Up close, Auckland’s Sky Tower looks squat but from afar, it seems tall and thin. Credit: UoA

From up close, Auckland’s Sky Tower appears short and stumpy but from far away it seems tall and thin, which has prompted visual perception researchers from the University of Auckland to investigate.

The Sky Tower also appears taller when viewed from higher altitudes, like the Rangitoto summit, said Associate Professor Sam Schwarzkopf from the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences. “Our findings suggest the Sky Tower’s apparent height or squatness depends on distance, confirming our outgoing suspicions about this illusion. The effect could be related to phenomena like the Moon Illusion, whereby the moon appears larger when near the horizon than up in the sky. This is thought to be because we misinterpret how far away it is.”

A/Prof Schwarzkopf conducted the Sky Tower study with the support of four honours students. In the study, 27 participants were shown photographs of the tower from various Auckland vantage points then asked to complete a questionnaire. Published in Perception, the study findings could have implications for all building landmarks like the Sky Tower, he said. “Architects and city planners want to achieve a particular perceptual effect, so it is important to better understand (them).”

A/Prof Schwarzkopf said he hopes the study will spark an international conversation. “For instance, nobody seems to experience the same phenomenon with the CN Tower in Toronto (but) by publishing this report, we may hear of other cases.”