Types of observation towers
Contenido
Es posible diferenciar varios tipos de torres de observación en función del uso, ya sea civil o militar. Pueden ser:.
• - torres de vigía, vigilancia o atalayas "Atalaya (construcción)"): torres en fortificaciones y recintos militares, o protegiendo fronteras, como las que protegían el limes romano o las costas de ataques vikingos o piratas;.
• - torres de vigilancia para el control en prisiones;.
• - torres de control para el control aéreo (aeronaves);.
• - torres de incendios para la detección y observación de incendios;.
• - torres mirador, como lugares de atracción turística que proporcionan vistas de panoramas urbanos de interés, siendo quizás las más reconicda a nivel mundial la torre Eiffel;.
Towers dedicated only to observation
Before the First World War, many hiking associations and some municipalities built observation towers on numerous summits. Typically, these towers were built of stone, however, sometimes wood or iron was also used. In almost all of these towers, access to the observation platform, generally between 5 and 40 meters high, was only possible by means of stairs. Most of these towers are used only for tourism, however, some of them can also be used, in times of high forest fire risk, as fire observation posts or in times of war as military observation posts with anti-aircraft positions located next to them. No other uses were attempted on most of these buildings although some of them now have antennas for police/fire radios, portable radios or low power FM and TV transmitters. Older observation towers often have a flagpole on top.
Some of these towers are permanently accessible, either free of charge or upon payment of an admission fee. Others are accessible only at certain times, in most cases after payment of an admission fee. In these towers, the platform is usually open, and some have a restaurant at the base. There are also towers with much more extensive use; For example. the observation tower in the Rossberg Mountains"), in Reutlingen, houses a hotel within its structure.
Although most of these towers were initially built before the First World War, such structures are still being built to provide elevated viewing points, particularly at some archaeological excavations or at horticultural shows to observe the arrangement of flower beds. In most cases, modern observation towers are no longer constructed of stone or brick, but lighter structures of concrete, steel and wood are preferred.
Permanent observation towers are also sometimes found at amusement parks; However, in parks where each attraction is not paid for independently, scenic rides are preferred.
• - Towers dedicated only to observation.
• - Ottoshöhe wooden tower, on the Osnabrück hills (1895, rec. in 2008).
• - Torre Branca (1933), in Sempione Park, Milan.
• - Observation tower at the Serpent Mound archaeological site, Ohio.
• - Observation tower on the Emssee, Rietberg.
• - Killesberg Tower (2001), in Stuttgart.
Watchtowers or watchtowers
Watchtowers are observation towers, from which a large area is monitored. Strictly speaking, control towers also fall into this category, although surveillance from these buildings is primarily carried out non-optically using radar systems. Watchtowers generally have an enclosed enclosure to protect the observer from bad weather. Watchtowers usually do not have an elevator, since these buildings mostly do not exceed 20 meters. The surveillance towers that are active are, in general, not accessible to the public, since they usually serve to monitor some sensitive issues. However, such towers can also be used to monitor forest fires, as platforms accessible to the public, or used during periods without risk of forest fires as observation towers. In general, watch towers can easily be converted into observation towers.
• - Surveillance towers or watchtowers.
• - Reconstruction of a watchtower of the Roman limes in Lorsch.
• - Torre de la Peña in Tarifa, one of the coastal surveillance towers built in the 16th century on the Mediterranean coasts against piracy.
• - Tower in the Majdanek concentration camp.
• - Alcatraz prison watchtower.
• - West Towers (11th century), Catoira. Built for defense against attacks from the Atlantic.
Telecommunication towers
Also some radio towers were built in such a way that they can be used apart from their function as a transmitting tower also as an observation tower. A condition for this is that it be a sufficiently stable construction, allowing safe and permanent visitor entry without interruption of transmission services. This is the case for radio broadcasting towers in the UHF/VHF range, although it is not the case for long and medium wave radio, which is why the use of these structures as an observation tower is impossible in most cases. That the use of a tower as a medium wave radio transmission tower and as an observation tower did not fit well, appeared in the Radio Tower Berlin"), which originally had together with a high mast 80 meters high, a medium wave antenna placed on insulators. However, it was noticed in the first experimental transmissions that voltages appeared on the tower that would have unpleasant consequences for visitors, so the tower was grounded by the elevator shaft. However, this changed the direction of the main beam of the transmitter away from the area it was to serve, the city of Berlin. While before the Second World War almost all radio broadcasts were long wave, after the Second World War medium and short waves were needed with the introduction of UHF/VHF radio services. The required towers only acted as supports for the antennas, and radio towers with observation platforms were almost always used. Observation platforms often serve for television broadcasting or radio relay link services and are therefore called TV towers or telecommunications towers.
As a rule, an elevator is available in these buildings for visitors to the observation platforms, since the observation platform is usually very high (mostly between 50 and 200 m, in some towers even higher). Many of these towers also have a tower restaurant, which can be designed as a revolving restaurant. While the restaurants in the towers are in closed areas to protect diners from the wind, the observation deck can be open or in a closed room: an open platform is more favorable for photography, since no reflections arise, while closed ones are more pleasant for most visitors. The viewing platforms of the TV towers are open only at certain times and entry is only possible upon payment of a fee.
