others have already cited, CN is iconic because, by dint of its soaring height, it's simply not to be overlooked by anyone who visits or has seen pictures of Toronto. I also like its elegant, timeless design, but that's purely subjective. If someone hates it, I can't assert he's wrong. Ostankino in Moscow is but a few feet shorter than CN, but I find it a much uglier, more ungainly and utilitarian structure.

At the end of the day, there's only so much architectural flair you can add to a structure that basically amounts to a pole with a donut attached 3/4 of the way up. This applies to Space Needle, CN Tower, Reunion Tower, Tower of the Americas, etc.

But as someone mentioned earlier, if a silhouette of ANY tower appeared on a t-shirt, I think its safe to say that most people would assume it was the Space Needle (or probably "that one building in Seattle") as opposed to assuming it was CN Tower. Space Needle is just much more prominent in pop culture and media, whereas CN Tower is rarely ever featured in those categories outside of Canada.

[jtown,man]

anecdotally, my girlfriend, who is no skyscraper freak or geo nerd didn't know much about Toronto at all when we visited many years ago. Once we got there(she did not prior research...jesus lol) the CN Tower made the biggest impression on her(and some neighborhood whose name escapes me now).

In the USA, the Space Needle is most certainly more known than the CN tower. I am sure the inverse is true in Canada.