In Toronto, the CN Tower stands at an unchangeable 553 metres, and watches helplessly as other contenders creep higher and higher.
It seemed to have lost its champion status in January when the 800-metre – and still growing – Burj Dubai was formally recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's "tallest freestanding structure."
But Guinness is getting more specific in how it describes the concrete wonder. The latest designation the CN Tower can boast? The world's tallest freestanding tower.
Guinness "re-presented" the award to the Toronto icon today.
"We're simply just updating the records, as it should have been originally," said Carey Low, a Canadian adjudicator with Guinness. "I understand that some people might think it's semantics."
Low said Guinness looked at the CN Tower and the Dubai monster structure and decided they were different types of structures.
When completed, the Middle Eastern building will have residential space, hotel and office suites.
The CN Tower is different, Low said, because less than 50 per cent is usable floor space, which makes it a tower.
He said the tower has always held its latest designation; it just "wasn't necessary" to make the distinction between a structure and a tower before.
Jack Robinson, the tower's chief operating officer, was nevertheless delighted.
"Since 1975, Guinness has been the source for the CN Tower's hype designation," he said as he reaccepted the record at Horizons restaurant, 346 metres above the ground.
"We're very appreciative of the title that's been bestowed on us. Maybe it will bestow a little extra tourism," he said.
The CN Tower would be wise to play up the designation while it can. Two buildings – the Tokyo Sky Tree in Japan, and the Guangzhou TV Tower in China, are in competition to take the record once completed – in 2011 and 2010, respectively. Even if the towers in China and Japan top 610 and 611 metres, as they are expected to, the CN Tower will have a few things to cling to.
As long as there's no wine cellar in either, the CN Tower will keep the record for the highest wine cellar at 351 metres. Also, the new towers will be made of steel and composite materials, which means the CN Tower will be the tallest free-standing concrete tower for the foreseeable future.
As far as the height designation goes, Guinness is running short of ways to bestow accolades.
"I don't think you can carve it any other way," Low said.
