Alain Robert
Encyclopedia
Alain Robert is a French
rock
and urban climber
, from Digoin
, Saône-et-Loire
, Bourgogne
, France
. Known as "the French Spider-Man" (after the comic character Spider-Man
), or "the Human Spider", Robert is famous for scaling skyscrapers.
Robert began climbing as a young boy, scaling rock cliffs in the area around his home. At the age of 12 when he forgot his keys and was locked out of his parents' eighth-floor apartment, he chose to simply scale the exterior wall to his home. In 1982 he suffered two accidents, the first in January, aged 19, and the second in September, aged 20. He fell 15 metres (49 ft) on each occasion. He suffered multiple fractures and now suffers from permanent vertigo
. The doctors considered him 60 percent handicapped and told him he would not be able to climb again. Within six months he was climbing again. He kept taking on more and more challenging structures and improving his skills. He polished his rock-climbing skills in the French Alps
before turning to buildings.
Robert is managed by English licensed football agent Bryan Yeubrey
.
His physical conditioning and expert climbing technique allow him to climb using the small protrusions of building walls and windows (such as window ledges and frames). Over the course of his climbing career, he has become so used to cramming his fingers into the cracks of ledges and hanging from balconies that he is actually unable to completely straighten his fingers. Many of his climbs provide him no opportunity to rest and can last several hours. He sometimes has a small bag of climbing chalk
powder (similar to powdered rosin
), which is used to absorb sweat from the hands, fastened around his waist.
Robert's urban climbing career has been characterized by an ever-expanding list of famous landmarks which includes the Eiffel Tower
, the Sydney Opera House
and the Montparnasse Tower in Paris
, as well as the world's tallest skyscraper
s. In the 1990s, as his exploits brought him worldwide media exposure, speculation began as to whether or not he would attempt the tallest building in the world at the time: the Petronas Twin Towers
in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Although Malaysian authorities were expecting his attempt, they were still astonished when one day in 1997 he suddenly appeared several floors up on the side of the tower. He was eventually arrested at the 60th floor, 28 floors below the top. While scaling the Sears Tower, now called Willis Tower, in Chicago
in 1999, he encountered the most challenging climbing conditions in his career. Near the top of the 108-story building, a thick fog set in that covered the glass and metal wall of the last 20 floors with moisture, making it dangerously slippery. He overcame the difficulties and reached the top. Alain Robert was the second man to scale the Sears Tower. In 1981, Dan Goodwin
, using suction cups, battled building security guards and the Chicago Fire Department for seven hours before successfully completing the climb.
In June 1999 Robert also climbed the 170 metres (558 ft) Marriott Hotel in Warsaw, Poland.
In 2000, Robert climbed the 23 metres (75 ft) high Luxor Obelisk
in Place de la Concorde
, France.
In February 2003, he legally climbed the 200 metres (656 ft) National Bank of Abu Dhabi, UAE, watched by about 100,000 spectators. It became more frequent for Robert to be paid to scale buildings as part of publicity efforts. In May 2003, he was paid approximately $18,000 to climb the 95 metres (312 ft) Lloyd's building
to promote the premiere of the movie Spider-Man
on the British television channel Sky Movies
. On 19 October 2004, he scaled the 187 metres (614 ft) headquarters of the French oil company Total
while wearing a Spider-Man costume.
Robert scaled Taipei 101
on 25 December 2004, a few days before its grand opening as the tallest building in the world. The 508 metres (1,667 ft) climb was legal, part of the week's festivities. The skyscraper's outwardly slanting sides posed no apparent difficulty for him, but heavy rain resulted in a climb lasting four hours—double his estimate.
On 11 June 2005 he climbed the Cheung Kong Centre in Hong Kong
, scaling 283 metres (928 ft) to reach the top of the 62-story tower.
On 1 September 2006, he climbed the tallest building in Lithuania
and the Baltic States
– Europa Tower
, 148 metres (486 ft), in Vilnius. Wearing a black suit and using a safety rope, which he detached several times, he reached the observation deck
of the building, 114 metres (374 ft), in 40 minutes. In 2006 he also climbed Torre Vasco da Gama in Portugal
as part of an advertisement for Optimus, a national mobile operator. He finished the year climbing the Santa Fe World Plaza in Mexico City
on 7 December 2006. On 23 February 2007, he legally climbed the headquarters building of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) on the coast of Abu Dhabi
.
On 20 March 2007, he again climbed the Petronas Twin Towers
, marking the tenth anniversary of his previous ascent of this building. Upon reaching the 60th floor, he allowed himself to be apprehended. He flew the Malaysian flag and drew applause from waiting police, fire crew, and media representatives before handing himself in. He was handcuffed and escorted off the premises before being driven to a police station.
On 31 May 2007, he scaled the 88-story Jin Mao Building
in Shanghai
, China
's then tallest skyscraper
, once again wearing a Spider-Man costume. He was later arrested and jailed for five days before being expelled from China. In November 2007, Robert was invited by the local government of Zhangjiajie
, a scenic region in the southern province of Hunan
, to climb the 1518 metres (4,980 ft) Tianmen mountain to boost the profile of the region and bring in tourists.
On 4 September 2007, he climbed the 244 metres (801 ft) Federation Tower
office building in Moscow
, (Russia
's tallest skyscraper
). Detained by police
, he could face a fine for violating safety norms at a construction site.
On 18 December 2007, he climbed the 29-story Portland House
office building in London
(Westminster
's tallest building). It took him just over 40 minutes. Police taped off the area and later arrested him for criminal damage and wasting police time.
On 15 April 2008, he climbed the 60-story Four Seasons Place in Hong Kong. The police and four fire engines were standing by and it took him almost 1 hour to reach the top. Robert encountered difficulty at the top when he found that the last 5 metres (16 ft) were impossible to climb. He had to climb sideways until he reached a corner and managed with difficulty to reach the top. He almost fell when a woman on the other side of the glass screamed and almost fainted. Witnesses said that he was detained upon completing the climb. He stated that his climb was intended to increase awareness of global warming
.
On 5 June 2008, he climbed the New York Times Building
in New York
. He unfurled a banner with a slogan about global warming
and was then arrested by police on the roof. The banner read "Global warming kills more people than 9/11 every week."
