Take Two translates the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that affect our lives. Produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from October 2012 – June 2021. Hosted by A Martinez.
Sorry, Empire State Building and Willis Tower – L.A. will soon outdo you for "the most ambitious skyscraper attraction ever."
This June, an enclosed glass slide will debut at the U.S. Bank Building in downtown – the tallest west of the Mississippi – hugging the tower's exterior 1,000 feet above ground.
Yes, you read that right.
"We wanted to really just add a nice little thrill feature to our upcoming observation deck," says John Gamboa from OUE, which owns the building.
That "little thrill feature" called SkySlide will let visitors to chute about 45 feet from the inside of the 70th floor directly onto the outside observation deck on the 69th floor.
Because it's essentially a square-shaped and glass tube, you'll be able to see all around you including the sidewalk far, far below.
The idea came from OUE itself as it developed its deck, SkySpace.
"It started off with, 'How can we move people from the 70th floor down to the 69th floor?'" recalls Gamboa.
Stairs are usually the default answer, but Gamboa says they wanted to be more ambitious. A zip line and an exterior lift were also debated, he said, but ultimately the slide won out.
It is definitely a step-above the The Ledge at Chicago's Willis Tower. There, a glass box extends over four-feet into space more than 1,300 feet above street level.
For the faint-hearted worried about safety, Gamboa says the slide is engineered to withstand winds up to 110 mph and an 8.0 magnitude earthquake.
OUE plans to let everyone aged 5 and up to ride, and mats will be provided for sliding.
SkySpace and SkySlide is scheduled to open in June, with pre-sale tickets available by signing up here. Tickets to the public will go on-sale March 18th.