Observation Experiences
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temperature-controlled cabin and even VIP cabins with leather seating and TVs.
After hosting various observation wheels in recent years, the English city of Manchester is currently providing a Star Flyer as a standalone attraction
Many people have copied the “all white” aesthetics of the London Eye. What other features, decorative touches, can be used to give a Ferris Wheel a modern look? Marco Grigolo (MG) – The white colour was forward-looking choice, and nowadays it’s the most appropriate because it allows a very efficient effect in combination with LED lighting technology. Enrico Fabbri (EF) – White is still the best colour for a big attraction like an observation wheel, because it ensures the ride will stay neutral to the background. Pleun van Dalen – The challenge is to make it fit in with its environment. LED lighting make it possible to turn a wheel into a lightshow, or even change its colour to adjust to the mood of the moment. We also believe that the deck under and around the wheel should be given sufficient attention. Vladimir Gnezdilov (VG) – Our company has patented a unique aerodynamic design that gives the ride a transparent look in the day, allowing it to “dissolve” against the sky, but then turn out to be a magnificent object with dynamic illumination after dark.
This Pax wheel in Lazarevskoe, Russia, is the highest in Eastern Europe
Do you still see the same demand for Ferris Wheels from amusement parks and carnivals etc? VG – After 20 years in the industry, we still see strong demand for smaller Ferris Wheels from parks and carnivals. Our wheels with height from 140 metres and more are primarily designed for large cities and popular tourists’ spots, however. EF – Large observation wheel are mainly a tourist attraction and should not be confused with amusement rides, however parks are starting to ask for wheels of 60m; a few years ago they just asked for up to 35m.
An alternative to the observation wheel? US Thrill Rides’ Sky Spire
Do you see potential for other rides to be used as observation experiences? Bill Kitchen – We believe we have created the biggest competition for observation wheels in the shape of out patent-pending SkySpire tower. It takes less ground space than a wheel, and has a two-level observation deck as well as a spiral gondola path around the outside. MG – No! An observation wheel provides a quiet, relaxing experience. Its slow motion offers also a rare escape way from the hustle of modern times; a ride is different kind of experience.
Reach for
the sky While it’s still possible to gain access to the top of some tall buildings by going for a drink in the bar or jumping in the elevator when no one’s looking, the owners of a handful of new record- breaking skyscrapers have
The Shard in London
cottoned onto the fact that there’s money to be made in operating premium observation experiences. This spring, Western Europe’s tallest building opened in London. Conceived by property developer Irvine Sellar and backed by Qatari capital, The Shard breaks the 1,000ft barrier, towering 310m – or 87 storeys – over London Bridge Station and the River Thames. Visitors to The View from The Shard experience (
theviewfromtheshard.com), which has its own entrance and operates as separate company, are granted access to storeys 68, 69 and a partially open observation deck on level 72. For £29.95 ($37.75/€35.00) they also get a pre- show in the lower reaches of the tower and a neat little animation in the lift (elevator). The branding of the attraction, and the service offered by its staff, is intended to be in line with that found at a five- star hotel.
At the world’s tallest building, the 828m-tall (2,716ft) Burj Khalifi in Dubai (
burjkhalifa.ae), At the Top will take you as far as the 124th floor, as you peer down from 453m (1,483ft) over the United Arab Emirates landscape and coastline. Tickets cost AED125 ($34.00/€26.30). For a bird’s eye of the Japanese capital you could hop on board one of several giant Ferris Wheels, or you could step inside the Tokyo Skytree (
tokyo-skytree.jp), which opened late 2011. The 634m broadcast tower features both a 350m (1,148ft) and 450m (1,476ft) observation deck. The latter is accessed via a glass tube for an additional ¥1,000 ($9.90/€7.65) on top of the ¥2,000 you’ll pay to reach the facilities on the first deck, which also include a restaurant, café and shop.
Set to open any day now in New York City, the 541m (1,776m)
One World Trade Center (
onewtc.com) is billed as “the summit of global real estate” but in addition to its capitalist mission it will also host a free museum and a monument to those that died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the site in Lower Manhattan. In two years’ time the 100-102nd floor will open as the One World Observatory. The contract to run the attraction was awarded by the New York-New Jersey Port Authority to Legends Entertainment. Other bids were received from a partnership between a Canadian food service contractor and tour operations company, the publisher Condé Nast (which is one of the building’s tenants) and the operators of the Eiffel Tower. Legends will partner with the Hettema Group to produce the visitor experience, which is predicted to attract around 5 million visitors a year. A video presentation of what lies in store can be seen at
bit.ly/1362OLZ, including a pre-show theatre, a queue line featuring voices and images of all those who worked on World Trade Centers old and new, plus “Skypod” elevators. The observation deck will also will include multiple dining and retail opportunities plus an upscale event space. Admission is estimated to be around $25, comparable to the cost of access to the observation deck on the Empire State Building.
New York’s One World Trade Center
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ABOVE: Mondial’s Roue de Paris in the French capital ABOVE LEFT: Bussink Design’s new R80XL, now open in Mexico, is the world’s talllest transportable wheel at 80m in height
JUNE 2013
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