On 17 February 2009, he once again climbed the Cheung Kong Centre in Hong Kong
, taking 40 minutes to reach the top of the 62-story tower. "He unfurled a banner reading "onehundredmonths.org" near the base of the tower before climbing."
On 2 April 2009, during the 2009 G-20 London summit
he climbed to the 9th floor of the Lloyd's building
and unfurled a 100-foot banner declaring that there were 100 months left to save the planet.
On 2 June 2009, he climbed to the 41st floor of the RBS Tower in Sydney Australia before returning to the ground; he was arrested as he finished his descent.
On 1 September 2009, one day after Malaysia celebrated its 52nd Independence Day
and after two arrests in 1997 and 2007, Alain Robert finally made it successfully to the top of the Petronas Twin Towers
. He started at 6:00 am local time and reached the top at 7:40 am local time without attracting the attention of the public. He celebrated his climb by standing with his arms outspread on the pinnacle of one of the Twin Towers.
On 8 October 2009, Robert climbed the 33-story building of the Ariane TV station in Paris. He was arrested at the top of the building but was soon released.
On 30 August 2010, he climbed the Lumiere Residential building in Sydney, Australia, which was a 57 story building. The climb took about 20 minutes as officials were waiting at the top for his arrest.
On 5 November 2010, starting at 6pm, he took 35 minutes to scale the Singapore Flyer
. It was the first time he climbed a circular, moving structure and became the first person to climb around the world's tallest observatory wheel.
On January 26, 2011 he completed a morning climb of the Hang Seng Head Office building in Hong Kong finishing at midday.
On March 28, 2011 Robert climbed the tallest building in the world, the 828-meter Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai
, taking just over six hours to complete the climb. However, he used a harness in accordance with safety procedure.
On May 17, 2011 he climbed the Istanbul Sapphire, which is currently Europe's 4th tallest building. It was a legal climb.
On September 4, 2011 he legally climbed the 240-meter tall central tower of Moscow State University
, during 2-hour 4D show by David Atkins
, in which the university was used as a projection screen.
On 14 October 2011, he climbed the Intercontinental hotel in Bucharest, Romania.
In a 2005 interview, Alain Robert said that he has fallen seven times in his life. The worst was his fall in September 1982.
On 18 January 1982, at 19, he fell 15 metres (49 ft) when his anchor and rope gave way during training. He fractured his wrists, heels and nose and underwent three operations.
On 29 September 1982, at 20, he fell 15 metres (49 ft) when his rope came undone while abseiling
. He was in a coma
for five days and fractured both forearms, his elbow, pelvis and nose. His elbow was also dislocated and a nerve was damaged, leaving him partially paralyzed. He also suffered cerebral edema
and vertigo
. He underwent six operations on his hands and elbow.
In 1993, he fell 8 metres (26 ft) while showing students how to rely on their legs when climbing. He kept his hands behind his back on an easy route but lost his balance and fell headfirst, shattering both wrists. He went into another coma and spent two months in the hospital.
In 2004, he fell 2 metres (6.6 ft) when climbing a traffic light whilst posing for a photo in an interview. He landed on his elbow and needed forty stitches; just one month later he climbed the world's tallest skyscraper at the time, Taipei 101
, as part of its official opening week.
. He was charged with criminal trespassing and misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance
. The controlled substance charge was due to two pills that the police found in his possession. He claimed the pills were the prescription drug clobazam
, a medication used to prevent epileptic seizures. He spent two days in jail and then appeared in court a week later, on 29 November, and provided proof of a doctor's prescription for the medication, asking that the drug charges be dropped. On 20 December 2005, he climbed the Cristal Tower in Paris in protest of the arrest. His next court appearance was scheduled for 4 January 2006, but Robert said that he would be climbing in Mexico
at that time.
On 15 March 2006 he climbed one of the 122 metres (400 ft) Mercurial Towers in Bagnolet
in protest of the presumed seven-day sentence, prior to returning to Texas to serve the sentence. On 31 March he appeared before a Houston court. The drug charge was dropped because of the valid prescription and the jail sentence was reduced to one day and a $2000 fine for trespassing. The previous time served in November was credited so Robert did not serve any more time in jail.
On 31 May 2007, after scaling the 88-story Jin Mao Building
in Shanghai
, he was arrested and jailed for 5 days before being expelled from China.
On 27 February 2008 he climbed the Edifício Itália
, one of the tallest buildings in Brazil
, despite being unauthorized to do so. He was detained by the police after his successful ascent.
On 15 April 2008, he climbed the 60-story Four Seasons Place in Hong Kong. According to witness reports, he was detained by police upon completing the climb.
On 5 June 2008 (11:40 am local time), he climbed the 52-story New York Times Building
and hung a yellow banner on the 9th floor which read, "Global warming kills more people than 9/11 every week." He was arrested upon reaching the roof at 12:25 pm.
On 2 June 2009, Robert climbed the 41 story RBS building in Sydney
. He was arrested once he reached the ground.
On 1 September 2009, after scrambling up the 88-story Petronas Twin Tower in Malaysia in less than 2 hours following two failed attempts over the past decade, he was held in police custody overnight before being brought to court. He pled guilty to criminal trespassing and was fined about $567. He had been freed without charge after his second unsuccessful attempt at climbing the building in 2007.
On 30 August 2010, Alain Robert was arrested after climbing the 57-storey Lumiere building on Bathurst Street in Sydney, Australia at 10.30am.
, With Bare Hands
, was first published in English in 2008. It features his development into a famous urban climber from his days as a child and gives a deep insight into his philosophy and how he managed to overcome his disabilities.
The book was released for the Asian market in April by Blacksmith Books in Hong Kong with the subtitle “The true story of Alain Robert, the real-life Spiderman” (ISBN 9789889979928). In September it was released by Maverick House Publishers
in the UK for the English language market across Europe. This edition has the subtitle “The Story of the Human Spider” (ISBN 9781905379552).
There is an award-winning 52-minute documentary about Robert titled The Wall Crawler by Director/Producer Julie Cohen, released in 1998.
The Channel 4
series Cutting Edge
covered Robert in an episode entitled The Human Spider in April 2008.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
rock
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
and urban climber
Buildering
Buildering is the act of climbing on the outside of buildings and other artificial structures. The word "buildering" is a portmanteau, combining the word "building" with the climbing term "bouldering".If done without ropes or protection far off the ground, buildering may be dangerous...
