Kat:

the way it would work is a line (or lines) would stretch from the anchor point on earth up to the point of a geosynchonis orbit and then as far again. At the end a weight would be tethered to keep the line taut. Most proposals include some sort of building/terminal that would enclose the base at the anchor point. They vary in methods above several hundred yards though - some envision a tubular column; some a line or lines emerging from the terminal with the cars riding exposed. Some variations even have the cable traveling THROUGH the cars.

But from the groun it would look tlike the biggest skyscraper you ever saw; vanishing at the upper point.