IN IMAGES, IN PICTURES – Perched atop the new skyscraper adjacent to Grand Central Terminal station, the observatory will be open to the public on October 21 and promises a spectacular view of Manhattan. Le Figaro visited it in preview.
Last year, New York seemed like curled up on herself. Yawning avenues, a few ambulances screaming the fear of heights, rare, bent silhouettes. No one looked up. Today, the clouds are receding and the gaze is drawn to the top of “One Vanderbilt”, the new skyscraper built by SL Green at the corner of 42nd Street and Vanderbilt Avenue, across from Grand Central Terminal.
From October 21, 2021, New Yorkers and visitors will be able, from the station, to follow the corridor of opaque black ink escorted by a soundtrack that simulates the screeching of trains, before taking off towards the light of the 91st floor. . This is only the beginning because Summit, the observation platform in the shape of a glass pod and named Air, with a decor imagined by Kenzo Digital Immersive, stretches over three floors at an altitude of 427 meters. We tested!
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One Vanderbilt The Summit, an adrenaline-fueled experience
Ejected from the rocket lift, the visitor must wear dark glasses as the light is so intense. The shock of the sight is even more so. Floor, ceiling and walls around huge bay windows are covered with mirrors which reflect to infinity the reflections of the sky, clouds, other skyscrapers, the two rivers that surround Manhattan. We hold our breath, and the first step placed on the reflection of the immense American sky, reminds one of the acrobat who dashes on a taut rope. Some in the grip of vertigo take refuge, stunned, along the walls. Others rush, as on an ice rink repeated a thousand times and trust the frame of the building.
You have to walk around the gondola: the nearby “Empire State Building”, “One World Trade Center” at the southern tip of the island then Central Park, an improbable island of greenery, to the north, the “Chrysler Building” , Art Deco jewel, to the east. An escalator goes up to the summits, another room in mirrors which opens on the floor below. Real glass boxes emerge from the building, irresistible magnets for fans of selfies.
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What you need to know about the observatory
On the top floor, a complete change of atmosphere. The Snøhetta architectural firm has imagined an après-ski interior (huge wooden bench, designer vintage leather chairs) where you can get your fill and motto around a fireplace / flying saucer. Finally, we push the door to the terrace, imagined as a sort of alpine garden but which offers another bar, a lounge atmosphere and… two transparent elevators which grip the last few meters of the blue facade. We stagger a little on the way out, drunk with the sky and the clouds.
From October 21, 2021, Summit One Vanderbilt will be open Thursday from 3 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to midnight and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at 33 euros for adults and 28 euros for children 6 to 12 years old. Free entry for children under 6.
One Vanderbilt, 1 Vanderbilt Avenue, corner of 42nd Street, New York.
To visit www.summitov.com
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