Elevated sightseeing platform
The Edge at 30 Hudson Yards in Midtown Manhattan , containing optically transparent flooring, looking toward Lower Manhattan , opened in 2020
An observation deck , observation platform , or viewing platform is an elevated sightseeing platform usually situated upon a tall architectural structure, such as a skyscraper or observation tower . Observation decks are sometimes enclosed from weather, and a few may include coin-operated telescopes for viewing distant features.[citation needed ]
List of public observation decks
List of public observation decks
Rank
Name
Completion Date
Type
City
Deck height (m)
Total height (m)
Notes
1
Burj Khalifa
2010
Skyscraper
Dubai
585 [ 1]
829.8
Floors 152-154 (opened 2019). Additional decks on floor 148 (555m, opened 2014) and 124-125 (452m), both respectively the world's highest observation deck at their opening.
2
Shanghai Tower
2015
Skyscraper
Shanghai
562 [ 2]
632
121st floor; decks are also on 118th and 119th floors.
3
Ping An Finance Centre
2017
Skyscraper
Shenzhen
562 [ 2]
599.1
115th floor (opened on February 10, 2018).
4
Merdeka 118
2022
Skyscraper
Kuala Lumpur
510
678.9
5
Canton Tower
2010
Steel tower
Guangzhou
488
604
6
Lotte World Tower
2017
Skyscraper
Seoul
486
555
Abraj Al Bait
2011
Skyscraper
Mecca
486
601
8
Shanghai World Financial Center
2008
Skyscraper
Shanghai
474 [ 3]
492.3
100th floor, decks also on levels 94 & 97.
9
Tokyo Skytree
2012
Steel tower
Tokyo
451.2
634
Three additional observation decks at 340m, 345m, and 350m.
10
Taipei 101
2004
Skyscraper
Taipei
449.2
508.2
The 101st floor indoor/outdoor rooftop observation deck opened to the public on June 14, 2019.[ 4] Two additional observation decks, outdoor on the 91st-floor and indoor on the 89th floor at 383.2 metres (1,257 ft)..
11
CN Tower
1976
Concrete tower
Toronto
446.7
553.3
Two additional observation decks at 342 m (outdoor) & 346 m (indoor).
12
Willis Tower
1974
Skyscraper
Chicago
412.7
527.3
103rd floor; it is the highest observation deck (skydeck) and highest skywalk (skydeck glass balconies) in the United States [ 5] [ 6] [ 7] [ 8]
13
Sky100 , International Commerce Centre
2011
Skyscraper
Hong Kong
393
484
100th floor; 360-degree indoor observation deck.
14
One World Trade Center
2014
Skyscraper
New York City
386.6
541.3
Observation deck on the 100th, 101st and 102nd floors.
15
Landmark 81
2019
Skyscraper
Ho Chi Minh City
382
461
Observation decks on 79th, 80th and 81st floors.
16
Petronas Towers
1998
Skyscraper
Kuala Lumpur
370
451.9
Observation deck on 86th floor of tower 2; in addition there is the skybridge between the two towers on 41st and 42nd floors at 170 m.
17
Empire State Building
1931
Skyscraper
New York City
369 [ 9]
448.7
102nd floor; additional 86th floor deck (320 m).
18
Iconic Tower
2023
Skyscraper
New Administrative Capital
360
394
Observations on 74th, 75th and 76th floors.
19
Lakhta Center
2021
Skyscraper
Saint Petersburg
357
462
Observations on 84th, 85th 86th and 87th floors.
20
Oriental Pearl Tower
1994
Concrete tower
Shanghai
351
467.9
15 observation levels, the highest one being outdoors
21
The Strat
1996
Concrete Tower
Paradise
350
350.2
Tallest observation tower in the U.S.
22
Tuntex Sky Tower
1997
Skyscraper
Kaohsiung
341
347.5
74th floor.
23
Jin Mao Tower
1998
Skyscraper
Shanghai
340.1
420.5
88th floor.
24
30 Hudson Yards
2020
Skyscraper
New York City
340
387
Observation decks on 100th and 101st floors.
Ostankino Tower
1967
Concrete tower
Moscow
340
540.1
Indoor deck is at 337 m.
26
John Hancock Center
1969
Skyscraper
Chicago
313.8
343.5
94th floor.
27
Milad Tower
2007
Concrete tower
Tehran
312
435
Top level.
