#5 - Reunion Tower

Reunion Tower is a 560 foot observation tower and one of the most recognizable landmarks in Dallas. The tower has three floors with circular floor plans. The observatory stands on top of four concrete shafts. A cylindrical shaft I the center houses stairs and mechanical equipment. Three rectangular shafts containing elevators rise-up parallel to the central shaft. Each shaft’s outfacing wall is made up of glass panels, affording views of Dallas during the 68 second ride to the top.

The first level is the observation deck; the second a level is a revolving restaurant called Antares; and the third level is nightclub called the Dome. The top three floors are encased in an open-air sphere, a geodesic dome formed using aluminum struts. Each of the struts’ 260 intersections is covered by aluminum circles with lights in the center. At night the globe at the top of the building is lit up with hundreds of bulbs that flash in amazing computer-generated patterns.