Information was just made privy to me that this iconic tower almost was not constructed in the design that it has presently. Early renderings of the Tower (pictured below) show the tower as something out of a George Orwell dystopian society, as designer O'Neil Ford had a different idea as to how the tower should look. Standing at 750 feet, the Tower of the Americas was constructed from 1966-1968, when it opened just in time for the HemisFair festivities of 1968. At the time of its opening the Tower was the tallest of its type until 1996, when the Las Vegas Stratosphere Tower was completed.
I found these renderings particularly interesting as being from San Antonio the Tower of the Americas is an integral part of San Antonian's life, as it is easily the most recognizable piece of real estate that is part of the San Antonio skyline (the Alamo is not).
Renderings of the Tower of the Americas by Ford O'Neil
The Tower of the Americas as constructed
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