Dresden TV tower, Television tower in Wachwitz, Dresden, Germany
Dresden TV tower is a reinforced-concrete transmission tower on the Wachwitz Elbe slopes, 252 metres tall and weighing 7,300 tonnes. Its 21-metre-diameter shaft rises to disc-like platforms, a cylindrical section with white dish antennas, and a mast banded red and white. Architects Kurt Nowotny, Hermann Rühle and Johannes Braune modelled the cup-like top on a sparkling wine glass.
Construction began in 1964 commissioned by the East German postal service, following plans by Kurt Nowotny and Johannes Braune. After reunification, the tower closed to visitors in 1991 and has stood empty since, while renovation plans are being discussed.
The name refers to its technical function as a broadcast facility, though locals often simply call it the tower. From the outside, the shape recalls a slender glass on a round base, a nod to the original concept by the architects.
Currently, the interior of the tower is not accessible as extensive renovation work is planned. From surrounding paths and viewpoints in Wachwitz, visitors can view the silhouette of the structure quite well.
The tower can sway up to 1.60 metres, which upset the scales in the café kitchen: the cook had to compensate for deviations of up to 30 grams by experience. The kitchen itself was squeezed into a round room of only 40 square metres. A planned 250-seat restaurant at the foot survives only as foundation ruins.
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