28
China World Trade Center Tower III
2010
Skyscraper
Beijing
311.8
330
81st floor.
29
One Vanderbilt
2021
Skyscraper
New York City
310
427
Observations on 62nd and 63rd floors.
Ciel Tower
2024
Skyscraper
Dubai
310
366
Observation deck on 81nd, 82rd floors, 76th floor (290 m) and 60th floor (248 m).
31
Shun Hing Square
1996
Skyscraper
Shenzhen
298.1
384
32
US Bank Tower
1989
Skyscraper
Los Angeles
297
310
69th (indoor and outdoor observation) and 70th floors (skyslide and events) CLOSED.
33
Kingdom Centre
2002
Skyscraper
Riyadh
290
302
41st floor.
34
Abeno Harukas
2014
Skyscraper
Osaka
288
300
58th–60th floor (top floor).
35
Zifeng Tower
2010
Skyscraper
Nanjing
287
450
36
Eureka Tower
2007
Skyscraper
Melbourne
285
297.3
Skydeck 88 is at a height of 285 m.
37
King Power MahaNakhon
2018
Skyscraper
Bangkok
281.6
314
Observation deck on 74th, 76th, and 78th floors.
Etihad Towers (Tower 2)
2011
Skyscraper
Abu Dhabi
281.6
305.3
Observation deck at 300 is located on 75th floor.
39
Eiffel Tower
1889
Wrought iron lattice tower
Paris
276.1
330
3rd floor.
40
Menara Kuala Lumpur
1996
Concrete tower
Kuala Lumpur
276
421
41
Columbia Center
1985
Skyscraper
Seattle
275
284
73rd floor.
42
Yokohama Landmark
1993
Skyscraper
Yokohama
273
296
69th floor.
43
One Liberty Place
1987
Skyscraper
Philadelphia
269
288
57th floor.
44
Bank of America Plaza (Dallas)
1985
Skyscraper
Dallas
268.4
281
71st floor; additional on 70th floor at 264.6 metres (868 ft).
45
JPMorgan Chase Tower
1982
Skyscraper
Houston
268.2
305.4
60th floor.
46
Sydney Tower
1981
Steel Tower
Sydney
268
309
Main indoor observation deck; outdoor skywalk attraction on roof is located at 279 meters.
47
Gran Torre Santiago
2013
Skyscraper
Santiago
261
300
Observation deck named Sky Costanera is located on floors 61 and 62.
48
GE Building
1933
Skyscraper
New York City
259.1
259.1
70th floor ("Top of the Rock").
49
Tianjin Tower
1991
Concrete tower
Tianjin
257
415.2
50
40 Wall Street
1929
Skyscraper
New York City
255
283
51
22 Bishopsgate
2020
Skyscraper
London
254
278
Tallest free observation deck in Europe on the 58th floor.
52
Osaka Prefectural Government Sakishima Building
1995
Skyscraper
Osaka
252
256
53
Etihad Towers (Tower 1) [ 10]
2011
Skyscraper
Abu Dhabi
251.2
277.6
54
63 Building
1985
Skyscraper
Seoul
249
250
60th floor.
55
Midland Square
2007
Skyscraper
Nagoya
247
247
47th floor.
56
Lotus Tower
2019
Concrete tower
Colombo
245
356
57
The Shard
2013
Skyscraper
London
244.8
306
72nd floor.
58
Central Radio & TV Tower
1992
Concrete tower
Beijing
238
405
59
Sunshine 60
1978
Skyscraper
Tokyo
237.6
239.8
60
Federation Tower (Tower West)
2008
Skyscraper
Moscow
235 [ 11]
252
62nd floor.
61
TK Elevator Test Tower
2017
Concrete tower
Rottweil
232[ 12]
246
30th floor (indoor and outdoor).
62
Q1
2005
Skyscraper
Gold Coast
230
323
77th floor (SkyPoint ), with the function hall on the 78th[specify ] .
West Pearl Tower
2006
Concrete tower
Chengdu
230
339
Varso Tower
2023
Skyscraper
Warsaw
230
310
50th and 53rd floor.
65
Roppongi Hills Mori Tower
2003
Skyscraper
Tokyo
229.3
238
52nd floor (indoor) and 54th floor (roof-deck).
66
Taipei Nan Shan Plaza
2018
Skyscraper
Taipei
228.5
272
46th floor (indoor).