• - Telecommunication towers.
• - Cairo Tower (1954-1961).
• - Sydney Tower (1975-1981).
• - Qingdao TV Tower") (1994), in Qingdao, China.
• - Long Ta") (2000), in Harbin, China.
tall buildings
Many tall buildings also have observation platforms, sometimes even a restaurant. The height of these platforms, which can be glass or open-air, depends on the height of the building, usually being on the top floor. As a general rule, access, which almost always requires payment of an entrance fee, is possible by lift and is only possible at specific opening times.
water towers
Many water towers also have an observation platform, usually outdoors, open to the public, whose height is greater than the height of older observation towers, in the height range between 10 and 50 m. Depending on the tower, it can be reached by stairs or by elevator. Some water towers also have a restaurant in the tower. The water tower platforms are only accessible for a fee during opening hours, which are different for each tower.
• - Water towers.
• - Torre de las Aguas del Besós (1882), today just a simple viewpoint.
• - Phare de la Méditerranée, a former water tank (1943) converted in 2000 into a revolving viewing point restaurant.
• - Water tanks from the Tree Festival (1944), opened as a viewpoint and water interpretation center.
church towers
Also some church towers have observation platforms. However, elevators are only available in exceptional cases. The entrance to this platform contrasts with the entrance to the church, which is usually only possible by paying an entrance fee during church opening hours. The height of the observation platforms usually varies between 20 and 50 meters. The platform is almost always outdoors.
Headlights
Some lighthouses have an observation deck open to the public. Access is generally by stairs. There is often an admission fee and hours may be limited. The viewing platform of a lighthouse is usually between 10 and 50 meters high, and is almost always outdoors.
The Tower of Hercules in La Coruña (Spain), measuring 57 m,[1][2] dates back to the century and is the only Roman lighthouse and the oldest in operation in the world. On June 27, 2009, it was declared a World Heritage Site[3] by UNESCO.
The Yokohama Marine Tower, built to commemorate the centenary of the inauguration of the port of Yokohama, completed in 1961, at 106 m high, it is the second tallest lighthouse in the world.[4] and from which you can enjoy a panoramic view of the city, the port and Mount Fuji.
• - Viewpoints in lighthouses.
• - Tower of Hercules.
• - Lindau Lighthouse") on Lake Constance, from the 19th century, with an excellent viewpoint of the Swiss Alps and the lake.
• - Enoshima Island Lighthouse (1951), in Japan.
• - Yokohama Marine Tower (1961), the 2nd tallest lighthouse in the world, has a panoramic observation deck.
Viewpoints in sports facilities
Some sports facilities have tall buildings with observation platforms. This is often the case with modern ski jumping towers, as they have one tower and are usually not used in the summer. In addition, there are other sports facilities with observation platforms, such as the leaning tower of the Montreal Olympic Stadium (1976). Access to the platform of almost all sports facilities with an observation deck is only possible during opening hours after paying an entrance fee. Depending on the building, access can be via an elevator and/or a staircase. The platforms can be glassy or open. The height above the ground is generally between 10 and 50 meters.
• - Observation towers in sports facilities.
• - Leaning tower of the Montreal Olympic Stadium (1976), today just a simple viewing point.
• - Skisprungschanze jumping tower").
• - Jump tower in Holmenkollbakken"), Norway.
• - Jump tower in Bergisel (2003), Austria.
• - Jump Towers (1980) in Lake Placid.
Other towers
There are also some very unusual observation towers, which do not fit neatly into one of these categories. Examples of this are the now demolished Henninger Tower"), a grain silo with a restaurant and observation platform in the tower, in Frankfurt; the bell tower of the Olympic Stadium in Berlin"), whose platform is accessible by an elevator; the winding tower of the mining industry museum in Bochum, which has an open-air observation deck on which an elevator operates; or a wind turbine at the Holtriem wind farm, which is equipped with an enclosed platform accessible by stairs. Cable car support towers were also made, which serve as an observation tower (and aerial tram station), such as the Jaime I Tower on the Barcelona Air Shuttle. Even on the pylons of suspension bridges, observation platforms had already been installed, as demonstrated by the example of Nový Most i in Bratislava.
A very unusual observation tower is the Seyne-sur-Mer bascule bridge. It was once a bascule bridge, now permanently upright and used as an observation tower.
• - Unusual observation towers.
• - Seyne-sur-Mer bascule bridge (1917).
• - Jaime I Tower (1931), on the Barcelona Air Shuttle.
• - Bell tower of the Berlin Olympic stadium") (1934).
• - Disappeared Henninger Tower") in Frankfurt (1961), observation deck in a silo.
• - The St. John's Beacon (1965) in Liverpool, a ventilation tower with a viewing platform.
• - Most SNP (1967), a viewing point on the pylon of a cable-stayed bridge.
• - The London Eye (2000), a huge Ferris wheel with gondolas that are true observation towers.