Our Client wished to build a tourist attraction at height, aimed to provide good views, entertainment and adventure to visitors. The entire attraction, serviced by dedicated elevator, consist of a partially glass floored observation deck, an open-air adventure zone, and the full glass Skyslide, connecting two floors from the outside of the building. Koltay Facades acted as façade consultant for not only the tourist attractions, but the entire development of two twin high-rise towers.
While façade engineering typically relies on architect’s input, for the Skyslide our team proposed the massing, overall and specific geometry, to utilize properties of glass well.
The design was driven by user thrill factor, increased safety and minimized maintenance needs, especially glass breakage.
The slide chute is spanning between two fully glazed enclosed protruding platforms and made of 4 pieces of multi-laminate glass, 14+ meters long, held together by structural sealant. A minimal number of steel fittings were added for redundancy.
During design, we carried out intense research and engineering, reaching out to suppliers and experts, to find the most suitable materials and to establish the most realistic way of modelling and calculating the project elements. Understanding the behaviour and manufacturing limits of glass, structural sealant, interlayers was critical for the development of an efficient, innovative, and aesthetically pleasing design.
The presentation guides through the steps of realizing this project: architectural development, material research, engineering complexity, modelling methods, coordination with main structures, sourced materials, component and assembly testing, procurement lessons-learnt, installation sequence.