67
Europaturm
1979
Concrete tower
Frankfurt
227
337.5
Since 1999, the Europaturm has been closed to the public.
68
Tokyo Tower
1958
Steel truss tower
Tokyo
223.5
332.6
6th floor.
69
Macau Tower
2001
Concrete tower
Macau
223
338
70
Sky Tower
1997
Concrete tower
Auckland
220
328
Skydeck observation deck on 60th floor.
71
Tour Montparnasse
1972
Skyscraper
Paris
209
209
72
Fernsehturm Berlin
1969
Concrete tower
Berlin
207
368
73
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
1990
Skyscraper
Tokyo
202
243.4
74
Main Tower
1999
Skyscraper
Frankfurt
200
240
Marina Bay Sands
2010
Skyscraper
Singapore
200
200
76
Olympiaturm
1968
Concrete tower
Munich
192
291
77
Mohammed VI Tower
2023
Skyscraper
Salé
190
250
Observation deck on 54th and 55th floor.
78
Vysotsky
2011
Skyscraper
Yekaterinburg
186
188.3
Observation deck was opened on 3 May 2012.[ 13]
79
Bitexco Financial Tower
2010
Skyscraper
Ho Chi Minh City
181
262.5
47th floor.
80
Tower of the Americas
1968
Concrete tower
San Antonio
176
229
81
Rheinturm
1979
Concrete tower
Düsseldorf
170
240.5
Umeda Sky Building
1993
Skyscraper
Osaka
170
173
Tallinn TV Tower
1980
Tower
Tallinn
170
314
84
Donauturm
1964
Concrete tower
Vienna
169.4
252
85
N Seoul Tower
1975
Steel tower
Seoul
168.3
236.7
Tower sits atop Namsan Mountain .
86
Vilnius TV Tower
1980
Tower
Vilnius
165
326.5
87
Space Needle
1962
Steel tower
Seattle
158.5
184.4
89
Calgary Tower
1968
Concrete tower
Calgary
157.5
190.8
90
Fernsehturm Stuttgart
1956
Concrete tower
Stuttgart
153
216.6
Çamlıca Tower
2020
Concrete tower
Istanbul
153
369
92
Avala Tower
2009
Concrete tower
Belgrade
135
204.5
93
Fukuoka Tower
1989
Tower
Fukuoka
123
234
94
Kuwait viewing sphere
1979
Concrete tower
Kuwait City
120
187
(1990 Liberation Tower of ~300 m is not open to public).
95
Palace of Culture and Science
1955
Multi-function
Warsaw
114
237
Observation deck on 30th floor.
96
Spinnaker Tower
2005
Tower
Portsmouth
110
170
97
Millennium Center 2 office tower restaurant
2016
Skyscraper
Sofia
105
108
98
Kyoto Tower
1964
Tower
Kyoto
100
131
Nagoya TV Tower
1954
Tower
Nagoya
100
180
100
Tashkent Tower
1985
Tower
Tashkent
97
375
101
Snezhanka Tower , Pamporovo , Bulgaria
1978
Concrete tower
Pamporovo
93
156
102
Kobe Port Tower
1963
Tower
Kobe
90.8
108
103
Sapporo TV Tower
1957
Tower
Sapporo
90
147.2
104
Tsūtenkaku
1956
Tower
Osaka
87.5
108
105
City-Hochhaus Leipzig
1972
Skyscraper
Leipzig
120
142.5
31th floor.
106
Nebraska State Capitol
1930
Skyscraper
Lincoln
75
120
14th floor.
107
Arc de Triomphe
1836
Monument
Paris
50
50
Rooftop terrace.
