Näsinneula (; ) is an
observation tower
An observation tower is a structure used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision to conduct long distance observations. Observation towers are usually at least tall and are made from stone, iron, an ...
in
Tampere
Tampere ( , , ; sv, Tammerfors, ) is a city in the Pirkanmaa region, located in the western part of Finland. Tampere is the most populous inland city in the Nordic countries. It has a population of 244,029; the urban area has a population o ...
,
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
, overseeing Lake
Näsijärvi
Näsijärvi () is a lake above sea level, in the Pirkanmaa region of southern Finland. Näsijärvi is the biggest lake in the Tampere area at in size. The city of Tampere was built along the Tammerkoski rapids, through which the lake drains in ...
. It was built in 1970–1971 and was designed by
Pekka Ilveskoski. It is the tallest free-standing structure in Finland and at present the tallest observation tower in the
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or ''Norden''; literal translation, lit. 'the North') are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic. It includes the sovereign states of Denmar ...
at a height of . The tower opened in 1971 and is located in the
Särkänniemi
Särkänniemi (; translates to "Cape of Sandbank") is an amusement park in Tampere, Finland, located in the district by the same name. The park features an aquarium, a planetarium, a children's zoo, an art museum and an observation tower Nä ...
amusement park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
. There is a
revolving restaurant
A revolving restaurant or rotating restaurant is usually a tower restaurant eating space designed to rest atop a broad circular revolving platform that operates as a large turntable. The building remains stationary and the diners are carried on ...
in the tower above the ground; one revolution takes 45 minutes. The design of Näsinneula was inspired by the
Space Needle
The Space Needle is an observation tower in Seattle, Washington, United States. Considered to be an icon of the city, it has been designated a Seattle landmark. Located in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood, it was built in the Seattle Center f ...
in
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
. The idea of a revolving restaurant was taken from the
Puijo Tower
The Puijo tower is an observation tower at the top of Puijo hill in Kuopio, Eastern Finland. Opened in 1963, the tower is tall and has a revolving restaurant with 100 seats. It was the first tower with a revolving restaurant in the Nordic countr ...
, which is located in
Kuopio
Kuopio (, ) is a Finnish city and municipality located in the region of Northern Savonia. It has a population of , which makes it the most populous municipality in Finland. Along with Joensuu, Kuopio is one of the major urban, economic, and cult ...
, the city of
North Savonia
North Savo (or Northern Savonia; fi, Pohjois-Savo; sv, Norra Savolax) is a region in eastern Finland. It borders the regions of South Savo, Central Finland, North Ostrobothnia, Kainuu, and North Karelia. Kuopio is the largest city in the regio ...
.
The base of the tower is at about of elevation from lake Näsijärvi. There are two elevators, which were changed to new
Kone
Kone Oyj (; officially stylized as KONE and trading as KONE Corporation) is an elevator engineering company employing over 60,000 personnel across 60 countries worldwide. It was founded in 1910 and is now headquartered in Espoo near Helsinki, F ...
elevators in 2020. Before the update the elevators were manufactured by Valmet-Schliren. The elevators go up to a height of , to the Pilvilinna ("Cloud Castle") café. The restaurant (called Näsinneula) is one story higher.
The elevator ride to the top takes 27 seconds with a maximum speed of and the elevators carry a maximum of 16 people. The elevators are still the fastest public elevators in
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
. In the event of a blackout, the tower's own diesel emergency generator will start. In an emergency, people can be evacuated with stairs that have 700 steps.
Beacon
A beacon is an intentionally conspicuous device designed to attract attention to a specific location. A common example is the lighthouse, which draws attention to a fixed point that can be used to navigate around obstacles or into port. More mode ...
lights at the top of the tower display a
weather forecast
Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the conditions of the atmosphere for a given location and time. People have attempted to predict the weather informally for millennia and formally since the 19th centu ...
:
Gallery
File:Näsinnäula.JPG, Näsinneula – tower on the shore of Näsijärvi in Tampere, 21 August 2005
File:Näsinneula view 11.jpg, A view of the city of Tampere from Näsinneula, September 2020
File:Schnittzeichnung Näsinneula.png, Drawing of the tower top
File:Näsijärvi.JPG, Näsijärvi lake seen from the Näsinneula tower in Tampere, 21 August 2005
File:Näsinneula from Lentävänniemi.jpg, Näsinneula as seen from Lentävänniemi
Lentävänniemi () is a district in the western part of Tampere on the shores of Lake Näsijärvi in Pirkanmaa, Finland. It belongs to the northwestern part of the city and borders the Niemi and Niemenranta borders on the southwest. There are jo ...
across Näsijärvi. Hotel Torni is visible in the background.
File:Snowy Tampere from Näsinneula.jpg, A winter view of northern Tampere and Näsijärvi lake from the tower
File:Restaurant Näsinneula.jpg, Restaurant Näsinneula
See also
*
Näsilinna
Näsilinna (; lit. "Näsi Castle") is a neo-baroque palace on Näsikallio in Tampere, Finland. It was built by Peter von Nottbeck, son of , a St. Petersburg-based industrial manager of Finlayson. The original name of the palace, completed in 189 ...
References
External links
Restaurant NäsinneulaNäsinneula – Official site*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nasinneula
Towers completed in 1971
Buildings and structures in Tampere
Towers with revolving restaurants
Observation towers in Finland
Tourist attractions in Tampere