, from Digoin
Digoin
Digoin is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne in eastern France.The junction of the Canal du Centre and the Canal latéral à la Loire is near Digoin.-Geography:...
, Saône-et-Loire
Saône-et-Loire
Saône-et-Loire is a French department, named after the Saône and the Loire rivers between which it lies.-History:When it was formed during the French Revolution, as of March 4, 1790 in fulfillment of the law of December 22, 1789, the new department combined parts of the provinces of southern...
, Bourgogne
Bourgogne
Burgundy is one of the 27 regions of France.The name comes from the Burgundians, an ancient Germanic people who settled in the area in early Middle-age. The region of Burgundy is both larger than the old Duchy of Burgundy and smaller than the area ruled by the Dukes of Burgundy, from the modern...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Known as "the French Spider-Man" (after the comic character Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
), or "the Human Spider", Robert is famous for scaling skyscrapers.
Overview
Robert has scaled 85 giant structures around the globe including many of the world's tallest structures, most of which he has scaled using only his bare hands and climbing shoes.Robert began climbing as a young boy, scaling rock cliffs in the area around his home. At the age of 12 when he forgot his keys and was locked out of his parents' eighth-floor apartment, he chose to simply scale the exterior wall to his home. In 1982 he suffered two accidents, the first in January, aged 19, and the second in September, aged 20. He fell 15 metres (49 ft) on each occasion. He suffered multiple fractures and now suffers from permanent vertigo
Vertigo
Vertigo is a form of dizziness.Vertigo may also refer to:* Vertigo , a 1958 film by Alfred Hitchcock**Vertigo , its soundtrack** Vertigo effect, or Dolly zoom, a special effect in film, named after the movie...
. The doctors considered him 60 percent handicapped and told him he would not be able to climb again. Within six months he was climbing again. He kept taking on more and more challenging structures and improving his skills. He polished his rock-climbing skills in the French Alps
French Alps
The French Alps are those portions of the Alps mountain range which stand within France, located in the Rhône-Alpes and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regions....
before turning to buildings.
Robert is managed by English licensed football agent Bryan Yeubrey
Bryan Yeubrey
Bryan Yeubrey is a British businessman, writer and football agent licensed by The FA and FIFA.-Early life and career:Born in Wolverhampton, he attended the city's St. Peter's School. A creative producer and entrepreneur, whose varied commercial interests at one time even included ownership of an...
.
Strategy
Because authorities will not normally give him permission for such dangerous exploits, Robert usually appears, at dawn, on the site of whichever giant skyscraper he has chosen to climb. His exploits attract crowds of onlookers who stop to watch him climb. As a consequence, Robert has been arrested many times, in various countries, by law enforcement officials waiting for him at the end of his climb. The arrests and trials are normally little more than brief formalities and he has always been discharged.His physical conditioning and expert climbing technique allow him to climb using the small protrusions of building walls and windows (such as window ledges and frames). Over the course of his climbing career, he has become so used to cramming his fingers into the cracks of ledges and hanging from balconies that he is actually unable to completely straighten his fingers. Many of his climbs provide him no opportunity to rest and can last several hours. He sometimes has a small bag of climbing chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
powder (similar to powdered rosin
Rosin
.Rosin, also called colophony or Greek pitch , is a solid form of resin obtained from pines and some other plants, mostly conifers, produced by heating fresh liquid resin to vaporize the volatile liquid terpene components. It is semi-transparent and varies in color from yellow to black...
), which is used to absorb sweat from the hands, fastened around his waist.
Career
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
, the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
and the Montparnasse Tower in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, as well as the world's tallest skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
s. In the 1990s, as his exploits brought him worldwide media exposure, speculation began as to whether or not he would attempt the tallest building in the world at the time: the Petronas Twin Towers
Petronas Twin Towers
The Petronas Towers are skyscrapers and twin towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Although Malaysian authorities were expecting his attempt, they were still astonished when one day in 1997 he suddenly appeared several floors up on the side of the tower. He was eventually arrested at the 60th floor, 28 floors below the top. While scaling the Sears Tower, now called Willis Tower, in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
in 1999, he encountered the most challenging climbing conditions in his career. Near the top of the 108-story building, a thick fog set in that covered the glass and metal wall of the last 20 floors with moisture, making it dangerously slippery. He overcame the difficulties and reached the top. Alain Robert was the second man to scale the Sears Tower. In 1981, Dan Goodwin
Dan Goodwin
American Dan Goodwin is a building, rock, and sports climber, as well as a stage-four cancer survivor, originally from Kennebunkport, Maine, United States, and living as of 2010 in Lake Tahoe, California.-Building climber:...
, using suction cups, battled building security guards and the Chicago Fire Department for seven hours before successfully completing the climb.
In June 1999 Robert also climbed the 170 metres (558 ft) Marriott Hotel in Warsaw, Poland.
In 2000, Robert climbed the 23 metres (75 ft) high Luxor Obelisk
Luxor Obelisk
The Luxor Obelisk is a 23 metres high Egyptian obelisk standing at the center of the Place de la Concorde in Paris, France...
in Place de la Concorde
Place de la Concorde
The Place de la Concorde in area, it is the largest square in the French capital. It is located in the city's eighth arrondissement, at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées.- History :...
, France.
In February 2003, he legally climbed the 200 metres (656 ft) National Bank of Abu Dhabi, UAE, watched by about 100,000 spectators. It became more frequent for Robert to be paid to scale buildings as part of publicity efforts. In May 2003, he was paid approximately $18,000 to climb the 95 metres (312 ft) Lloyd's building
Lloyd's building
The Lloyd's building is the home of the insurance institution Lloyd's of London, and is located at 1, Lime Street, in the City of London, England.-Design:...
to promote the premiere of the movie Spider-Man
Spider-Man (film)
Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film, the first in the Spider-Man film series based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It was directed by Sam Raimi and written by David Koepp...
on the British television channel Sky Movies
Sky Movies
Sky Movies is the collective name for the premium subscription television movie channels operated by Sky Television, and later British Sky Broadcasting. It has around 5 million subscribers, via satellite, cable and IPTV in the UK and Ireland...
