As you may know, the CN Tower is the tallest tower in Canada and at 553.33 meters it ranks 3rd in the list of tallest towers in the world.

Don’t get me wrong, because we’re specifically talking about the technical definition of a tower. Do you know what distinguishes a tower from other types of buildings? Let’s discover the art behind the CN Tower in Toronto ON.

Of course, there are taller buildings that we exclude, the building must cover certain features to fit into a tower name. For example, towers should always be taller than they are wide and may be accessible to humans, but should not be used for housing or offices. They must be self-supporting, that is, there must be no cables to support the weight of the tower. Although built for use in telecommunications, they should not be confused with a radio and television mast.

CN Tower photo by Jeff Man. @ideasandlight

First, let’s talk about the architectural design and how John Andrews and his team managed to choose each of the elements of the tower. They didn’t build a tower for their present, it seems they knew they were creating art for the future. The CN Tower has been called the most elegant tower in the world and was also named one of the 7 Wonders of the Modern World by the American Society of Civil Engineering.

Construction of the tower began in 1973 and it was opened to the public in June 1976. It has 1,776 steps and 11 elevators. The structure starts from the base with metal anchors that support the 3 “Y” shaped wings armed with tension cables. These wings reach up to 330 m. from there the concrete continues up to 450 m. Then the tower is crowned by a 100 m steel mast which gives us 553 m in height. There is no doubt that tower architecture is an art in itself. But now that the Canada Lands Company is in charge of the management and since they took over in 1995, they have tried to incorporate different elements into the tower to make it a tourist destination.

CN Tower photo by Chris. @to cut

When you visit the CN Tower, you can visit the Sky Pod, which is the highest observation deck on the west side in the world (447m).

Then we have Edge Walk since 2011 where you can have this experience like no other in the world. You will cross the main point of the tower (356 m).

You can then enjoy a 360 degree dining experience at the restaurant, in the space of 72 minutes you will be able to see every angle of Toronto. (351)

And just under 5 m away is the observatory level with thermochromic windows where you can take the best photos at any time of the day (346 m).

The CN Tower “Spring is here” photo by @thephotographer052

And finally, my favorite addition, which I personally find more artistic and which can have a greater impact on society, is the intelligent LED lighting system with each microprocessor capable of creating 16.7 million colors, resulting in an interaction remarkable with the humans around the CN tower. This technology has been used to reflect and celebrate any significant day in Canada.

The CN Tower “Canada Life” photo by Joseff Sean Borres. @6ixoptics

In conclusion, I think the CN Tower is a great work of art on its own, but honestly, with the number of people visiting the tower per year, you can have a lot more interaction with society. I dream of the day when the tower will house a gallery of the best images about it, maybe even documentaries by people for people, canvas art, etc. Unfortunately, the tower anchor was designed to last 300 years, and today there is no technology. to swap them, that means the tower will last until 2273.

You can also read: Art in Canada and how to enjoy it

Raymundo Moreno is a contemporary, multidisciplinary and conceptual artist, who works through dance, performance, painting, sculpture, dance films and writing. He is passionate about talking about social movements and artistic activism. He was born in Puebla, Mexico, graduated in dance at the School of Arts at the University of the Americas Puebla (UDLAP) in Mexico. He currently lives in Toronto.