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2mon
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Why are some antenna towers saucer shaped?

https://lemmy.ml/api/v3/image_proxy?url=https%3A%2F%2Flemmy.world%2Fpictrs%2Fimage%2F48f137b7-d0ea-4b39-817a-3a3ed06a1300.jpeg
juliorapido @discuss.tchncs.de - 2mon

Repurposed water tower?

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BeatTakeshi @lemmy.world - 2mon

It seems this one was commissioned as an antenna tower, not repurposed (according to Wikipedia). Might just be an architect that found the shape cool and practical.

As a kid I saw this one in Paris, bigger and with offices inside, but with the same purpose (radio and TV antennas) https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_hertzienne_TDF_site_Romainville

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fuckwit_mcbumcrumble @lemmy.dbzer0.com - 2mon

Most antenna towers aren't saucer shaped.

They just reused an existing building which happened to fit a fuck ton of antennas on it nicely. Most tall buildings will have some sort of antennas on them.

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BeatTakeshi @lemmy.world - 2mon

Not repurposed this one

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its_kim_love @lemmy.blahaj.zone - 2mon

It maximizes floor space on the top floor. It's not a building but a tower who's purpose is to be really high and to see really far. I bet there's a restaurant at the top.

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BeatTakeshi @lemmy.world - 2mon

No restaurants, not even a lift I think. It's a disc on a concrete pillar

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Thurstylark - 2mon

More space on the roof for stuff pointing up, more area around the edge for stuff pointing down and out. Mounting stuff is easier when you don't have to hire professional tower climbers to do it.

Heck, you can throw a freight elevator in there, and get so much more interest from tenants with just that. If tall buildings didn't do all that so well already, I'm sure we'd see more of these around highly populated areas.

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dylanmorgan @slrpnk.net - 2mon

I mean, that looks like an air traffic control tower, so there may very well be people in there. Just not “tenants” in the strictest sense.

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Thurstylark - 2mon

By "tenants" I mean people who rent space on the tower for antennas, and supporting equipment.

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BeatTakeshi @lemmy.world - 2mon

Empty, see the pic on Wikipedia link

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FUCKING_CUNO @lemmy.dbzer0.com - 2mon

Pretty sure thats an air traffic control tower, i.e. a watchtower with people in it. The "saucer" shape is so they can see in every direction

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FUCKING_CUNO @lemmy.dbzer0.com - 2mon

Seems you're right, its a communications tower. Saucer is for the view in any case.

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SkaveRat - 2mon

interestingly, I can't find any source that says why it's shape like that. Aparently it was always planned to be a radio tower.

there's no water tower functionality or restaurant inside. it's just... like that.

but to answer the question: they rarely are saucer shaped. Most of them are either just antennas, or have some slimmer feature at the top like a sphere or similar

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dan69 @lemmy.world - 2mon

Ever watched MIB??

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Anna - 2mon

Those are for communicating with aliens \s

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slacktoid - 2mon

Its actually for the aliens who crash landed here and are looking for their route back. Its just convenient cause once they get their route home they can just zip away

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