Image: Someformofhuman/Creative Commons The 728-ton globe is a tuned mass damper—a device designed to counter the effects of wind and seismic activity on a skyscraper. TMDs, as they’re known ...

The Taipei 101 building, once recognized as the tallest skyscraper in the world, uses an enormous tuned mass damper (basically a giant pendulum) to protect itself from earthquakes. The 660-ton ...

High within the tower, however, another technological innovation helps protect the 101-story skyscraper — a huge orb-like device known as a tuned mass damper. Suspended from 92 thick cables ...

Known as a “tuned mass damper,” the 730-ton steel sphere is suspended between several floors at the top of the building, where it can be viewed by the public. The observatory is a popular ...

111 West 57th But I can't let a great bit of engineering stand in the way of a rant. These tuned mass dampers are very expensive, but they are enablers of some of the most extravagant wastes of ...