. On 19 October 2004, he scaled the 187 metres (614 ft) headquarters of the French oil company Total
Total S.A.
Total S.A. is a French multinational oil company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and...
while wearing a Spider-Man costume.
Robert scaled Taipei 101
Taipei 101
Taipei 101 , formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building ranked officially as the world's tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010...
on 25 December 2004, a few days before its grand opening as the tallest building in the world. The 508 metres (1,667 ft) climb was legal, part of the week's festivities. The skyscraper's outwardly slanting sides posed no apparent difficulty for him, but heavy rain resulted in a climb lasting four hours—double his estimate.
On 11 June 2005 he climbed the Cheung Kong Centre in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, scaling 283 metres (928 ft) to reach the top of the 62-story tower.
On 1 September 2006, he climbed the tallest building in Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
and the Baltic States
Baltic states
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
– Europa Tower
Europa Tower
The Europa Tower is the tallest skyscraper in the Baltic states. It is located in a district of Lithuania's capital, Vilnius, called Šnipiškės. It rises 148 meters above ground level. It was designed by the Vilnius based, Audrius Ambrasas Architects Company...
, 148 metres (486 ft), in Vilnius. Wearing a black suit and using a safety rope, which he detached several times, he reached the observation deck
Observation deck
__FORCETOC__ An observation deck, observation platform or viewing platform is an elevated sightseeing platform usually situated upon a tall architectural structure such as a skyscraper or observation tower...
of the building, 114 metres (374 ft), in 40 minutes. In 2006 he also climbed Torre Vasco da Gama in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
as part of an advertisement for Optimus, a national mobile operator. He finished the year climbing the Santa Fe World Plaza in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
on 7 December 2006. On 23 February 2007, he legally climbed the headquarters building of Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) on the coast of Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
.
On 20 March 2007, he again climbed the Petronas Twin Towers
Petronas Twin Towers
The Petronas Towers are skyscrapers and twin towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
, marking the tenth anniversary of his previous ascent of this building. Upon reaching the 60th floor, he allowed himself to be apprehended. He flew the Malaysian flag and drew applause from waiting police, fire crew, and media representatives before handing himself in. He was handcuffed and escorted off the premises before being driven to a police station.
On 31 May 2007, he scaled the 88-story Jin Mao Building
Jin Mao Building
The Jin Mao Tower is an 88-story landmark supertall skyscraper in the Lujiazui area of the Pudong district of Shanghai, People's Republic of China. It contains offices and the Shanghai Grand Hyatt hotel. Until 2007 it was the tallest building in the PRC, the fifth tallest in the world by roof...
in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
's then tallest skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
, once again wearing a Spider-Man costume. He was later arrested and jailed for five days before being expelled from China. In November 2007, Robert was invited by the local government of Zhangjiajie
Zhangjiajie
Zhangjiajie is a prefecture-level city in the northwestern part of Hunan province in China. It comprises the district of Yongding and counties of Cili and Sangzhi...
, a scenic region in the southern province of Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
, to climb the 1518 metres (4,980 ft) Tianmen mountain to boost the profile of the region and bring in tourists.
On 4 September 2007, he climbed the 244 metres (801 ft) Federation Tower
Federation Tower
The Federation Tower is a skyscraper currently under construction as part of the Moscow International Business Center in Moscow, Russia. Construction of the towers began in 2003. When completed it will be the tallest building in Europe. However, the construction stopped for a long while...
office building in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, (Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
's tallest skyscraper
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
). Detained by police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
, he could face a fine for violating safety norms at a construction site.
On 18 December 2007, he climbed the 29-story Portland House
Portland House
Portland House is a skyscraper in Westminster, London. It is tall with 29 floors and was completed in 1963.The building has two banks of lifts — the first serving the first up to the fifteenth floor, and the second the fifteenth floor upwards...
office building in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
(Westminster
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
's tallest building). It took him just over 40 minutes. Police taped off the area and later arrested him for criminal damage and wasting police time.
On 15 April 2008, he climbed the 60-story Four Seasons Place in Hong Kong. The police and four fire engines were standing by and it took him almost 1 hour to reach the top. Robert encountered difficulty at the top when he found that the last 5 metres (16 ft) were impossible to climb. He had to climb sideways until he reached a corner and managed with difficulty to reach the top. He almost fell when a woman on the other side of the glass screamed and almost fainted. Witnesses said that he was detained upon completing the climb. He stated that his climb was intended to increase awareness of global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
.
On 5 June 2008, he climbed the New York Times Building
New York Times Building
The New York Times Building is a skyscraper on the west side of Midtown Manhattan that was completed in 2007. Its chief tenant is The New York Times Company, publisher of The New York Times as well as The Boston Globe, the International Herald Tribune, and other newspapers...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. He unfurled a banner with a slogan about global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
and was then arrested by police on the roof. The banner read "Global warming kills more people than 9/11 every week."
On 17 February 2009, he once again climbed the Cheung Kong Centre in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, taking 40 minutes to reach the top of the 62-story tower. "He unfurled a banner reading "onehundredmonths.org" near the base of the tower before climbing."
On 2 April 2009, during the 2009 G-20 London summit
2009 G-20 London summit
The 2009 G-20 London Summit is the second meeting of the G-20 heads of state in discussion of financial markets and the world economy, which was held in London on 2 April 2009 at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre. It followed the first G-20 Leaders Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy, which...
he climbed to the 9th floor of the Lloyd's building
Lloyd's building
The Lloyd's building is the home of the insurance institution Lloyd's of London, and is located at 1, Lime Street, in the City of London, England.-Design:...
and unfurled a 100-foot banner declaring that there were 100 months left to save the planet.
On 2 June 2009, he climbed to the 41st floor of the RBS Tower in Sydney Australia before returning to the ground; he was arrested as he finished his descent.
On 1 September 2009, one day after Malaysia celebrated its 52nd Independence Day
Hari Merdeka
Hari Merdeka is a national day of Malaysia commemorating the independence of the Federation of Malaya from British colonial rule in 1957, celebrated on August 31 each year. It is not to be confused with the formation of Malaysia...
and after two arrests in 1997 and 2007, Alain Robert finally made it successfully to the top of the Petronas Twin Towers
Petronas Twin Towers
The Petronas Towers are skyscrapers and twin towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
. He started at 6:00 am local time and reached the top at 7:40 am local time without attracting the attention of the public. He celebrated his climb by standing with his arms outspread on the pinnacle of one of the Twin Towers.
