View Masters Part 1 — Growth and Trends in Observation Deck Design

When the Empire State Building first opened during the depression in New York in 1931, one million people paid $1 each to visit the top of the tallest building in the world at the time (a title it held until 1970). Many things have since changed in the world of observation decks. When the Empire State Building went public with an IPO in 2013, it was revealed that 40% of the building’s revenue came from the observation deck, garnering over $80 million in 2012. This announcement caused a flurry of interest and building of new observation decks around the world. New York City will have five by 2020 (the Empire State Building, Top of the Rock, One World Observatory, and the upcoming One Vanderbilt and Hudson Yards), Shanghai has four (the Oriental Pearl, the Jin Mao Tower, the Shanghai World Financial Center, and the Shanghai Tower), as does Tokyo (the Tokyo Tower, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, the Tokyo Skytree, and the Tokyo World Trade Center). Many other cities have two, with more on the way. As competition ramps up, towers are having to become more innovative in terms of their offering. While the Empire State Building still attracts millions of visitors due to its iconic status, we’re starting to see new ways of creating memorable experiences in towers.

WHY CREATE A DECK?
The primary objective for the creation of an observation deck that we encounter with our clients is profitability. If it’s a well-designed and marketed experience, it’s a very good use of a building’s square footage. This can also have a secondary effect of contributing to the image and reputation of the tower as a desirable and prestigious address for real estate, or as a cultural icon. Another reason that we’ve seen recent growth in this market is that certain cities, are beginning to impose the inclusion of public observation spaces within buildings of a certain height.

HOW TO GET IT RIGHT
In our years of experience, we’ve figured out some of the key considerations that will contribute to the success or failure of any observation deck project, no matter the height, or location of the tower.

1. Do your homework
We can’t overemphasize the importance of having a business plan and a general statement of purpose figured out before any observation deck project begins. This goes without saying in any experience design project but is even more crucial in this particular field. On our first observation deck project, for example, At The Top, Burj Khalifa, the building was not initially conceived with an observation deck in mind. Before we could move forward, a feasibility study had to be carried out to determine key components, such a project budget and schedule (distinct from the building schedule).

This approach is distinct from our work with museums, where generally these are institutions with decades of experience and knowledge of their market. In the case of observation decks, we are often working with real estate developers who have never operated an attraction before, as it’s not their core business model. In these cases, we work hand-in-hand with them to develop a realistic business model and even partner on the operational management of the observation decks in certain cases.

2. Figuring out the flow
Determining how many people can move through your tower, how much time they spend on the deck, and the capacity of your elevators is essential.

If the timing is too controlled, visitors feel like they’re in a hamster wheel and will get frustrated. If the experience is too dense, then it hurts your revenues because you can’t move as many people through in a day. On the other hand, if it’s a boring experience then it obviously won’t develop a reputation and people won’t come at all. It’s a fine balance.

3. Maintaining interest from start to finish
In any observation deck, visitors will be spending a lot of time in elevators and if it’s popular, in lineups. How can you hold their interest across the entire experience? At Burj Khalifa, for example, we developed solutions in designing content-rich multimedia installations beginning in the lobby, then in an immersive video tunnel, and finally in custom-designed elevators. It’s therefore not only about the view, but also about the experience around the entire visit.

Since Burj Khalifa opened, we’ve seen more and more super tall building development. Finding the right balance between creating an engaging experience and the ideal duration of the visit is an ongoing challenge. We’re always striving to do do something fundamentally unique and cohesive as an attraction for people to visit, while simultaneously hitting the developer’s throughput vs. price-point targets.

In the creation of visitor experiences, it’s essential not to distract from the view. Sometimes developers forget the main reasons why people go up tall buildings, which is essentially to be able to say that they were on top of a really tall building and take selfies. They go for the view — they want to have a unique perspective on the city they’re in. If your experience distracts or deviates too far from these reasons, then you’re not adding any value.

4. Integrating operations early
Similarly to considering a business plan from the outset, the management of the observation deck, including the integration of retail, cannot be underestimated. At Place Ville Marie for example, we’re a key stakeholder and investor in the project, overseeing legalities, financing, administration and operations. This privileged position allows us, in collaboration with our partners, to oversee and manage the quality of the project consistently over time.

5. Expect the unexpected
There is an indisputable extreme nature to designing experiences in very high towers. Peculiar technical challenges will always arise. When we were working on the design for Burj Khalifa for example, we found out that every year, the company that maintains the elevators conducts a drop test to make sure the emergency stop button works, exposing the elevators and everything in them to 3G forces. This was a bit of a curveball that we hadn’t expected when designing our multimedia elevator installation. In the end, we found a solution with custom-built brackets for the screens. While each tower will have its peculiarities, we’ve learned never to underestimate the technical challenges of designing within these confined spaces.

LOOKING AHEAD
In terms of future trends in observation decks, whether technological or otherwise, we’re seeing a few tactics that we believe will continue as competition amongst decks becomes more intense. The first involves ramping up the thrill factor and amplifying the sense of height. Whether it’s standing in a glass box at 1,353 feet in the air on the Ledge at the Skydeck in Chicago, or swinging 328 feet above Amsterdam at the A’Dam Lookout, we don’t see this trend dying out any time soon. We like these experiences because they’re all about amplifying the fact that you’re really high up. It’s not a distraction from the experience and the view, but rather, pushes it further.

In terms of technological advancements, we endorse anything which can similarly enhance rather than distract from the core experience. The pace of advancement in this area is rapid. When we introduced the Tell:Scope™, a custom-designed augmented reality digital telescope at Burj Khalifa in 2009 for example, this was at the cutting edge of augmented reality (AR) technology, allowing visitors to have a closer look at the city in real-time, or as it would appear on a sunnier day, at night, or in another era.

Today, although the mechanisms and platforms may be different, AR is still providing the most exciting possibilities for enhancing observation deck experiences, providing visitors with added layers of information about what they’re seeing.

With the possibility of unique experiences depending on when you visit, a deck operator has an increased possibility to drive repeat visits, and the development of new audiences. At the end of the day, when considering any technological application, it’s important to keep in mind that visitors are not going up there to play with technology, but rather to see the view and to be on the highest floor.

In terms of our future observation deck projects, we’re excited to see the industry innovate in the face of increased competition.

We see the potential for creating new cultural value as towers mature to become players within the cultural fabric of their cities, joining the ranks of museums, concert venues or theatres in providing unique entertainment options for the public.

Stay tuned for View Masters Part 2, a behind-the-scenes look at the process of designing leading-edge observation decks around the world.