Updated July 1, 2016
See-through bridges and transparent swimming pools are already in the works for the world’s architectural adrenaline junkies — but those vertigo-inducing projects may just have been trumped by a new addition to the US Bank Tower in Los Angeles. Developer OUE Limited — which purchased California’s tallest building in 2013 — has completed the Skyslide, an all-glass chute that allows visitors a fast route between floors far above the city streets.
The 1,018-foot-tall US Bank Tower was designed by Pei Cobb Freed and Partners, and on completion in 1989, it was the first supertall building in the western United States. The enclosed slide is fixed to the external façade of the building using cantilevered metal supports, taking thrill-seekers between two observation decks on the 70th and 69th floors.
Designed by M. Ludvik Engineering, the 45-foot-long slide is constructed from four-inch-thick clear glass offering an unparalleled panorama of the city — as long as riders are not too distracted by the dizzying view of the street far below them.
The Skyslide is part of a comprehensive renovation of the tower designed by global firm Gensler, including the 2,800-square-foot Skyspace — the highest open-air observation deck in Los Angeles. The new public space also includes interactive exhibits, such as the Digital Topography Wall — presenting information on LA’s many neighborhoods — and the Silhouette Wall, featuring digital representations of people as they pass through the space.
The Skyslide is now open, costing a somewhat hair-raising $27 a ride. For more information on and images of ambitious projects by Gensler, check out its extensive firm profile on Architizer.
Renderings by Gensler, courtesy of OUE Limited