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Things are looking up!
The Top of the Rock is aiming to freshen up its observation deck with a ride that would take visitors above its 69th floor and a new "infinity" observation platform that would offer 360-degree views of the city.
The plan, which is going before the city's Landmarks Preservation Commission on Tuesday, proposes a series of enhancements to the Top of the Rock experience, "which harken back to the history of the observation deck, continue to write the story of Rockefeller Center, and provide a new and unique perspective of the city."
The plans were first reported on by 6sqft.com.
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Under the proposal, owner Tishman Speyer would add a ride-like experience called "Lunch Atop A Skyscraper," taking inspiration from the iconic 1932 photo of 11 ironworkers eating on a steel beam during the construction of Rockefeller Center. The experience would have a rotating beam-like structure that visitors could sit on, strap in, and ride upward to above the 69th floor to recreate the famous photo.
On the 70th floor would be "Top of the Top," a new infinity observation deck giving those sweeping 360-degree views. Right now, an out-of-commission radar and antenna masts are taking up space there. There'd also be an installation called "Beacon," which would be a moving globe with audio-visual capabilities and a celestial floor mosaic that echoes the artwork throughout Rockefeller Center.
"We are doubling down on Rockefeller Center as a beacon of New York's bright future," a spokesperson for Tishman Speyer says. "As we reimagine the Top of the Rock experience, our aim is to restore the original historical intent of the observation deck. We look forward to partnering with the Landmarks Preservation Commission as it considers this important project."
30 Rock is the latest skyscraper to up its observation deck game. In 2020, Edge at Hudson Yards opened the highest observation deck in the western hemisphere and the Empire State Building reopened its 102nd-floor observatory. Starting October 21 One Vanderbilt will open Summit, an experience and ride that takes visitors up at least 1,000 feet in the air.
Tishman Speyer will announce additional details about Top of the Rock, including opening dates for the new attractions, in the coming months, so stay tuned.