Technocosmos
Encyclopedia
Technocosmos, later renamed Technostar, was an 85 metres (278.9 ft) tall giant Ferris wheel
, originally built for the Expo '85
World Fair
in Tsukuba, Ibaraki
, Japan
. It carried almost 3 million passengers during the exposition.
Technocosmos had an overall height of 85 metres (278.9 ft), a diameter of 82.5 metres (270.7 ft), and took 15 minutes to complete a revolution. Each of the 48 passenger cars could carry 8 people and was equipped with solar panels to power its air conditioning.
When it began operating, Technocosmos was the world's tallest extant Ferris wheel. At that time, the tallest Ferris wheel ever built was the 100 metres (328.1 ft) Grande Roue de Paris (built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle
in France
) which was demolished in 1920. In 1989 the 107.5 metres (352.7 ft) Cosmo Clock 21
opened for business in Yokohama
and succeeded both Technocosmos as tallest extant Ferris wheel and Grande Roue de Paris as tallest Ferris wheel ever built.
After Expo '85, Technocosmos was relocated to the Expoland
amusement park in Suita, Osaka Prefecture
, and renamed Technostar.
Expoland has since permanently closed. Work began on dismantling Technostar in November 2009, and it had been removed from the Osaka site by the end of the following month.
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
, originally built for the Expo '85
Expo '85
Expo '85, officially called , was a world's fair held in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan between Sunday, March 17 and Monday, September 16, 1985. The theme of the fair was "Dwellings and Surroundings - Science and Technology for Man at Home"...
World Fair
World fair
World Fair can refer to:* Expo , a large public exhibition* This World Fair, an American rock band...
in Tsukuba, Ibaraki
Tsukuba, Ibaraki
is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It is known as the location of the , a planned city developed in the 1960s.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 207,394 and a population density of 730 persons per km². Its total area is 284.07 km².Mount Tsukuba, particularly well-known...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It carried almost 3 million passengers during the exposition.
Technocosmos had an overall height of 85 metres (278.9 ft), a diameter of 82.5 metres (270.7 ft), and took 15 minutes to complete a revolution. Each of the 48 passenger cars could carry 8 people and was equipped with solar panels to power its air conditioning.
When it began operating, Technocosmos was the world's tallest extant Ferris wheel. At that time, the tallest Ferris wheel ever built was the 100 metres (328.1 ft) Grande Roue de Paris (built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle
Exposition Universelle (1900)
The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a world's fair held in Paris, France, from April 15 to November 12, 1900, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate development into the next...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) which was demolished in 1920. In 1989 the 107.5 metres (352.7 ft) Cosmo Clock 21
Cosmo Clock 21
Cosmo Clock 21 is a giant Ferris wheel located in Yokohama, Japan. It is also the world's largest clock.Built for the YES '89 Yokohama Exposition at Minato Mirai 21 in 1989, Cosmo Clock 21 was originally constructed with a height of ....
opened for business in Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
and succeeded both Technocosmos as tallest extant Ferris wheel and Grande Roue de Paris as tallest Ferris wheel ever built.
After Expo '85, Technocosmos was relocated to the Expoland
Expoland
Expoland, located in Suita, Osaka, Japan, was opened as the amusement zone at the International Exposition in 1970 and thrived for over 30 years as an amusement park...
amusement park in Suita, Osaka Prefecture
Osaka Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :...
, and renamed Technostar.
Expoland has since permanently closed. Work began on dismantling Technostar in November 2009, and it had been removed from the Osaka site by the end of the following month.
Coordinates
- Technocosmos, Expo '85Expo '85Expo '85, officially called , was a world's fair held in Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan between Sunday, March 17 and Monday, September 16, 1985. The theme of the fair was "Dwellings and Surroundings - Science and Technology for Man at Home"...
, TsukubaTsukuba, Ibarakiis a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It is known as the location of the , a planned city developed in the 1960s.As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 207,394 and a population density of 730 persons per km². Its total area is 284.07 km².Mount Tsukuba, particularly well-known...
, Ibaraki PrefectureIbaraki Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan, located in the Kantō region on the main island of Honshu. The capital is Mito.-History:Ibaraki Prefecture was previously known as Hitachi Province...
, Kantō regionKanto regionThe is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. Within its boundaries, slightly more than 40 percent of the land area is the Kantō Plain....
: 36.061203°N 140.073055°E - Technostar, ExpolandExpolandExpoland, located in Suita, Osaka, Japan, was opened as the amusement zone at the International Exposition in 1970 and thrived for over 30 years as an amusement park...
, Suita, Osaka PrefectureOsaka Prefectureis a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :...
, Kansai region: 34.803772°N 135.535916°E