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In Japan, China and Dubai, they build, dream and break records with architecture.
In Toronto, the CN Tower stands at an unchangeable 553 metres, and watches helplessly as other contenders creep higher and higher.
It seemed to have lost its champion status in January when the 800-metre – and growing – Burj Dubai was recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's "tallest free-standing structure." But Guinness, like a teacher bent on giving awards to everybody, is getting more specific in how it describes the concrete wonder that has stood proud for 35 years.
Guinness yesterday designated the Toronto icon as the world's tallest free-standing tower.
"We're simply just updating the records, as it should have been originally," said Carey Low, a Canadian adjudicator with Guinness. "I understand that some people might think it's semantics."
Low said Guinness decided the Toronto and Dubai buildings are different types of structures. When completed, the Burj Dubai will have residential space, hotel and office suites, but less than 50 per cent of the CN Tower is usable floor space, making it a tower, Low said.
Jack Robinson, the tower's chief operating officer, was delighted.
"Since 1975, Guinness has been the source for the CN Tower's hype designation," he said as he reaccepted the record at Horizons restaurant, 346 metres above ground.
The CN Tower would be wise to play up the designation while it can. Two buildings – the Tokyo Sky Tree in Japan (an expected 611 metres), and the Guangzhou TV Tower in China (610 metres) are in competition to take the record once completed – in 2011 and 2010, respectively. Even so, the CN Tower will have a few things to cling to.
As long as there's no wine cellar in either, the CN Tower will keep the record for the highest wine cellar at 351 metres. Also, the new towers will be made of steel and composite materials, which means the CN Tower will be the tallest free-standing concrete tower for the foreseeable future.