We’ve all been in elevators encased in glass before. The views from some of those elevators are awe-inspiring to say the least. However, when was the last time you were in an elevator with a glass floor? There are two very famous glass-floored elevators that you may have heard about. One is at the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada and the other is at the Sky Tower in Auckland, New Zealand.
According to http://www.skycityauckland.co.nz, the Sky Tower in Auckland “is the tallest man-made structure in New Zealand and offers breathtaking views for up to 80 kilometres in every direction.†Wow, and as if that wasn’t enough, after you’ve traveled up the glass-floored elevator to the top, you can sky jump off the tower. Hmm… I’m feeling wonderfully sick already.
The CN Tower elevator, unveiled in April of 2008 in Toronto, was inspired by the Sky Tower in Auckland. It is also 225 meters taller than its predecessor. According to http://www.thestar.com, “With so many people going through the tower each day, the occasional freak-out is inevitable. But the staff has a secret weapon: an emergency button that instantly turns the glass opaque.†That’s what I’m talking about baby!
Keep in mind that just a portion of the floors in these elevators is glass. The article in The Star explains that it would be impossible for the whole entire floor to be glass “because of the wiring and mechanics involved.†In addition, they don’t want the passengers to be forced to stand on the glass, hence there are places on the floor to stand that are off of the glass.
Beware: Don’t watch these videos if you’ve just eaten lunch!
