9 . T H E
R H E I N T U R M
STROMSTRASSE 20
The Rheinturm ( Rhine Tower ) is a prominent icon of
Düsseldorf ’ s Rhine landscape . It is located on the
edge of the southern city centre at the entrance to
the Media Harbour , directly next to the North Rhine -
Westphalia State Parliament building and the
building of the Westdeutschen Rundfunk
broadcasting company .
The Rhine Tower ( construction period 1979 - 1982 ,
architect H . Deilmann ) is 240 . 5 metres tall and has a
restaurant 172 . 5 metres up in the air , which revolves
around its axis once per hour ( for technical reasons ,
the platform revolves in one direction from 1p . m . –
4 : 30p . m . and in the other direction from 6 : 00p . m . to
12a . m .; the restaurant remains static for the
remaining time ).
There is a self - service restaurant and a viewing
platform from which you have breath - taking views
over Düsseldorf : the Media Harbour , the Old Town ,
the Hofgarten ( Court Garden ), Königsallee and the
Rhine with its family of bridges lie at the foot of the
Rhine Tower ; if there is good weather , you can even
see the Bergisches Land mountain range region and
the city of Cologne .
The function of the illuminating circular portholes
of the Rhine Tower is unique worldwide : separated
by air traffic control lights , 39 of its 62 portholes
form a decimal clock at three different height
intervals over the 160 - metre - long shaft of the tower .
The 62 portholes are each equipped with twelve
LEDs , which consist of a group of four red , four
green and four blue LEDs . Different colours can be
generated by alternating the extent to which
certain LEDs are dimmed up .