Slip sliding away, atop a Los Angeles skyscraper
LOS ANGELES: Don’t look down!
The owner of a 73-floor tower in Los Angeles that ranks as the tallest building in the United States west of the Mississippi River is building a glass slide to hang off the exterior of the structure, and it will invite visitors to ride the attraction.
Starting in June, thrill seekers will be able to ride the “Skyslide” at the U.S. Bank Tower, getting on at the 70th floor and looking down at the pavement nearly 1,000 feet (305 metres) below as they sit down and slide for 45 feet (14 metres) to an outdoor platform at the 69th floor, according to the building’s owner, Singapore-based OUE Ltd.
“The glass on the fully enclosed slide will be only 1¼-inch (3.2-centimetre) thick,’’ the company said.
Tickets to the slide, which is part of a larger attraction called OUE Skyspace LA featuring an observation deck for visitors, are slated to go on sale on March 18.
Thomson Reuters leases space in the U.S. Bank Tower.
The builders of Wilshire Grand Center, a skyscraper under construction in downtown Los Angeles, say their 73-storey structure once completed, including a spire at its top, will become the tallest building west of the Mississippi. That tower is set to open next year.