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China’s latest glass walkway

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China's latest glass walkway

China’s latest glass walkway

The newest glass walkway in China is at the Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area. The walkway, known as the Coiling Dragon Cliff skywalk, is 110 meters long and 5 feet wide. The skywalk is part of a larger mountain road that takes visitors through 99 turns as it scales a sheer face of the Tianmen Mountain.

One of three glass walkways in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park


The glass walkway is part of the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in Hunan Province. Tianmen Mountain is home to two other glass bridge/walkway attractions. The Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge, the longest glass bottomed bridge in the world was scheduled to open earlier this summer, but has not yet been completed. The first glass walkway in the park opened in 2011.

The Coiling Dragon Cliff skywalk is 4,600 feet above sea level, and 1,000 feet above Tongtian Avenue, the road that carries tourists to the top of the mountain. The skywalk has been open to thrill-seeking visitors for just two weeks but is already receiving rave reviews from thrill-seekers.

In the last year, several “glass” attractions have opened around the world, including the skywalks in the Zhangjiajie National Forest, a single story glass slide and observation decks on the 69th and 70th floors of a skyscraper in Los Angeles, and a glass-bottomed walkway over the Thames River in London. Tourists can also find glass skywalks and observation decks in Chicago at the Willis Tower and the former Hancock Observatory.

The emergence of glass walkways, bridges and observation decks as tourist attractions speaks to the strength and versatility of glass. Today, designers are taking every opportunity to incorporate glass into unique interiors and exteriors. Specialized glass coatings like Glassprimer™ glass paint make it possible to incorporate glass and add virtually any color to an interior design plan. Whether you’re looking for form, function or a bit of both, consider Glassprimer™ glass paint for your next interior design.

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

Photo Credit: Jacques Beaulieu, via FreeImages.com

China’s latest glass walkway attraction

/in , /by

China's latest glass walkway attraction

China’s latest glass walkway attraction

It seems that China can’t get enough of glass bridges and walkways. The latest glass walkway attraction opened in Shanghai at the Jinmao Tower last week. If heights make your knees weak, then you’ll definitely want to pass on this one. The glass walkway is just 60 meters long, but oh, what a difference 60 meters can make when it’s suspended more than 1,100 feet in the air.

And has no handrails.

At all.

None.

Glass walkway sits on Shanghai’s third tallest building

The glass walkway accommodates a mere 15 people at a time and is staffed by two attendants. Visitors are allowed to spend 30 minutes on the walkway, and although there are no handrails between you and the rest of the world, you’ll be wearing a harness that connects you to an overhead rail. You can move freely on the walkway, and the whole heart-stopping mess will only set you back about USD$60. That includes access to the observation deck, as well as the cost to access the platform.

The Jinmao Tower is an 88-story affair, and already hits the record books as the third-tallest building in Shanghai. It’s also the 18th tallest building in the world. For what it’s worth, the glass walkway isn’t at the very top of the building, but it is the highest rail-free walkway in the world. The building has other observation decks, but those are not open to the general public. The Jinmao Tower walkway is less than five feet wide, so visitors will get an up-close and personal experience with the ledge, whether they want to or not!

The Jinmao Tower was constructed in 1999, and was the first super skyscraper in the city. Designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) of Chicago, the Jinmao Tower makes heavy use of glass, and is characteristically geometric. The building is wind, monsoon and earthquake resistant, and features a swimming pool on the 57th floor. The pool is more than just entertainment. It helps damper the natural motion of the building. Jinmao Tower was dedicated on August 28, 1998 (8/28/98), an auspicious date in China, but was not fully operational until 1999.

The building features shops, restaurants, office space and hotel space. Like many SOM buildings, the Jinmao Tower is column-free to increase available floor space. The building has been scaled at least twice by freehand climbers. Both climbers were arrested. One, a Chinese national was jailed for about two weeks. The other, famed urban climber Alain Robert, was arrested, jailed for 5 days, then expelled from the country. (If you’re planning to visit China, don’t scale the Jinmao Tower. The building has an elevator that will take you from the basement all the way to the top in just 45 seconds.)

If you’re looking for a little lofty 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: mifl68, via Flickr.com