Those with a head for heights can soon experience an amazing new viewing point near the top of one of New York City's tallest skyscrapers, One Vanderbilt. The attraction will allow visitors to step out of the skyscraper onto glass boxes, ride around in glass elevators, and journey through a reflective art installation.
The One Vanderbilt skyscraper was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and draws inspiration from NYC's golden era of skyscraper construction, like the Chrysler Building and Empire State Building. It's finished in terracotta and glass, and reaches a height of 1,401 ft (427 m), making it the city's fourth-tallest skyscraper.
The viewing point itself is named Summit One Vanderbilt and was designed by Snøhetta. It's very ambitious and consists of several parts.
One of the highlights is the so-called Levitation, which allows visitors to step outside the main building onto glass boxes at a height of 1,063 ft (324 m) above Madison Avenue, watching the city streets far below. Another is the Ascent, which is an all-glass elevator ride that takes visitors up to a point over 1,200 ft (364 m) above Manhattan.
Air, meanwhile, was created by Kenzo Digital and consists of a large mirror-and-glass space that plays with light and reflection. This might sound a little underwhelming, but the photos, as shown above, speak for themselves. Elsewhere lies a nordic-themed café and lounge named Après, and the Summit Terrace, which wraps around the south and west sides of One Vanderbilt and provides an open air viewing point with views up to 80 miles (128 km), according to the organizers.
Tickets for Summit One Vanderbilt are now up for pre-order and start at US$49. It's slated to officially open on October 21.
Source: Summit One Vanderbilt