Fernsehturm Berlin

Berlin, 1969, 368 meters. East Germany opened its TV tower at Alexanderplatz on 3 October 1969, timed for the state's 20th anniversary. The steel-clad sphere holds a viewing deck and a revolving restaurant, and only after it was finished did anyone notice that sunlight on its faceted panels throws a bright cross. Attempts to hide it failed, and Berliners nicknamed it the Pope's revenge. A new antenna in 1997 took the tower from 365 to 368 meters, and it remains the tallest structure in Germany, still carrying radio and television for the capital. This view from the Neptune Fountain shows the whole thing, pavilion to antenna tip.