On 8 October 2009, Robert climbed the 33-story building of the Ariane TV station in Paris. He was arrested at the top of the building but was soon released.
On 30 August 2010, he climbed the Lumiere Residential building in Sydney, Australia, which was a 57 story building. The climb took about 20 minutes as officials were waiting at the top for his arrest.
On 5 November 2010, starting at 6pm, he took 35 minutes to scale the Singapore Flyer
Singapore Flyer
The Singapore Flyer is a giant Ferris wheel located in Singapore, constructed in 2005–2008. Described by its operators as an observation wheel, it reaches 42 stories high, with a total height of , making it the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, taller than the Star of Nanchang and taller than...
. It was the first time he climbed a circular, moving structure and became the first person to climb around the world's tallest observatory wheel.
On January 26, 2011 he completed a morning climb of the Hang Seng Head Office building in Hong Kong finishing at midday.
On March 28, 2011 Robert climbed the tallest building in the world, the 828-meter Burj Khalifa tower in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, taking just over six hours to complete the climb. However, he used a harness in accordance with safety procedure.
On May 17, 2011 he climbed the Istanbul Sapphire, which is currently Europe's 4th tallest building. It was a legal climb.
On September 4, 2011 he legally climbed the 240-meter tall central tower of Moscow State University
Moscow State University
Lomonosov Moscow State University , previously known as Lomonosov University or MSU , is the largest university in Russia. Founded in 1755, it also claims to be one of the oldest university in Russia and to have the tallest educational building in the world. Its current rector is Viktor Sadovnichiy...
, during 2-hour 4D show by David Atkins
David Atkins
David Atkins, OAM was recognised in the 2003 Queen’s Birthday Honours with a Medal of the Order of Australia for services to the entertainment industry and is Australia’s most awarded producer, choreographer and director, and CEO of David Atkins Enterprises, a major-events production...
, in which the university was used as a projection screen.
On 14 October 2011, he climbed the Intercontinental hotel in Bucharest, Romania.
Notable climbs
The table below contains the notable structures climbed by Alain Robert.| Location | Building | Date | Height | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney, Australia | Sydney Tower Sydney Tower Sydney Tower Eye is Sydney's tallest free-standing structure, and the second tallest in Australia... |
1997 | 319 m (1,047 ft) | |
| Sydney, Australia | Sydney Opera House Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957... |
1997 | 65 m (213 ft) | |
| Sydney, Australia | Sydney Harbour Bridge Sydney Harbour Bridge The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic... |
1997 | 135 m (443 ft) | |
| Sydney, Australia | RBS Tower | 2 June 2009 | 218 m (715 ft) | Descended to ground. Arrested and fined AUS$750 |
| Sydney, Australia | Lumiere building | 30 August 2010 | 151 m (495 ft) | Arrested at the top. Took about 20 minutes to climb the 57-story building |
| Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Hotel Vermont | 1996 | ||
| Montreal, Canada | Crown Plaza Hotel | 1999 | 120 m (393 ft) | |
| Montreal, Canada | Place de la Cathédrale | 146 m (479 ft) | ||
| Hong Kong Hong Kong Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour... |
Four Seasons Place Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong is a five-star hotel building in Sun Hung Kai Properties-owned International Finance Centre, Central, Hong Kong that was completed and opened in September 2005. It is a 45-storey building offering 399 rooms and 519 residential units... |
2008 | 130 m (427 ft) | |
| Hong Kong | The Far East Finance Centre | 1996 | 200 m (656 ft) | |
| Hong Kong | The Cheung Kong Centre | 2009 | 283 (928 ft) | |
| Hong Kong | The Cheung Kong Centre | 2005 | 283 (928 ft) | |
| London, England London London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its... |
One Canada Square One Canada Square One Canada Square is a skyscraper in Canary Wharf in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is the tallest completed building in the United Kingdom since 1991, standing at above ground level and containing 50 storeys... |
18 October 2002 | 244 m (801 ft) | Abandoned half way due to rain |
| London, England | One Canada Square One Canada Square One Canada Square is a skyscraper in Canary Wharf in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is the tallest completed building in the United Kingdom since 1991, standing at above ground level and containing 50 storeys... |
1995 | 244 m (801 ft) | |
| London, England | Lloyd's building Lloyd's building The Lloyd's building is the home of the insurance institution Lloyd's of London, and is located at 1, Lime Street, in the City of London, England.-Design:... |
2 April 2009 | 95 m (312 ft) | Climbed to the 9th floor. Unfurled a 100 ft banner. |
| London, England | Portland House Portland House Portland House is a skyscraper in Westminster, London. It is tall with 29 floors and was completed in 1963.The building has two banks of lifts — the first serving the first up to the fifteenth floor, and the second the fifteenth floor upwards... |
18 December 2007 | 101 m (331 ft) | Arrested. 40 minute climb. |
| Paris, France Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... |
Eiffel Tower Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world... |
1996/97 | 313 m (1,027 ft) | |
| Paris, France | Grande Arche Grande Arche La Grande Arche de la Défense is a monument and building in the business district of La Défense and in the commune of Puteaux, to the west of Paris, France... at La Défense La Défense La Défense is a major business district of the Paris aire urbaine. With a population of 20,000, it is centered in an orbital motorway straddling the Hauts-de-Seine département municipalities of Nanterre, Courbevoie and Puteaux... |
1999 | 105 m (344 ft) | |
| Paris, France | The Luxor Obelisk in Place de la Concorde Place de la Concorde The Place de la Concorde in area, it is the largest square in the French capital. It is located in the city's eighth arrondissement, at the eastern end of the Champs-Élysées.- History :... |
1999 | 31 m (102 ft) | |
| Paris, France | Tour Montparnasse Tour Montparnasse Tour Maine-Montparnasse , also commonly named Tour Montparnasse, is a tall office skyscraper located in Paris, France, in the area of Montparnasse. Constructed from 1969 to 1972, it was the tallest skyscraper in France until 2011, when it was surpassed in height by the Tour First... |
1995 | 209 m (686 ft) | |
| Paris, France | Tour Crystal at Front de Seine Front de Seine Front de Seine is a district in Paris, France, located along the river Seine in the 15th arrondissement right at the South of the Eiffel Tower... |
