Lifestyle / Travel

Brave Heart: L.A. ‘Skyslide’ Opens

The new OUE Skyspace Observation deck in the US Bank Tower has a special attraction for daredevils only

Jul 03, 2016 | By Staff Writer

This isn’t your normal playground slide. For one, it is situated between the 69th and 70th storeys of the US Bank Tower in Los Angeles — did we mention that it is suspended on the outside of the building, leaving close to nothing between you and the ground 1,000-feet below? Furthermore, it’s made out of completely transparent bulletproof (for some reason) glass, giving you a very pretty (some would say pretty sickening) view of the surrounding skyscrapers, as well as the city streets far down below. The Skyslide is located in the OUE Skyspace: the newest open-air observation deck in L.A. that allows for a great panoramic view of the whole city.

The whole slide is around 45 feet long, which makes for a quick but certainly heart-thumping experience. Visitors go down the whole length sitting on a sliding mat, accelerating downwards until landing safely on the shock-absorbant cushioning mattress at the bottom. Don’t worry about the glass not being able to keep hold. It is 1.4 inches thick and strong enough to withstand the weight of the human body.

Skyslide-OUE-Skyspace

The Skyslide is just one part of the skyscraper’s renovation process. The entire plan is to change the building into “a vibrant business, social and tourist destination”, and around $50 million has been pumped into the project; we assume the slide alone didn’t cost that amount or we would have opened with that! In order to celebrate the launch of the OUE Skyspace, downtown Los Angeles saw performances by Snoop Dogg, Far East Movement, Jessica Sanchez, Niykee Heaton and Raquel Rodriguez in an exciting block party.

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Beyond the 2,800 square foot observation deck though, the space is also filled with interactive and education digital installations on storeys 2 and 54 – such as a 360-degree Digital Topography Wall of Los Angeles , an Infinity Mirror, and a Silhouette Wall.

Opening-OUE-Skyspace

You can find out more about the Skyslide over at the OUE Skyspace’s website – if you are brave enough, that is.


 
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