TOKYO A transmission tower under construction in Tokyo has become the world's tallest freestanding broadcast structure, the owners said Tuesday.
The Tokyo Sky Tree project surpassed another tower in China by reaching 1,971 feet (601 metres), the company said.
When complete later this year, the tower it will stand 2,080 feet (634 metres), Tobu Tower Sky Tree Co. spokesman Hirotake Takanashi said. It will replace a 1,090-foot tower built in 1958.
"It's nice to be the world's No. 1, but it's just a passing mark," Takanashi said. "We must buckle down ourselves until we complete the tower."
He said construction of the remaining 30 metres is a critical phase that involves installation of a digital antenna.
Japan's six top broadcasters are building the tower. It is expected to bolster television and radio transmissions in the capital region. It will also house shops, restaurants and other entertainment and is expected to become a new tourist destination in Tokyo.
Designed by award-winning Japanese architect Tadao Ando and sculptor Kiichi Sumikawa, the tower stands on a triangular foundation. Its slender body turns into a cylinder as it stretches upward, with its bluish silver colour blending into the sky.
The Canton Tower in China's southwestern city of Guangzhou claimed the previous tallest-broadcaster record at 1,968 feet (600 metres).
The old Tokyo Tower remains one of the city's most visible landmarks and is visited by about 3 million tourists each year, even though it now competes with a plethora of other skyscrapers.
The new tower will stand in Tokyo's Sumida district, a riverside area known for old downtown Tokyo ambiance.
