The latest Los Angeles thrill ride has arrived — a glass slide that is set to jut from a skyscraper 305m above the ground.
A helicopter on Saturday brought the Skyslide to the 69th floor of the downtown US Bank Tower. At 72 stories, it is the tallest building west of the Mississippi River.
When it opens on June 25, the transparent, 13.72m-long slide is to carry visitors from floors 70 to 69 as they peer down through 2.54cm-thick glass.
“The Skyslide boasts a safe, thrilling experience unlike any other in the world,” said a statement from Lucy Rumantir, head of US operations for building owner OUE Limited of Singapore.
“Guests of all ages will have the opportunity to transform their view of Los Angeles as they glide down, gazing at unparalleled views of the city,” she said.
Skyslide is part of a US$50 million renovation that is to also put an open-air observation deck and bar on the tower’s top floors. The slide ends at the observation deck.
On a clear day, the tower provides panoramic views that extend to Catalina Island 35.41km off the Pacific Coast and over the Santa Monica Mountains to the city’s sprawling San Fernando Valley.
The slide is set to cost US$8 and admission to the observation deck is to be US$25. Tickets are being sold online.
The attraction arrives in the midst of efforts to reinvigorate the downtown area. Recent years have seen newly fashionable apartments, a spruce-up park, new upscale hotels, The Broad museum, the LA Live entertainment district and trendy bars and restaurants.
Skyslide also continues a trend of creating attractions designed for people who seem eager to laugh in the face of acrophobia.
Grand Canyon Skywalk, the horseshoe-shaped bridge that opened nine years ago, allows visitors to stroll right off the edge of the Grand Canyon’s north rim and stare through 610m of nothingness to the canyon floor. The Las Vegas Strip’s X-Scream roller-coaster sends riders on a wild plunge off the top of the 335.28m Stratosphere Hotel and Casino.
Chicago’s Willis Tower renovated its 103rd floor observation deck in 2009 to add all-glass balconies, allowing people to actually step several feet off the ledge.
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