List of highest observation decks by type
Type
Name and Location
Constructed
Height
Notes
Observation Skywalk over vertical cliff free drop
”Step into the Void” glass skywalk, Aiguille du Midi peak, The Alps , France[ 14] [ 15]
2013
1,035 m (3,396 ft)
Observation deck inside a spire
Merdeka 118 , Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia [ 2]
2023
566 m (1,857 ft)
Enclosed observation deck on high-rise building
Shanghai Tower , Shanghai and Ping An Finance Centre , Shenzhen , China [ 2]
2015 and 2017
562 m (1,844 ft)
Outdoor observation deck on high-rise building
Burj Khalifa , Dubai , UAE [ 2]
2014
555.7 m (1,823 ft)
Skywalk over (artificial) waterfall free drop
Sky Corridor Waterfall Walkway, Huangteng Gorge , Guangdong , China [ 16]
2018
500 m (1,640 ft)
Observation deck on tower [ 2]
Canton Tower , Guangzhou , China
2011
488 m (1,601 ft)
Skywalk over high-rise building
Skydeck (The Ledge) observation deck glass balconies, Willis Tower , Chicago, USA [ 2]
2009
412.4 m (1,353 ft)
Skywalk over bridge
Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge , Zhangjiajie , China [ 17]
2016
300 m (984 ft)
Skywalk over glacier
Glacier Skywalk, Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada [ 18]
2014
280 m (919 ft)
Timeline of world's highest observation decks
This is a timeline of the development of world's highest observation decks since the inauguration of the Washington Monument in 1885.
Held record
Name and Location
Constructed
Height of highest observation deck
Notes
From
To
1885
1889
Washington Monument , Washington D.C. , United States
1889
152.3 m (500 ft)
Was the world's tallest structure when completed.
1889
1931
Eiffel Tower , Paris , France
1889
275 m (902 ft)
Two further observation decks 57 & 115 m.
1931
1973
Empire State Building , New York City , United States
1931
369 m (1,211 ft)[ 9]
A second observation deck is located on the 86th floor at 320 metres above ground.
1973
1974
World Trade Center , New York City , United States (article )
1973
399.4 m (1,310 ft)
Measured from sea level , street level was 10 feet above sea level. Indoor observation deck on the 107th floor of South Tower opened on April 4, 1973. Destroyed during the September 11 attacks .
1974
1975
Sears Tower (since renamed Willis Tower), Chicago , United States
1974
412.4 m (1,353 ft)
Measured from the Franklin Street entrance, 103rd floor observation deck opened on June 22, 1974
1975
1976
World Trade Center , New York City , United States (article )
1973
419.7 m (1,377 ft)
Measured from sea level , street level was 10 feet above sea level. Outdoor observation deck on rooftop of the South Tower opened on December 15, 1975. Destroyed during the September 11 attacks .
1976
2004
CN Tower , Toronto , Ontario, Canada
1976
446.5 m (1,465 ft)
Two further observation decks 342 and 346 metres above ground.
2004
2008
Taipei 101 , Taipei , Republic of China (Taiwan )
2004
449.2 m (1,474 ft)
Two other observation decks are at 392 m (1,286 ft) (91st-floor outdoor observation deck) and 383 m (1,257 ft) (89th-floor indoor observation deck).
2008
2011
Shanghai World Financial Centre , Shanghai , People's Republic of China
2008
474 m (1,555 ft)
Other observation decks are at 423 m (1,388 ft) and 439 m (1,440 ft).
2011
2014
Canton Tower , Guangzhou , People's Republic of China
2011
488 m (1,601 ft)
The outdoor rooftop observation deck opened in December 2011. There are also several other indoor observation decks in the tower, the highest at 433.2 m (1,421 ft).
2014
2016
Burj Khalifa , Dubai , UAE
2010
555.7 m (1,821 ft)
Opened on October 15, 2014, on the 148th floor. There is another observation deck at 452.1 m (1,483 ft) on the 124th floor, which has been open since the building was opened to the public.
2016
Present
Shanghai Tower , Shanghai , China
2015
562.1 m (1,844 ft)
Opened on July 1, 2016. there are also 2 more observation decks on the 118th and 119th floor, at 546 and 552 meters respectively.
Under construction
2027 (est) Burj Azizi , Dubai , United Arab Emirates . 649 m, Level 130
Unknown Jeddah Tower , Jeddah , Saudi Arabia . 637 m, Level 157
Unknown[ 19] Goldin Finance 117 , Tianjin , China . 578.7 m, Level 116
2023 (est.) Merdeka 118 , Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia . 517.7 m , Level 117 (Spire observation level at 566 m)[ 20]
2026 (est) Torre Rise , Monterrey , Mexico . 354 m, Level 93 and 365 m, Level 96
2028 (est.) Torch Tower , Tokyo , Japan . 352 m, Level 55
2027 (est) Taipei Twin Towers , Taipei , Taiwan . 347 m, Level 73
Approved
See also List of tallest buildings and structures in the world#World's highest observation deck
Observation deck gallery
See also
References