This was published 7 years ago
The world's 10 best skyscraper observation decks
Japan's Tokyo Sky Tree.
1 THE SHARD, LONDON
Europe has long ago bowed out of the world's tallest skyscraper competition but The Shard, just under 310 metres high, deserves an honourable mention for its distinctive appearance and the video-enhanced interactivity of its open-air observation deck on the 72nd floor and indoor deck four floors below. A nifty computer features allows you to erase current views and replace then with historical looks at London. See theviewfromtheshard.com.
2 EMPIRE STATE BUILDING, NEW YORK
The Abraj Al-Bait Towers in Mecca.
It might now be a minnow despite its 40-year reign as the world's tallest building between 1931 and 1970, but the Empire State remains a cultural icon thanks to its distinctive Art Deco silhouette, multi-coloured summit lighting and appearance in many a Hollywood movie. Its 86th-floor outdoor observation deck is among the world's most visited; there's another 102nd-floor indoor deck that isn't quite as fun. See esbnyc.com.
3 PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS, KUALA LUMPUR
The 452-metre Petronas towers jointly held the world's tallest record after opening in 1998, and placed Malaysia on the map of emerging nations. Renowned French "Spiderman" Alain Robert scaled its outside using only his bare hands and feet but was arrested on the 60th level. You can ascend more easily by double-decker lift to the skywalk that joins the two buildings, then continue to the 86th-floor observation deck. See petronastwintowers.com.my.
Empire State Building.
4 TAIPEI 101, TAIPEI
In 2004 the world had its first building to break the half-kilometre mark. The 509-metre Taipei building is celebrated for its post-modern design said to resemble a lotus blossom. It also claimed (for a while) the world's fastest elevators, travelling at nearly 17 metres a second, or a shade over 60kph, to the 89th viewing floor. A dizzying 91st-floor outdoor observation deck is open when weather permits. See taipei-101.com.tw.
5 ONE WORLD TRADE CENTRE, NEW YORK
The Shard, London.
"Freedom Tower" on the site of the former World Trade Centre reaches 541 metres or a symbolic 1776 feet, date of the US Declaration of Independence, and is the tallest building in the Americas. The lifts give a time-lapse recreation of the skyline as you ascend to the three-storey observation decks, which have interesting video presentations and displays as well as spectacular views. See oneworldobservatory.com.
6 CANTON TOWER, GUANGZHOU
Canton Tower (reaching just under 600 metres) has the world's second-highest outdoor observation deck at a windy 488 metres above Haizhu district. The tower is a spectacular design of two twisting ellipses with a narrow "waist" where a spiral staircase allows a heart-banging ascent. Evening is the time to go, when LED lights set the structure's exterior aglow in changing colours and patterns. See cantontower.com.
7 ABRAJ AL-BAIT TOWERS, MECCA
This huge complex tops out at 601 metres. The world's third-tallest building contains more floor space than any other and boasts a hotel, five-storey shopping mall and 10,000-person prayer room. The soaring tower also has the world's biggest clock faces, visible 25 kilometres away. There's an observation deck both at the clock face and just beneath the central tower's summit, but only Muslims can visit Mecca. See facebook.com/abraj.al.bait.official.
8 SHANGHAI TOWER, SHANGHAI
The exterior of this 632-metre skyscraper, now China's tallest building, was completed last year. Its elevators (said to be the world's fastest) have just been trialled to the observation deck on the 119th floor, although much of the interior fit-out continues. More observation points throughout the building are promised. For the moment, content yourself with nearby Shanghai World Financial Centre, another super-tall skyscraper, the world's 10th highest. See swfc-shanghai.com.
9 TOKYO SKY TREE, TOKYO
Technically this isn't a skyscraper but a tower, for those who like to quibble over definitions. In any case, it's the world's second-tallest structure at 634 metres and houses television and radio broadcasting facilities. A three-floor, mid-level observation deck and a further deck at 450 metres – reached by a glassed-in ramp that spirals up the building – gaze over Tokyo's mind-boggling urban sprawl as far as Mt Fuji. See tokyo-skytree.jp.
10 BURJ KHALIFA, DUBAI
The world's tallest building (828 metres) also has the most floors (163), but curiously enough once missed out on having the world's highest observation deck, relegated to its 125th floor. More recently that has been rectified with a 148th-floor addition at 555.7 metres. Go while you can: the next world's tallest building, under construction and tipped to surpass 1000 metres, is in tourist-unfriendly Saudi Arabia. See burjkhalifa.ae.
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