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Glass slide fabricated from single piece

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Glass slide fabricated from single piece

Glass slide fabricated from single piece

Engineers at London-based Eckersley O’Callaghan have developed a 30-ft glass slide fabricated from a single piece of laminated, annealed glass. The piece was demonstrated at Glass Tec in Dusseldorf last month. The slide is made from two pieces of glass bonded together with transparent structural silicone adhesive (TSSA). The vertical member, which serves as the ladder, has glass treads that are attached to it using TSSA.

The TSSA adhesive dries to a virtually clear state, can support the weight of an adult, and is able to resist the shear forces that form when the slide is in use. The Vidre Slide, which was designed and fabricated to maximize transparency, is intended for a project in Hong Kong.

Cricursa fabricated glass slide and ladder

Eckersley O’Callaghan worked with a Barcelona-based company – Cricursa, which developed the curved fabrication technique – to produce the slide. Cricursa specializes in creating curved glass for architectural applications and has worked on creating distinctive façades and other glass components for a number of signature projects. Cricursa works with all types of glass, including laminated, low-emissivity, low-reflective and insulated glass, as well as oversized glass and glass flooring.

According to Eckersley O’Callaghan, the slide exemplifies beneficial ways in which engineers and fabricators can work together on projects, and tests the limits of the practical applications for glass and structural adhesives. Although Cricursa specializes in specialty glass production, the Vidre Slide uses two tightly curved seamless glass chutes that rely heavily upon the adhesive for structural soundness. The slide also features a metal support structure that ties the ladder and chute together for added stability.

While the slide is nowhere near the tallest or longest slide in production, it is the longest glass slide formed from a single sheet of glass. Eckersley O’Callaghan did not indicate where or when the slide will be installed.

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Photo Credit: Eckersley O’Callaghan

Glass sky slide opens in LA

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Glass sky slide opens in LA

Glass sky slide opens in LA

What do you get when you combine the tallest building in Los Angeles with a 46-foot glass sky slide? You get a thrill ride unlike any other. The OUE Skyspace LA opened last month to visitors. The glass sky slide was constructed near the top of the U.S. Bank Tower, the tallest skyscraper in the city. The glass slide offers panoramic views of the city, and promises to be a big-city attraction like no other.

Glass sky slide aims to be key tourist attraction

The slide takes riders just one floor down – from the 70th floor to the 69th floor, but the slide is suspended nearly 1,000 feet in the air. The slide is constructed of 1.25″ thick glass panels on all sides and sends visitors into California’s largest open-air observation deck, which wraps around the 69th floor of the US Bank Tower.

Prospective sky riders can purchase tickets for the attraction online, and prices start at $27 for a single day, single visit admission for children between the ages of 5 and 12. Visitors over the age of 13 will pay $33 for a single-day admission ticket. The tickets are timed-entry, and give visitors access to the sky slide and all four floors of the Skyspace LA exhibit, including two outdoor observation decks. Visitors who can do without the thrill can purchase tickets for the Skyspace LA exhibit, sans the slide. Exhibit-only admission ticket range between $19 and $25.

A VIP experience ticket is also available, which allows visitors to arrive at their own convenience and ride the slide. Prices for VIP tickets start at $48. The space is also available for private rentals and can accommodate as many as 300 people at one time. The observation decks have a maximum capacity of 900 people.

The Skyspace attraction has been in the works for about a year. The US Bank Tower was purchased in 2013 by OUE Ltd., a Singapore-based firm. Originally called The Library Tower, the US Bank Tower was built in 1989 as a mixed-use retail and office space. Before the Library Tower opened, more than 80% of its space was rented to corporate clientele. It has recently fallen on hard times and its occupancy rate dropped to just about 50%, but OUE Ltd., is betting on a resurgence of the area surrounding the US Tower Building. The Skyspace attraction, including the glass slide and observation decks, is operated by Legends, an entertainment firm that also owns the New York Yankees major league baseball team and the Dallas Cowboys NFL franchise.

Landmark buildings in Chicago and New York City have offered glass observation deck access to visitors for years. Although the US Bank Tower is shorter than most observation decks in other cities, the geography of the area permits extensive views of the city. Under new management, and with significant investment in the building, occupancy rate is over 80%, and the building is ready to welcome visitors to the highest floors of the structure.

If you’re looking for more glass inspiration, please check out the rest of our site. If you’d like to purchase Glassprimer™ glass paint, please visit our online store .

Photo Credit: Joseph Engel , via Flickr.com