Got Vertigo? Terrifying Towers & Glass Balconies

By Steph

All of your instincts may be screaming for you to avoid looking down at all costs, but when you’re this high in the air, the view is just irresistible. Whether you’re clinging for dear life to a rickety wooden rainforest observation tower or staring straight down through a glass floor at city streets thousands of feet below, frighteningly tall spires and lookouts give us humans a look at our environment that our ancestors would never have imagined possible.

CN Tower, Toronto, Canada

(image via: shidairyproduct, ilkerender)

Do you trust a piece of glass about the thickness of two fingers to keep you from crashing thousands of feet to the ground below? Toronto’s CN Tower, which stands over 1,815 tall, offers stunning 360-degree views of the city – and a stomach-turning view straight down to the street through a glass floor.

Forest Tower, Schovenhorst Estate, Netherlands

(images via: Arplus.com)

The thoroughly modern Forest Tower is just as visually stunning as the views it provides of the conservation area at the Schovenhorst Estate in the Netherlands. The design includes spaces and features for various activities including peepholes, a climbing net and even a small performance space.

Willis Tower Skydeck, Chicago, Illinois

(images via: Charlotte Speaks)

If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to float 110 stories over Chicago, the Skydeck at the Willis (formerly Sears) Tower is the closest you’re likely to get. With a glass floor and glass walls on three sides, these “glass balconies” provide unparalleled views that will give the acrophobic nightmares.

Bird Watching Towers, Ecuadorian Amazon

(images via: JackMaryEtc)

There’s no way to enjoy the birds of the Amazon quite like observing them from one of Ecuador’s many extremely tall bird watching towers – if you’re brave enough to climb them. But finally getting to the top and finding it twisted from the wind and held together with a string, like one traveling couple did, might be enough to sway your confidence in the structure’s sturdiness.

Eureka Skydeck, Melbourne, Australia

(images via: EurekaSkydeck.com)

Like the Willis Tower Skydeck, Eureka Skydeck 88 in Melbourne, Australia offers views you just can’t get anywhere else in the city. But, it’s not for the faint of heart. 940 feet above the ground, “The Edge” is a glass cube that juts out nine feet from the building. It’s the highest public vantage point in a building in the Southern Hemisphere.

Korkeasaari Lookout Tower, Helsinki, Finland

(images via: arcspace)

The shell-like wooden Korkeasaari Lookout Tower at Helsinki’s Korkeasaari Zoo mimics the large natural enclosures that the animals are held in, and is made of 72 long curved wood battens fastened with over 600 bolted joints. Ville Hara’s concept for the tower was the winning entry in a competition to design an innovative, artistic tower for the zoo.

Blackpool Tower ‘Walk of Faith’, Lancashire, England

(images via: Wikipedia)

With a design inspired by the Eiffel Tower, the 518ft Blackpool Tower in Lancashire, England was constructed in 1894 after Blackpool Mayor John Bickerstaffe visited the Great Paris Exhibition. Among its most popular features is the “Walk of Faith”, a glass floor panel added in 1998.

Burj Dubai Observation Deck, Dubai, UAE

(images via: Dubai Chronicle, WeeklyDrop)

Set to become the world’s tallest free-standig structure, Burj Dubai will feature a 124th-floor observation deck called ‘At the Top’. Floor-to-ceiling glass walls will provide unobstructed views of the city, but anyone who’s not paranoid about being swept away by a gust of wind can venture out onto the open-air deck. This mixed-use tower is set to open in late 2009.

Killesberg Tower, Stuttgart, Germany

(image via: structurae)

This double-helix shaped tower in Stuttgart, Germany features what are essentially two gigantic intertwined spiral staircases suspended by cables around a central support. Getting to the top is no easy feat, but the reward is great.

Shanghai Expo Tower, China

(image via: Expo 2010)

A 495-foot tall chimney at the oldest power plant in China is getting a dramatic makeover for the World Expo 2010. It is set to be transformed into an observation tower called the “Expo Harmony Tower”, its exterior wrapped with tracks and cars similar to a rollercoaster to transport passengers to the top. The entire former high-pollution plant is being revamped into an eco-friendly attraction that uses electricity generated by tide, wind and solar energy.

Glasgow Tower, Scotland

(images via: Wikipedia)

The tallest tower in Scotland is also the only tower in the world that can rotate 360 degrees from its base to its top. It’s shaped like an aerofoil, or an airplane wing seen in cross-section, and has computer-controlled monitors that turn it in the wind to reduce wind resistance.

Green Observation Towers Concept

(images via: HumanShelter.org)

Could we replace smokestacks with eco-friendly, green power-generating towers that also serve as public spaces with observation decks? Designer Michael Jantzen thinks so, and has created several designs that would do just that. The Wind Turbine Observation Tower has five wind-activated segments that rotate in different directions to produce energy, while the Eco-Tower is a public gathering space equipped with seven platforms and a custom wind turbine.

Cheongna City Tower, South Korea

(images via: Bustler.net)

South Korea is getting a new landmark tower that will serve as the cultural hub and centerpiece of a large new town development. The 1,476-foot observation tower appears to jut sharply into the sky like an inverted icicle, with the second-highest observation deck in the world. It’ll also be pretty high-tech, becoming the world’s first “invisible tower” with a skin system that uses optical cameras to capture the views from the opposite wall and project those images on each part of the skin. This effect will make the tower itself seems to disappear when you’re inside, leaving nothing but sweeping views.

