Rotterdam Tower
The Rotterdam Tower is a skyscraper on the island of Algonquin based on Manhattan's Empire State Building. It stands as the highest building in Liberty City.
Overview
The Rotterdam Tower is an Art Deco skyscraper located in Midtown Algonquin, in The Triangle district south of Star Junction. It covers its entire block, bounded by Garnet Street to the south, Frankfort Avenue to the west, Hematite Street to the north and Denver-Exeter Avenue to the east. The Tower consists of 102 floors, the 82nd exterior observatory deck being the only one accessible in-game (via the building's main entrance on Denver-Exeter Avenue).
The building is lit at all times by floodlights in the colors blue, white and red, (an inversion of the red, white, and blue seen on the Empire State Building during some American holidays). Due to its great height, the Rotterdam Tower can be seen from nearly all parts of the city.
History
It is suggested that the building was built during the 1930s. It dominated the skyline just after another tall skyscraper, the Zirconium Building was built a few blocks away. The Rotterdam Tower was the tallest building in the world, but was overcome by another unnamed skyscraper in another city. The tower got its name from "New Rotterdam", Liberty City's former name during the 1700s; this is a reference to "New Amsterdam", New York's name during the same period.
The 82nd Floor Observatory
This observatory offers fantastic views of the city. There are multiple binoculars to view the city, and ladders on the east and western faces to descend to setbacks slightly below the observatory. The absence of railings on the observatory makes it a hot-spot for suicide jumpers; one helitour pilot mentions that his brother attempted to BASE jump from the 82nd floor, but was stopped by security guards who "were tubby, but they sure could move!" Despite the height of the building, the observatory is useless for sniping, as pedestrians and vehicles will not spawn on the ground while the player is at that height. The observatory is safe from police, as officers cannot utilize the building entrance; there are no other vectors of escape, however, so the Tower is an unadvisable destination if it lies within the Wanted search radius.
Security
Due to its importance in the city and America, the tower is guarded by police officers with Carbine Rifles. These officers can be found at the entrance of the building. As of 2008, several suicide jumpers have leaped to their fate from the observatory deck. Safety precautions have not yet been taken.
Accessibility
The nearest subway stop is Suffolk LTA on the K/C Algonquin Inner Line, in the neighbouring district of Suffolk. The surface exits emerge outside the southern face of the Tower. A dangerous alternative means of accessing the observation deck (or higher) is to take a helicopter and bail out at the top.
Glitch
A glitch allows players to pilot helicopters through certain areas of the building, and from there to fly under the map (see Blue Hell). A video detailing how to use this glitch can be found here.