2005 | 100 m (328 ft) | |
| Paris, France | Tour Crystal at Front de Seine | 1996 | 100 m (328 ft) | |
| Paris, France | Mercurial Towers at Bagnolet Bagnolet Bagnolet is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. Its inhabitants are called Bagnoletais.-History:... |
1995 | 125 m (410 ft) | |
| Paris, France | Headquarters of the French oil company Total Total S.A. Total S.A. is a French multinational oil company and one of the six "Supermajor" oil companies in the world.Its businesses cover the entire oil and gas chain, from crude oil and natural gas exploration and production to power generation, transportation, refining, petroleum product marketing, and... |
19 October 2004 | 187 m (614 ft) | Wore a Spider-Man Spider-Man Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15... costume |
| Paris, France | Ariane building | 8 October 2009 | 152 m (499 ft) | no formal charges were brought against him |
| Frankfurt, Germany | Dresdner Bank Tower | 1995 | 145 m (476 ft) | |
| Milan, Italy | Banca di Milano building | 1995 | 112 m (367 ft) | |
| Tokyo, Japan | Shinjuku Center Building | 1998 | 245 m (804 ft) | |
| Warsaw, Poland | Marriott Hotel | 1999 | 140 m (459 ft) | |
| Johannesburg, South Africa | IBM Tower | 1998 | 110 m (361 ft) | |
| Abu Dhabi, UAE Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western... |
National Bank of Abu Dhabi | Feb 2003 | 173 m (568 ft) | A legal climb. Watched by about 100,000 spectators. |
| Abu Dhabi, UAE | The Etisalat building | 2005 | 160 m (525 ft) | |
| Abu Dhabi, UAE | ADIA Adia "Adia" is a song by Sarah McLachlan that originally appeared on her 1997 album Surfacing. It was co-written by McLachlan and her longtime producer, Pierre Marchand. The song allegedly reflected the apology to her best friend for becoming involved with, and later marrying, her friend's ex-boyfriend... Headquarters Building |
2007 | 185 m (607 ft) | |
| New York City New York City New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and... |
New York Times Building New York Times Building The New York Times Building is a skyscraper on the west side of Midtown Manhattan that was completed in 2007. Its chief tenant is The New York Times Company, publisher of The New York Times as well as The Boston Globe, the International Herald Tribune, and other newspapers... |
5 June 2008 | 228 m (748 ft) | Unfurled global warming Global warming Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades... banner. Arrested by police. |
| New York City, United States | Empire State Building Empire State Building The Empire State Building is a 102-story landmark skyscraper and American cultural icon in New York City at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street. It has a roof height of 1,250 feet , and with its antenna spire included, it stands a total of 1,454 ft high. Its name is derived... |
1994 | 381 m (1,250 ft) | |
| Chicago, United States | Sears Tower Sears Tower Sears' optimistic growth projections were not met. Competition from its traditional rivals continued, with new competition by retailing giants such as Kmart, Kohl's, and Wal-Mart. The fortunes of Sears & Roebuck declined in the 1970s as the company lost market share; its management grew more... |
1999 | 443 m (1,453 ft) | |
| San Francisco, United States | Golden Gate Bridge Golden Gate Bridge The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, the structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to... |
1996 | 227 m (745 ft) | |
| Philadelphia, United States | Blue Cross Tower G. Fred DiBona Jr. Building The G. Fred DiBona Jr. Building, formerly known as the Blue Cross-Blue Shield Tower or IBX Tower, is a skyscraper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania housing the headquarters of Independence Blue Cross... |
1997 | 185 m (607 ft) | |
| Las Vegas, United States | Luxor Hotel Luxor Hotel Luxor Las Vegas is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. The 30-story hotel, which is operated by MGM Resorts International, features a casino floor that includes over 2,000 slot machines and 87 table games.... |
1996 | 106 m (348 ft) | |
| Tampere, Finland | Hotel Ilves Hotel Ilves Hotel Ilves is a 18-storey hotel in the centre of Tampere, Finland. It was designed by architect Maunu Kitunen and was completed in 1986. The hotel has a total of 336 guest rooms and five restaurants. At 63 metres tall, the hotel is one of the tallest buildings in Finland outside Helsinki... |
2003 | 61 m (200 ft) | |
| Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Petronas Tower 1 Petronas Twin Towers The Petronas Towers are skyscrapers and twin towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia... |
20 March 1997 | 452 m (1,483 ft) | Arrested at the 60th floor |
| Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Petronas Tower 2 | 20 March 2007 | 452 m (1,483 ft) | Arrested at the 60th floor |
| Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Petronas Towers | 1 September 2009 | 452 m (1,483 ft) | Stood atop the highest point of the tower, fined MYR 2000 |
| Kota Kinabalu Kota Kinabalu Kota Kinabalu , formerly known as Jesselton, is the capital of Sabah state in East Malaysia. It is also the capital of the West Coast Division of Sabah. The city is located on the northwest coast of Borneo facing the South China Sea. The Tunku Abdul Rahman National Park lies on one side and Mount... , Sabah Sabah Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south... , Malaysia |
Sabah Foundation Building | 1997 | 150 m (492 ft) | |
| Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million... , Malaysia |
Melia Hotel | 1997 | 80 m (262 ft) | For fundraising |
| Singapore Singapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the... |
Overseas Union Bank Centre | 2000 | 280 m (919 ft) | Arrested at the 21st floor |
| Singapore | Suntec Tower One | 2008 | 176 m (577 ft) | |
| Taiwan Taiwan Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following... |
Taipei 101 Taipei 101 Taipei 101 , formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building ranked officially as the world's tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010... |
2004 | 508 m (1,667 ft) | Climbed as part of opening event. Tallest building in the world at the time of ascent. |
| Caracas, Venezuela Caracas Caracas , officially Santiago de León de Caracas, is the capital and largest city of Venezuela; natives or residents are known as Caraquenians in English . It is located in the northern part of the country, following the contours of the narrow Caracas Valley on the Venezuelan coastal mountain range... |
Parque Central Torre | 2002 | 224 m (735 ft) | |
| Barcelona, Spain Barcelona Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of... |
