The observation deck on the top floor of the Empire State Building has reopened this week after the third of a US$165m (€148, £128) four-phase redevelopment of the experience at the iconic New York City landmark. The observatory redevelopment was carried out by design consultants Beneville Studios, project managers JLL, elevator company Otis, contractors Skanska and Thinc Design, who designed the wider observatory experience exhibition. Squint/Opera were responsible for the

The Hettema Group and architecture practice Solomon Cordwell Buenz (SCB) have been tapped to create a sky deck and visitor attraction at the Aon Center in Chicago, IL. The redevelopment, the plans for which were recently finalised, will see the 83-storey building transformed into a public destination with multiple retail and dining amenities. Connected to the ground floor via what has been called the "tallest elevator of its kind in

The Buffalo Museum of Science in Buffalo, New York, has celebrated the opening of its new digital planetarium, following the redevelopment of its Kellogg Observatory. The observatory, which reopens to the public for the first time in nearly two decades, has undergone major renovations. Part of the museum's history for close to a century, the observatory – along with its historic Lundin telescope and rooftop area – have undergone an

The mythology, tradition and beauty of Wales have inspired a series of portable self-contained glamping cabins from which guests can gaze at the stars. WG+P Architects and Webb Yates Structural Engineers will create three boutique ‘Sky Huts’ to be placed in scenic and historic locations across the country after winning a design competition for the project. The structures will be timber clad and will each have a retractable roof, creating

New York’s One World Trade Center has cut the ribbon on the Hettema Group-designed One World Observatory, allowing visitors to venture to the very top of the western-hemisphere’s tallest skyscraper. The “entertainment experience” – managed by Legends Hospitality – is comprised of a 120,000sq ft (11,148sq m) observation deck at the top of the US$3.9bn (€3.6bn, £2.6bn) Skidmore, Owings and Merrill-designed (SOM) tower, along with an accompanying ground-floor experience. On