Clear glass skyslide to open 1,000ft above Los Angeles
In recent times, CLAD has reported on a glass-bottomed swimming pool suspended between two towers and a glass bridge crossing a canyon. Now, a forthcoming Los Angeles attraction is taking things one step further, with an outdoor glass slide located 1,000ft above the ground.
The 45ft Skyslide will link the 70th and 69th floors of the Bank Tower; the tallest building on the west coast of the US. Thrillseekers who can resist looking down at the void below will have a clear view of the Hollywood Hills as they make their swift descent.
The slide – which is just 1.25 inches thick – has been designed by architects Gensler as part of the OUE Skyspace LA attraction – California’s tallest open-air 360-degree observation deck and restaurant. It is set to open in Q2 2016.
Singapore investor Overseas Union Enterprise (OUE) bought the tower in 2014 for US$367.5m (€337.3m, £260.7m). While the building will mostly be used for offices, the company believes the Skyspace attraction can draw 500,000 visitors a year, generating US$12.5m (€11.4m, £8m) in ticket sales alone.
The US Bank Tower, which first opened in 1989, was developed by the architectural team of Pei Cobb Freed & Partners and Ellerbe Becket.
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