'Skyscraper Day' 🗼 3 September

Simon O'Donovan

Aug 31

2 min read

Today we’re celebrating Skyscraper Day with a towering collection of facts, conversation, reminiscence, quizzes, music and practical activities.

We’ll begin with some fascinating Facts About Skyscraper Day, before having a Let’s Talk Skyscrapers discussion. Have you ever visited a skyscraper, admired a city skyline or felt nervous looking down from a great height?

Our first memory challenge asks you to name some of the world’s most famous skyscrapers and towers, from historic landmarks to extraordinary modern buildings.

We’ll then visit New York and explore the story of the Empire State Building—perhaps the world’s most iconic skyscraper. We’ll discover how this enormous building was completed in just 410 days, using careful planning, prefabricated materials and a remarkable workforce.

Skyscrapers have provided the dramatic setting for many memorable films. Our movie challenge asks you to recognise favourites including King Kong and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.

There’s some classic television nostalgia too, as we remember The Goodies and their wonderfully silly Kitten Kong sketch, featuring an enormous fluffy kitten climbing London’s Post Office Tower.

Next, we travel to Dubai to discover the Burj Khalifa - the tallest skyscraper in the world. At 828 metres tall, it is so high that visitors can watch the Sun set from ground level, travel rapidly to the upper floors and see it appear to set for a second time!

We’ll also pause for a respectful moment of remembrance for the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, including those who died at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and aboard the four hijacked aircraft.

Our skyscraper-themed CST Songs of the Day include The Drifters’ “Up on the Roof,” The Carpenters’ “Top of the World” and Petula Clark’s timeless city classic “Downtown.”

Finally, it’s time to build! Our practical activity challenges you to make the tallest possible tower using either paper cups or Jenga blocks. How high can you build before it all comes tumbling down?

So, look up, hold on to your hat and join us for a celebration of the remarkable buildings that have transformed the skylines of cities around the world.