110 Most Remote and Remarkable Inhabited Islands

Written by Ecoist on December 29th, 2008 - Topics: Animals and Habitats, Geography and Travel, History and Trivia, Nature and Ecosystems

From islands populated by the descendants of mutineers to islands so tiny their inhabitants reside in boats nearby, the world is studded with thousands of beautiful islands that are remote, rare, and unique. Here are ten remarkable examples of breathtaking atolls, islands within lakes within islands, and other captivating and unusual islands that humans have managed to call home.

Tristan da Cunha: Most Remote Island on Earth

(Images via Google Maps)

The most remote inhabited island group in the world, Tristan de Cunha in the southern Atlantic Ocean, is so tiny its main island has no airstrip. Home to 272 people sharing just 8 surnames, inhabitants suffer from hereditary complaints like asthma and glaucoma. Annexed by the United Kingdom in the 1800s, the island’s inhabitants have a British postal code and, while they can order things online, it takes a very long time for their orders to arrive. But then, that’s the trade off for having your own island settlement some 2,000 miles from the nearest continent.

Vulcan Point: Island in a Lake in an Island in a Lake in an Island in a…

(Images via elbruz and Google Maps)

Winning the M.C. Escher award for geography, the Vulcan Point of the Philippines is a popular tourist destination. Located on the island of Luzon, it’s actually an active volcano (Taal Volcano). This gives Vulcan Point the distinction of not only being an island in a lake on an island, but a volcano in a lake on a volcano. Spread the word…if you can keep it straight.

Isola Tiberina

(Images via diario di bordo and Google Maps)

Isola Tiberina is the only island in the Tiber River, which runs through Rome. This tiny island (or ait) is rich in legend. One myth holds that the island rose out of the river after the locals threw the tyrant Tarquinius Superbus into the Tiber in revolt. Since 293 B.C.E. at least, the island has been alternatively considered a place of healing and divine power (the Greeks built a temple) and darkness (for a time in the Middle Ages it was the holding place of criminals and other undesirables. Remnants of basilicas, monuments and a modern obelisk all can be seen on this tiny boat-shaped island accessible by two small bridges.

Nauru

(Images via Republic of Nauru and Google Maps)

From WebUrbanist: “Nauru is the smallest independent island country in the world. This Pacific island is only 8 square miles, and is the third smallest country in the world next to Monaco and Vatican City. Once its natural reserves of phosphate were depleted, this once-rich island nation first became a haven for money laundering and then had to seek aid from Australia. The island has since become a way station for asylum seekers looking to enter the land Down Under.”

Foula

(Images via birdguides, wikipedia and Google Maps)

Foula is the most remote British island to be inhabited year round. Part of the Shetlands, the 30 residents cling to the coast and make a living from wool production and a little fishing. Originally settled by Norsemen in the 800s C.E., the Scots colonized the island in the 1500s, but the culture is still strongly Nordic.

Easter Island

(Images via sacredsites, bugbog, intute and Google Maps)

This famous and remote Polynesian island in the Southern Pacific (just “off” the coast of Chile by 2,200-odd miles) is home to some of the most mysterious carvings on earth. Through famines, wars, disasters, epidemics, the inhabitants of one of the world’s most remote islands are famous to many, and Rapa Nui (the true name of Easter Island) is a popular tourist destination. There is disagreement about when it was settled (estimates range from 200-1200 C.E.) but the numerous dramatic events threatening the population - such as mass abductions that wiped out half the population in the 1800s - have made a permanent mark on history.

Pitcairn Island

(Images via travelimages, lizasreef, oceandots and Google Maps)

The Pitcairn Islands are famous for being the home of the descendants of the mutineers of the notorious ship Bounty. Though not its own country, it is a sovereign jurisdiction. It’s also the tiniest one on earth, with only 48 residents from 9 original families. The culture was once famously strict and religious, but now the social rules have loosened a bit (alcohol is consumed) and only 8 residents attend church.

Surin

(Images via alternativeculture, Twip and Google Maps)

The Surin Islands off of Thailand are so undeveloped and relatively remote, sea gypsies (the only full time inhabitants) reside in boats in the waters surrounding the two biggest islands. However, the North and South islands, which are divided by a small channel, are popular during parts of the year as camping and diving destinations for tourists.

Suwarrow

(Images via cookislands, wikipedia, ntlworld and Axel)

The Suwarrow Atoll, part of the Cook Islands, was only temporarily inhabited. It’s been sporadically visited (and named) by different European and Russian explorers, but it was the New Zealand hermit Tom Neale who finally took up residence, for 15 years, in the 1950s. He wrote a book about the experience, but the Suwarrow is actually more famous as an actual Treasure Island. Many chests of gold coins and other treasure have been found throughout the centuries at Suwarrow.

An Island of Your Own?

Perhaps after seeing all these islands people call home, you’re thinking of taking up residence on your own patch of sand or rocky outcrop. Keep it convenient and rent out Singer Castle on Dark Island. No, it’s not remote (perfect for those commutes to the city for work), but it’s certainly unusual. From WebUrbanist: “The island sits in the St. Lawrence river between Ontario, Canada and New York, USA. Dark Island isn’t known for its tropical jungle or white sand beaches. The real gem is the 100 year old castle on the island. It was originally built in 1905 as a hunting lodge family retreat by Fredrick Bourne (Then president of the Singer Sewing Machine Company). With towers and secret passages abounding you could literally be your own King of the Castle. The island would be a great getaway from the hustle and bustle, and is still only a short helicopter ride away from New York or Toronto, but it is currently only available for rent. Price: Available upon request - for rent.”