The public can never get enough of death-defying diversions, from flagpole sitters in the 1920s to today’s ever-crazier rollers coasters. The last two “Mission Impossible” movies—which featured Tom Cruise actually scaling the outside of the Burj Khalifi and hanging onto the wing of a jet in flight—combined did nearly $1.4 billion in box office sales internationally. And one of the attractions of “extreme” sports and recreation is that the participants live to tell about it.
Thrill-seekers who happen to be in Shanghai can now literally live on the edge by dangling off of a safety rope from a 3.9-foot-wide skywalk with a see-through platform that wraps around the 88th floor of the Jin Mao Tower in Lujiazui, a peninsula locality in that metropolis.
The 60-meter (197-foot) skywalk is touted as the highest fenceless and all-transparent walkway in the world. At 1,115 feet above ground, the skywalk, which opened on July 29, provides breathtaking views of the city from a tower that is one of the world’s tallest skyscrapers.
For the equivalent of US$58, visitors can spend up to 60 minutes in the open air, taking in Shanghai's modern cityscape. Image: 163.com via Mashable
Up to 15 visitors at a time can be harnessed to an overhead rail, and hang 10 over the ledge of the Jin Mao walkway for up to an hour. (They must sign waivers as a prerequisite, of course.) The height of the skywalk and time allowed on it outdo Macao Tower Skywalk X, which lets visitors take a 15- to 20-minute open-air stroll around the outer rim of the Macao Tower, 233 meters above the ground, according to China.org.
Skywalkers pay 388 yuan (US$58) for the Jin Mao attraction, with a discounted rate (298 yuan) for students.
An aerial view of the 420.5-meter-tall Jin Mao Tower, one of the world's tallest skyscrapers. Image: BU BIAN/Imagine China/AP
The 402.5-meter-tall Jin Mao Tower, designed by architect Adrian Smith, was completed in 1999, according to the Wall Street Journal. It’s owned by Jinmao Hotel and Jinmao (China) Investments and Mana
Related Stories
| Dec 27, 2013
$1 billion 'city within a city' development approved by Coachella, Calif., city council
The mega development includes 7,800 homes, a retail center, office space, and nearly 350 acres of open space.
| Dec 13, 2013
Safe and sound: 10 solutions for fire and life safety
From a dual fire-CO detector to an aspiration-sensing fire alarm, BD+C editors present a roundup of new fire and life safety products and technologies.
| Dec 10, 2013
16 great solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors
From a crowd-funded smart shovel to a why-didn’t-someone-do-this-sooner scheme for managing traffic in public restrooms, these ideas are noteworthy for creative problem-solving. Here are some of the most intriguing innovations the BD+C community has brought to our attention this year.
| Dec 9, 2013
Tips for designing higher education's newest building type: the learning commons
In this era of scaled-down budgets, maximized efficiencies, new learning methods and social media’s domination of face time, college and university campuses are gravitating toward a new space type: the learning commons.
| Dec 4, 2013
First look: Dubai's winning bid for World Expo 2020 [slideshow]
Dubai has been chosen as the site of the 2020 World Expo. HOK led the design team that developed the master plan for the Expo, which is expected to draw more than 25 million visitors from October 2020 through April 2021.
| Dec 3, 2013
Historic Daytona International Speedway undergoing $400 million facelift
The Daytona International Speedway is zooming ahead on the largest renovation in the Florida venue’s 54-year history. Improvements include five redesigned guest entrances, an extended grandstand with 101,000 new seats, and more than 60 new trackside suites for corporate entertaining.
| Nov 27, 2013
Wonder walls: 13 choices for the building envelope
BD+C editors present a roundup of the latest technologies and applications in exterior wall systems, from a tapered metal wall installation in Oklahoma to a textured precast concrete solution in North Carolina.
| Nov 26, 2013
Video: Zaha Hadid's stadium for Qatar 2022 World Cup
Zaha Hadid Architects, in conjunction with AECOM, has released renderings for a major stadium being designed for the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup--an event that will involve up to nine stadiums.
| Nov 26, 2013
Construction costs rise for 22nd straight month in November
Construction costs in North America rose for the 22nd consecutive month in November as labor costs continued to increase, amid growing industry concern over the tight availability of skilled workers.
| Nov 25, 2013
Building Teams need to help owners avoid 'operational stray'
"Operational stray" occurs when a building’s MEP systems don’t work the way they should. Even the most well-designed and constructed building can stray from perfection—and that can cost the owner a ton in unnecessary utility costs. But help is on the way.
