A glass-bottom Skydeck for Sears Tower

[Mari333]

Visitors won't have to crane their necks to see straight down from the Sears Tower Skydeck when the building adds four glass-bottomed balconies, nicknamed "The Ledge," to its 50-mile views come June.

The Skydeck on the 103rd floor of the building that is changing its name to Willis Tower, opened in 1974, and has--weather permitting--always provided a view of four states. But to see what's directly beneath them, visitors always had to get as close to the building's windows as possible. The Ledge is scheduled to open next month, according to a spokeswoman for the Skydeck.












http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2009/05/a-glass-bottom-skydeck-for-sears-tower.html


NO WAY would I go out on that! uh uh uh oh nonononono.

[fishwax]

1. oh my! I would really like to do that

:wow:
:bounce:

[lunatica]

2. I'll never go there. never.... never..... never

never... :scared:

[Mari333]

5. no kidding!!! I cant even stand on a chair without wanting to

cling to the nearest wall as I eerily swoon. They would have to pump valium into me via a major artery before I would do this.

[anigbrowl]

18. It freaks me out too...but I'd like to try it seeing as I can't actually fall.

You can train yourself out of the vertigo reaction. when I worked in construction I was uber-nevous at first, but that's not so unusual - they gave me a sling and I went up one level of scaffolding each day. After 2 weeks I was up and down like a money. You just need to give your body time to get used to the idea that nothing bad is actually happening.

[eppur_se_muova]

32. Up and down like a money?

Well, the financial sector has been volatile ... :D

I have a book on the Middle Ages in which one of the figures shows an annotated plan for a medieval market ... one of the stalls is marked "monkey changers", which tells me there's a lot about medieval commerce of which I am still ignorant.

[anigbrowl]

37. Ha, good catch :-)

[NV Whino]

3. I think I could resist that.

[Deja Q]

6. Resistance is useless.

[Faygo Kid]

17. Futile! It's futile!

Fascinating.

[NV Whino]

21. You beat me to it.

[Deja Q]

4. Two questions:

1. How many birds will fly *whap* into the thing; break their birdie necks?

2. Wouldn't it be fun to unzip the fly, take a leak, then wonder why it's not falling?

[Posteritatis]

8. re: #1

It's a horizontal surface, so I'd figure not many. In any case the building as a whole would probably cause rather more of them.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

35. The same number, probably........

Given how tall it is, not many birds fly up there.

I remember that the Hancock Tower in Chicago turned its trademark lights out twice a year, during bird migration season, so as not to confuse the birds.

My only visit to the Sears Tower, when it first opened, was the first time I felt like I was in a plane without being in a plane. Amazing sensation.

We watched them build that thing. What a show it was ....................

[merh]

7. just looking at the photo gives me the willies

GMA covered this story this morning - they said the building "powers that be" got the idea for the glassed floored balconies because window cleaners had to clean the windows of the forehead marks caused by people straining to see down and pressing their foreheads to the windows.

[Mari333]

9. I will NEVER call it the Willis Tower

Its the Sears Tower to me. Willy Tower, maybe, just for fun. a HUGE Willy.

[Drunken Irishman]

10. That looks awesome!

[47of74]

11. That looks like fun

I think next time I go to Chicago I'll have to pay a visit to the ledge.

[konnichi wa]

13. Yeah it does look fun! I went out on the one that hangs over the grand canyon

it's kewl. :D

[fishwax]

40. The Grand Canyon one looks pretty amazing

the price seems a bit steep for what you get, though. But I'd do it if I had the chance.

Welcome to DU, konnichi wa :hi:

[SoCalDem]

12. Women with skirts, beware!

:rofl:

When the Stratosphere opened we wcouldn;t eait to ride their roller coaster..It was tres' cool .

[BlooInBloo]

14. Coooool.

[eleny]

15. like the grand canyon sky walk - where the walls aren't all that tall, either

and the walkway floor is clear.

[Blue Diadem]

26. my granddaughter thought that was cool.

She told us her Dad didn't think so though.

[Faygo Kid]

16. Well, there goes my pants.

Didn't used to be afraid of heights. Am now. Not sure what happened, but I think those people dropping from the World Trade Center on 9/11 may have done it, because that's about the time it started.

I'll pass on that, although at one time I would have thought it cool.

[suede1]

19. Too cool!

[cherish44]

20. There's a glass bottom floor at the CN tower in Toronto

It was some scary shit!

[Goblinmonger]

31. Yep, it is.

Lost my stomach a couple times walking over that.

[Kansas Wyatt]

22. Asshole Pucker Scale: 11

On a 1 - 10 scale.
:yoiks:

[Alexander]

23. Um, no thank you. I'll stay here down on planet Earth.

The possibility of a long plummet to my death is not my idea of a good time.

I'll leave that stuff to other people.

[uncle ray]

34. very slim chance of falling.

the side glass in the pic appears to be several layers of very thick laminated glass. no doubt the floor glass is even thicker. the lamination includes layers of plastic similar to the windshield in your car, so even if it did break, you would be suspended by the plastic rather than plummet to the ground.

[Alexander]

36. Doesn't stop me from being terrified.

[Forkboy]

24. Can you say "Fuck that"?

I knew you could.

[Alexander]

27. Not only "fuck that", but "fuck that.com"

[Blue Diadem]

25. I wouldn't go out on that either.

My granddaughter recently went on the grand Canyon Sky walk and thought it was pretty cool, she'd probably love that glass balcony. :scared:

http://www.destinationgrandcanyon.com/skywalk.html

[pepperbear]

28. is a fear of falling different from a fear of heights? n/t

[Mari333]

30. fear of loss of control is more like it I think

in both cases. It would probably be good for me to walk out on that thing, to conquer my fear. but unless someone paid me money to do it, I wouldnt. I have my price tho . :P

[eppur_se_muova]

29. Whatchoo talkin' about Willis?

Someone had to say it. :)

[eppur_se_muova]

33. Please please PLEASE invite Rush Limbaugh up for a look! nt

[MilesColtrane]

38. Oh, HELL NO!

Do Not Want!

[Political Heretic]

39. No. Freakin. Way.

[cagesoulman]

41. Rad. I'm out there!

:headbang:

[alarimer]

42. Umm, no thanks.

I am not terribly fond of heights as it is.