These drawings tell you about the human scale of a work, as well as how architectural components come together to complete each structure. Section drawings show how people move up and through the building, as well as communicating additional ideas on structure, materials and light. Whether capturing a project in its entirety through an aerial render or elevation, observation towers can be hard to accurately represent. This experience is most easily understood in section. In the architectural drawings of these towers, the relationship between form, program and detail directly relates to the experience of climbing up and above. This holds especially true in observation towers, a typology that raises awareness of one’s wider surroundings through diverse vantage points. When sited in dramatic landscapes and unique contexts, architecture is often designed around perspective and view. Be sure to check out the rest of this year's extraordinary Winners and Commended Entries.

Spirale, La Ronde, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (Opened in 1967 double cabin.Sign up to be informed when the next One Drawing Challenge launches (in late Summer!).

Park closed permanently in 1990, tower auctioned sometime before 1997 to a private party) (opened June 1st, 1966, 4th ride of this kind in US, 7th in the world, 335ft tall.

Totem Tower, Fort Dells later Dells Crossroads, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.

(closed 2010 after flood damaged electrical system, dismantled 2018)

Space Needle State Fair Park, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, U.S.

(disused from 2010, being shortened due to structural concerns, 2013)

Sky Tower, Marineland of the Pacific, Palos Verdes, California U.S.

Panoramic, Meli Park, Belgium (Closed 2009).

Astroneedle, Six Flags AstroWorld, Houston, Texas U.S., (Dismantled in 2000).

Sky Tower, Atlantic City, New Jersey, Central Pier, (dismantled November 1989).

Fun Pier Sky Tower Wildwood, New Jersey, U.S., (dismantled 2009).

Falls Tower, Niagara Falls, Clifton Hills, Canada (dismantled November 2006).

Astro Needle, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, U.S., (dismantled mid-1980s).Unknown, Seville Expo '92, Sevilla, Spain., (Built for 1992 Sevilla's World Fair, and then the Cartuja Island city park.Space Needle, Main Street Pier, Daytona Beach, Florida U.S., (On the beach, dismantled September 2012).Polo Tower, Morecambe, United Kingdom (Disused from 1999, passenger car removed in 2008.

Skyscraper, Geauga Lake, Aurora, Ohio, U.S., (Dismantled in July 2009, turned to scrap).Space Spiral, Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio, U.S., (Demolished September 12, 2012).Top of Texas Tower, State Fair of Texas, Dallas, Texas U.S.,.Observation Tower, Hangzhou Paradise, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.Panoraama, Linnanmäki, Helsinki, Finland.Taming Sari Tower, Malacca, Malaysia (First gyro tower in Malaysia).Space Tower, Minnesota State Fair, Falcon Heights, Minnesota, U.S.Sky Trek Tower, Six Flags Great America, Gurnee, Illinois, U.S.Sky Tower, SeaWorld Orlando, Orlando, Florida U.S.Sky Tower, SeaWorld San Diego, San Diego, California U.S.Star Tower, California's Great America, San Jose, California U.S.Kissing Tower, Hersheypark, Hershey, Pennsylvania, U.S.Sky Cabin, Knott's Berry Farm, Buena Park, California U.S.Carolina Skytower, Carowinds, North Carolina, U.S.

Observation tower