Torre Agbar Torre Agbar The Torre Agbar is a 38-storey tower located between Avinguda Diagonal and Carrer Badajoz, near Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, which marks the gateway to the new technological district of Barcelona, Spain. It was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel in association with the Spanish firm B720... |
2007 | 144 m (472 ft) | |
| Barcelona, Spain | Torre Agbar | 2006 | 144 m (472 ft) | |
| Portugal Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the... |
Torre Vasco da Gama | 2006 | 145 m (476 ft) | Optimus Optimus -Companies and corporations:* Optimus Telecomunicações, S.A., a Portuguese mobile phone company* Optimus S.A., a Polish computer assembler* Optimus Shuttle, a Boston-based livery service-Deities, mythology, and religion:... -sponsored legal climb to promote a phone. |
| Lisbon, Portugal Lisbon Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban... |
25 de Abril Bridge 25 de Abril Bridge The 25 de Abril Bridge is a suspension bridge connecting the city of Lisbon, capital of Portugal, to the municipality of Almada on the left bank of the Tejo river. It was inaugurated on August 6, 1966 and a train platform was added in 1999... |
6 August 2007 | 190 m (623 ft) | Arrested |
| Mexico City Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole... |
Santa Fé World Plaza Corporate Tower | 2006 | 127 m (417 ft) | |
| Bratislava, Slovakia Bratislava Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava... |
Slovak Radio Building Building of Slovak radio The Building of Slovak radio is a building in Bratislava.It is shaped like an inverted pyramid. Architects of this project were Štefan Svetko, Štefan Ďurkovič and Barnabáš Kissling and it was completed in 1983. The building is 80 metres high and has a concert hall with a large concert organ... |
12 April 2007 | 80 m (262 ft) | Took less than 20 minutes |
| Shanghai, China Shanghai Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010... |
Jin Mao Building Jin Mao Building The Jin Mao Tower is an 88-story landmark supertall skyscraper in the Lujiazui area of the Pudong district of Shanghai, People's Republic of China. It contains offices and the Shanghai Grand Hyatt hotel. Until 2007 it was the tallest building in the PRC, the fifth tallest in the world by roof... |
31 May 2007 | 420 m (1,378 ft) | Arrested, expelled from China |
| Moscow, Russia Moscow Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent... |
West Federation Tower Federation Tower The Federation Tower is a skyscraper currently under construction as part of the Moscow International Business Center in Moscow, Russia. Construction of the towers began in 2003. When completed it will be the tallest building in Europe. However, the construction stopped for a long while... |
4 September 2007 | 244 m (801 ft) | Detained by police. |
| São Paulo, Brazil São Paulo São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among... |
Edifício Itália Edifício Itália Edifício Itália is a 168 metre tall 46 story skyscraper in São Paulo, Brazil, built from 1956 to 1965. It hosts the Circolo Italiano foundation and Terraço Italia restaurant in its 44th floor. It also has a rooftop observation deck, open for tourists.Edifício Itália was designed by... |
February 2008 | 168 m (551 ft) | |
| Beirut, Lebanon Beirut Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan... |
Phoenicia Hotel Phoenicia Hotel The InterContinental Phoenicia Beirut is a 5-star hotel in Beirut, Lebanon. It is located on Rue Fakhreddine near the Corniche Beirut promenade and walking-distance from Beirut Central District, and a few kilometers from Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport.-History:The Phoenicia was built by... |
October 2008 | 239 m (784 ft) | |
| Jakarta, Indonesia Jakarta Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre... |
The City Tower | 12 November 2008 | ||
| Pune, India Pune Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ... |
The Amanora Tower | 28 February 2010 | 100 m (328 ft) | Took less than 12 minutes |
| Paris, France Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... |
GDF Suez building | 7 April 2010 | 185 m (607 ft) | Arrested at the top |
| Singapore Singapore Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the... |
Singapore Flyer Singapore Flyer The Singapore Flyer is a giant Ferris wheel located in Singapore, constructed in 2005–2008. Described by its operators as an observation wheel, it reaches 42 stories high, with a total height of , making it the tallest Ferris wheel in the world, taller than the Star of Nanchang and taller than... |
5 November 2010 | 165 m (541 ft) | First person to climb around the world's tallest observatory wheel. |
| Dubai, UAE Dubai Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi... |
Burj Khalifa | 28 March 2011 | 828 m (2716 ft) | Legal climb, partial use of safety harness. Tallest building in the world at the time of ascent. |
Accidents
On 18 January 1982, at 19, he fell 15 metres (49 ft) when his anchor and rope gave way during training. He fractured his wrists, heels and nose and underwent three operations.
On 29 September 1982, at 20, he fell 15 metres (49 ft) when his rope came undone while abseiling
Abseiling
Abseiling , rappelling in American English, is the controlled descent down a rock face using a rope; climbers use this technique when a cliff or slope is too steep and/or dangerous to descend without protection.- Slang terms :...
. He was in a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
for five days and fractured both forearms, his elbow, pelvis and nose. His elbow was also dislocated and a nerve was damaged, leaving him partially paralyzed. He also suffered cerebral edema
Cerebral edema
Cerebral edema or cerebral œdema is an excess accumulation of water in the intracellular or extracellular spaces of the brain.-Vasogenic:Due to a breakdown of tight endothelial junctions which make up the blood-brain barrier...
and vertigo
Vertigo (medical)
Vertigo is a type of dizziness, where there is a feeling of motion when one is stationary. The symptoms are due to a dysfunction of the vestibular system in the inner ear...
. He underwent six operations on his hands and elbow.
In 1993, he fell 8 metres (26 ft) while showing students how to rely on their legs when climbing. He kept his hands behind his back on an easy route but lost his balance and fell headfirst, shattering both wrists. He went into another coma and spent two months in the hospital.
In 2004, he fell 2 metres (6.6 ft) when climbing a traffic light whilst posing for a photo in an interview. He landed on his elbow and needed forty stitches; just one month later he climbed the world's tallest skyscraper at the time, Taipei 101
Taipei 101
Taipei 101 , formerly known as the Taipei World Financial Center, is a landmark skyscraper located in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building ranked officially as the world's tallest from 2004 until the opening of the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2010...
, as part of its official opening week.
