Kobe Port Tower

Kobe Port Tower, nicknamed the Steel Tower Beauty, is a hyperboloid tower in the port city of Kobe, Japan. When it was completed in 1963 it was the world’s first building featuring a pipe lattice structure.

Designed by the Nikken Sekkei Company, the tower’s unique shape was inspired by a tsuzumi, a traditional Japanese drum. It is 108 m tall, and comprises 8 layers, the top being a 360-degree observation deck which is open to tourists and provides impressive views of Kobe.

The main structure of the tower is painted a burnt orange colour, surrounded by 32 red steel staves.

The tower was closed for renovation in 2009-2010, during which time 7,000 LED lights were installed which are illuminated at night.

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