Avala TV Tower - Definition and Overview

Avala TV Tower was a 202.87 meters tall telecommunication tower located on Avala mountain near Belgrade, Serbia.

The tower was constructed by architects Ugljesa Bogdanovic and Slobodan Janjic, and engineer Milan Krstic. Its building started in 1963 and was finished in 1965. It was destroyed on April 29 1999, by NATO bombardment during the Kosovo War, supposedly to put Radio Television of Serbia off the air. RTS broadcasting did not suffer as it was relying on a network of local TV stations which were obliged to relay its program throughout the whole of Serbia.

The tower had numerous unique characteristics and records:

• It was the only tower in the world to have an equilateral triangle as its cross section.
• It was one of very few towers not perched directly into ground, but standing on their legs; the legs were a tripod, hence:
• It was the only tower in the world mounted on a tripod.
• From its construction in 1965 to its destruction on April 29 1999 it was the tallest building in the Balkans.
• Between its destruction on April 29 1999 and September 11, 2001 it was the tallest building ever destroyed.
• As of 2004 it is the third tallest building ever destroyed (behind the WTC towers).

See also Architecture of Belgrade

List of towers

External links

• Avala Tower Fans Association (http://www.avalskitoranj.com/)
• Avala Tower at skyscraperpage.com (http://skyscraperpage.com/cities/?buildingID=2534)
• TV Tower Avala (http://www.structurae.net/structures/data/index.cfm?ID=s0006008)