The $300-million, 41-story Great American Tower in Cincinnati, Ohio, is capped with a 300-ton, 130-ft-high elliptical "tiara," recalling the one worn by England's Princess Diana.

Photo Courtesy of Turner Construction Co.

Great American Tower's tiara-shaped rooftop consists of consists of 15 ornamental arch elements uniformly supported by 14 arching columns woven through the structure to create a two-way support system.

Fabricated from steel, the tiara consists of 15 ornamental arch elements uniformly supported by 14 arching columns woven through the structure to create a two-way support system.

Building information modeling software assisted in planning for installation of the tiara, which was assembled and disassembled off site, then reassembled on site in sections suitable for lifting into place atop the 800,000-sq-ft tower.

Key Players

Owner/Developer: Eagle Realty Group, Cincinnati

GC: Turner Construction Co., Cincinnati

Architect: HOK, St. Louis

Structural Engineer: Thornton Tomasetti, Chicago

M/E/P Engineer: Cosentini Associates, Chicago

Submitted by: Turner Construction Co.

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