Arrests
On 22 November 2005, he was arrested as he began to climb the One Houston Center building in Houston, TexasHouston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. He was charged with criminal trespassing and misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance
Controlled substance
A controlled substance is generally a drug or chemical whose manufacture, possession, or use are regulated by a government. This may include illegal drugs and prescription medications ....
. The controlled substance charge was due to two pills that the police found in his possession. He claimed the pills were the prescription drug clobazam
Clobazam
Clobazam , is a drug which is a benzodiazepine derivative. It has been marketed as an anxiolytic since 1975 and an anticonvulsant since 1984...
, a medication used to prevent epileptic seizures. He spent two days in jail and then appeared in court a week later, on 29 November, and provided proof of a doctor's prescription for the medication, asking that the drug charges be dropped. On 20 December 2005, he climbed the Cristal Tower in Paris in protest of the arrest. His next court appearance was scheduled for 4 January 2006, but Robert said that he would be climbing in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
at that time.
On 15 March 2006 he climbed one of the 122 metres (400 ft) Mercurial Towers in Bagnolet
Bagnolet
Bagnolet is a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the center of Paris. Its inhabitants are called Bagnoletais.-History:...
in protest of the presumed seven-day sentence, prior to returning to Texas to serve the sentence. On 31 March he appeared before a Houston court. The drug charge was dropped because of the valid prescription and the jail sentence was reduced to one day and a $2000 fine for trespassing. The previous time served in November was credited so Robert did not serve any more time in jail.
On 31 May 2007, after scaling the 88-story Jin Mao Building
Jin Mao Building
The Jin Mao Tower is an 88-story landmark supertall skyscraper in the Lujiazui area of the Pudong district of Shanghai, People's Republic of China. It contains offices and the Shanghai Grand Hyatt hotel. Until 2007 it was the tallest building in the PRC, the fifth tallest in the world by roof...
in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, he was arrested and jailed for 5 days before being expelled from China.
On 27 February 2008 he climbed the Edifício Itália
Edifício Itália
Edifício Itália is a 168 metre tall 46 story skyscraper in São Paulo, Brazil, built from 1956 to 1965. It hosts the Circolo Italiano foundation and Terraço Italia restaurant in its 44th floor. It also has a rooftop observation deck, open for tourists.Edifício Itália was designed by...
, one of the tallest buildings in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, despite being unauthorized to do so. He was detained by the police after his successful ascent.
On 15 April 2008, he climbed the 60-story Four Seasons Place in Hong Kong. According to witness reports, he was detained by police upon completing the climb.
On 5 June 2008 (11:40 am local time), he climbed the 52-story New York Times Building
New York Times Building
The New York Times Building is a skyscraper on the west side of Midtown Manhattan that was completed in 2007. Its chief tenant is The New York Times Company, publisher of The New York Times as well as The Boston Globe, the International Herald Tribune, and other newspapers...
and hung a yellow banner on the 9th floor which read, "Global warming kills more people than 9/11 every week." He was arrested upon reaching the roof at 12:25 pm.
On 2 June 2009, Robert climbed the 41 story RBS building in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. He was arrested once he reached the ground.
On 1 September 2009, after scrambling up the 88-story Petronas Twin Tower in Malaysia in less than 2 hours following two failed attempts over the past decade, he was held in police custody overnight before being brought to court. He pled guilty to criminal trespassing and was fined about $567. He had been freed without charge after his second unsuccessful attempt at climbing the building in 2007.
On 30 August 2010, Alain Robert was arrested after climbing the 57-storey Lumiere building on Bathurst Street in Sydney, Australia at 10.30am.
Books and documentaries
Alain Robert's autobiographyAutobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, With Bare Hands
With Bare Hands
With Bare Hands is Alain Robert's autobiography, published in English in 2008. Thanks to a career of high-risk urban ascents, the French climber has gained the nicknames The French Spiderman and The Human Spider. The title With Bare Hands refers to his practice of climbing without the use of any...
, was first published in English in 2008. It features his development into a famous urban climber from his days as a child and gives a deep insight into his philosophy and how he managed to overcome his disabilities.
The book was released for the Asian market in April by Blacksmith Books in Hong Kong with the subtitle “The true story of Alain Robert, the real-life Spiderman” (ISBN 9789889979928). In September it was released by Maverick House Publishers
Maverick House Publishers
Maverick House Publishers is an independent publisher of non-fiction books. It was founded in the Republic of Ireland. The headquarter is based in Dunboyne, Co. Meath, Ireland. A second branch is situated in Bangkok, Thailand...
in the UK for the English language market across Europe. This edition has the subtitle “The Story of the Human Spider” (ISBN 9781905379552).
There is an award-winning 52-minute documentary about Robert titled The Wall Crawler by Director/Producer Julie Cohen, released in 1998.
The Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
series Cutting Edge
Cutting Edge (Channel 4 TV series)
Cutting Edge is a British TV documentary series broadcast by Channel 4, it has been its flagship documentary series since 1990 that focuses on political and social issues.-Graham Taylor: The Impossible Job:Original airdate: 24 January 1994...
covered Robert in an episode entitled The Human Spider in April 2008.
External links
- Alain Robert's Movie The Legend OF the Spider-Man Breaking news
- Official Website – requires Macromedia Flash, includes a number of photos
- Watch out - Spiderman's about! - Interview with Alain Robert on jeremyjosephs.com
- Alain Robert interview at www.buildering.net (accessible without Flash)
- Latest video of Alain Robert climbs the New York Times Building
- Pictures of Spiderman Alain Robert climbs the Petronas Twin Towers in Malaysia
- Daring urban climber from China Daily
- "Interview with French Spider-Man"
- Torre Vasco da Gama's climbing site (a small video of him climbing the tower is available - Portuguese content)
- Pictures of Spiderman Alain Robert climbing Abu Dhabi Building
- "China wants 'Spiderman' back"
- StoPicot.net | Video with Alain Robert (ru)
See also
- Dan GoodwinDan GoodwinAmerican Dan Goodwin is a building, rock, and sports climber, as well as a stage-four cancer survivor, originally from Kennebunkport, Maine, United States, and living as of 2010 in Lake Tahoe, California.-Building climber:...
- Ivan KristoffIvan KristoffIvan Kristoff , is an aviator, rescue worker, and rope access expert in vertical and aerial operations. He has developed various solutions to improve the safety of vertical and aerial rope manoeuvres...