Often under appreciated by the general public, a new traveling exhibit from the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum has captured the most unusual and fascinating designs of the world’s air traffic control towers.

Composed of 85 stark photographs, Smithsonian Museum photographer Carolyn J. Russo’s beautiful hard cover book, Art of the Airport Tower (Smithsonian Press 2015), is now a striking exhibition capturing the architectural beauty of many of the airport towers across the globe.

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As one focuses on Carolyn Russo’s photographs, the subject of her work becomes very intriguing to the viewer as the architectural design stands out from a close range. Russo spent nearly seven years touring the planet, visiting 23 countries and photographing the designs of control towers of nearly 100 airports.

“Airport traffic control towers have a powerful presence — they watch over the vastness of the airport and sky, are a nonjudgmental cultural greeter, a choreographer or conductor of the aircraft dance, a mother bird caring for her flock and an omniscient, intelligent structure keeping humans safe,” Russo points out as she gazed across her work. “I saw them as the unsung heroes of the airport landscape and tried to elevate them beyond their height and amazing architecture.”