UPSIDE ON THE DOWNSLIDE
Singapore developers
working with architects are not strangers to adding a bit of pizazz to the
large scale projects they’ve undertaken.
For example, the recently completed Marina Sands Casino in that city
nation last March, has a fountain on the street level that drains into the
shopping mall below creating a waterfall effect. See
pillartopost.org for March 16, 2016 for more coverage: http://www.pillartopost.org/2016/03/world-architecture-singapores-rain_16.html
It’s
all theatre. And, obviously contagious.
We
mention this because last Saturday, Oue, a Singapore based commercial realty
firm unveiled a new “attraction” atop one of the Los Angeles based properties
it purchased, renamed and spent an additional $100 million or so on the rehab.
Called
“Skyspace LA, the new multi-level architectural shtick is spread across four
different floors of the high rise tower, that was originally built in 1989 as
the U.S. Bank Tower.
The
attraction that has captured the bulk of media attention this week is a 45-foot
fully-enclosed plexiglass slide called Skyslide. The new thrill ride is now open to the public at $25 per per person. Skyslide is attached to the side of the 70th
floor and sliders will be dropped down to the landing on the 69th
floor.
The
slide will take you on a magic carpet ride 1,000 feet over downtown LA. But the title of LA’s tallest building will
pass next year from the Oue Tower to the Wilshire Grand Tower in less than a
year. The new Chris Martin designed tower
will top out at 1,100 feet vs. Oue’s 1,018.
Another
feature of Skyspace LA is a new observation deck that offers a 360 view of the
third largest city in the U.S.
The
LA Times reports architecture firm Gensler handled the new remodel,
which include “...a pair of redesigned lobbies (one for the tenants at ground
level that is much more open to the sidewalk than before and the other for the
slide-going public), a café, a slick and windowless “transfer floor” on the
54th story and a restaurant and bar on the 71st. The slide itself, called
Skyslide, was designed by M. Ludvik Engineering...”
The
Oue team didn’t dream up charging tourists for observation deck views. Fees are already in place to reach the view
deck atop the new World Trade Center in New York (about $35); the Shard in
London has a view spot for about $40 per person and the glass bottom view ledge
at Chicago’s the Willis Tower charges $22 per person.
Doom
and gloomers and other media will note the Oue staffers insist the slide can
withstand an 8.0 earthquake and 110-mile-per-hour hurricane force winds. Speaking of hot air, no mention was made how
it will withstand a possible Donald Trump election.
MORE FROM SINGAPORE:
 |
|
Shops
at Marina Bay Sands Mall, Singapore, features a fountain in the plaza above ground which drains to become a water fall below |
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