One Vanderbilt will soon have another tourist attraction called Summit One Vanderbilt, involving glass elevators, transparent boxes protruding out of the building, and a vertigo-inducing observation deck. One Vanderbilt, next to Grand Central Terminal in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, stands at an enormous height of 1,401 ft (427 m) with 67 floors, making it the fifth tallest skyscraper in the United States.
Kohn Pedersen Fox designed both one Vanderbilt and Summit One Vanderbilt for developer SL Green Realty. The remarkable attraction is split into three parts – Ascent, Levitation, and Summit.
- Ascent is a glass elevator that has a transparent floor and boasts the most prominent glass doors. The elevator will take visitors up the skyscraper’s exterior to a height of 1,210 ft (369 m) above street level.
- Glass boxes called Levitation will protrude 8ft (2.5 m) out from the side of the high-rise, allowing guests to look down over the city from 1,063 feet (324 meters).
- The observation deck called Summit will feature high glass perimeter walls and an open-air bar.
Overall, the Summit One Vanderbilt attraction encompasses 65,000 sq ft (6,038 m) over four floors full of excitement, digital art, and state-of-the-art interior. Design studio Snøhetta is creating the interiors, including an outdoor urban garden, bars, and seating along with an “immersive art experience” by creative studio Kenzo Digital.
A press release on Summit One Vanderbilt explained:
Snøhetta designed Summit One Vanderbilt’s interior as a sensory urban experience that lifts visitors into the sky. Opening up to Manhattan, the state-of-the-art observatory and cultural space was designed as a journey through light, sound, and art with views across all five boroughs and beyond.
The project builds a series of interconnected experiences that begins in the vaulted halls of Grand Central Terminal, and the journey from station to sky culminates in Summit One Vanderbilt. The team reimagined the urban experience of New York as this bold new cultural space in Midtown, bringing people together through a series of elevated spaces. Celebrating New York and its history, Summit One Vanderbilt creates new perspectives for the city’s future.
The construction on the Summit One Vanderbilt is almost completed and will open its doors to the public as early as Oct 21. Once open, visitors can enjoy this vertigo-inducing experience for around $38, which isn’t expensive for a stunning view and world-class adrenaline rush.
