Did You Know an Abandoned Silo Became Yeosu's Sky Deck?

Hi, I'm Sudal. Today I want to tell you about a tower standing tall right by Yeosu Expo Station, on the waterfront. It's called the Sky Tower, and you might be a little surprised to hear what it originally was. These days it's known as one of Yeosu's landmarks, but it wasn't built to look this way from the start. Want to follow along with me and trace the path this tower has walked?

It Was Once an Abandoned Cement Silo

The Yeosu Expo Sky Tower stands near the pier by the Yeosu Expo Grounds and Yeosu Expo Station. But this tower wasn't originally built as an observatory, I've heard. There used to be two cement silos at the site of the old Yeosu Station, which is now Yeosu Expo Station, and once they'd served their purpose, they were headed to simply be discarded. A huge cylindrical structure once used to store cement suddenly turning into an artistic observation tower — when I first heard that story, my eyes went wide too. Instead of tearing down a structure that was about to be thrown away and building something new in its place, they kept its bones and let it be reborn — I find that really special. These two recycled silos were put to use in the 2012 Yeosu Expo, the World Expo held that year, and that's how today's Sky Tower came to be.

Hearing this story, I couldn't help but think how very Yeosu it was. Instead of simply getting rid of something that was about to become waste, they kept its traces and found it a new purpose. And it's meaningful, too, that this happened at none other than a World Expo, an event centered on the environment and sustainability. In that it recycled a discarded structure, it really is a monumental space that fits a green expo perfectly. I personally love stories with this kind of twist, and the Sky Tower turned out to be exactly that kind of place.

Born this way, the Sky Tower now plays a real role as Yeosu's gateway.

A Landmark Standing at Yeosu's Gateway

The Sky Tower stands right beside Yeosu Expo Station, which serves as a gateway into the city. So if you're arriving in Yeosu by train, there's a good chance this tower will be the very first thing you see the moment you step off. Since it becomes the first impression of a trip to Yeosu, it feels natural that this tower has settled in as a landmark here. Whenever I pass by the Yeosu Station area myself, seeing the Sky Tower rising in the distance somehow makes me feel reassured — that feeling of, ah, I've arrived in Yeosu.

There's also something a little special to see inside the tower, I've heard. You can apparently watch, right there inside, the process of desalinating seawater — turning ocean water into water we can drink. It's fascinating that there's a chance to see with your own eyes how the water we use gets made from the sea. I don't know the exact details of how it's presented, but just knowing this kind of thing is there makes it feel like a place too good to just walk past.

But the real charm of this tower is probably up at the very top.

The View from 67 Meters Up

The Sky Tower is said to have its highest observatory at 67 meters. At that height, you can apparently take in all of downtown Yeosu at a glance, along with a sweeping view over the Expo grounds. On top of that, they say you can see all the way to the South Sea and Odongdo Island, so it's fair to call it a view that holds Yeosu's sea and land together at once. I've always seen Odongdo from below, from within the island itself or from the breakwater, so I find myself curious what it must feel like to look down at Odongdo from way up there instead.

Yeosu is well known as a city with a beautiful sea, but depending on the angle you view that sea from, the city can feel like a completely different place. The Yeosu you see from the Sky Tower observatory is probably wearing a different face than the Yeosu you see while walking on land or riding a boat. Just imagining the moment when the whole city, the sea, and Odongdo all come into view together, I already feel like I'm standing up there myself.

There's plenty to explore nearby, too. Besides the Sky Tower itself, the Yeosu Expo Grounds, Yeosu Expo Station right next door, the Yeosu Turtle Ship South Sea Cruise pier, and Odongdo, which I mentioned earlier, are all reportedly close enough to visit together on foot or with a short trip. If you've just arrived in Yeosu by train, starting at the Sky Tower and working your way through the Expo Grounds could make for a good route, and if you were already planning a trip to Odongdo, stopping by the Sky Tower before or after to take in a view of Odongdo from above first could make for a fun way to order your day. Operating hours are said to run from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., open every day of the year, so it shouldn't be too hard to fit into your travel plans.

🦦 Real Photos, via Sudal