View Masters Part 1 — Growth and Trends in Observation Deck Design
From At the Top Burj Khalifa in Dubai, to the Observatoire Place Ville Marie in Montreal and more observation decks projects underway, we've developed an expertise in the creation of visitor experiences in very tall buildings. Our knowledge set includes not only the ability to design beautiful experiences, but also how to manage them once they're open. Here are a few things we've learned along the way, and our take on trends in this growing industry.
SL Green Realty Corp.
A rendering of One Vanderbilt, where we're designing an observation deck experience.
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.
"There are so many towers that have observation decks now, moving forward there is much more initial homework in defining what audience you really want to come to this space."
James Pappadopoulos
Senior Director, Strategy & Development
A video experience at the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.
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.
"It follows the logic of urban design where decades ago developers were forced to integrate public space, such as plazas, into their buildings within the fabric of the city and make them freely accessible to citizens. It's the same logic, but on the tops of buildings now."
Yves Mayrand
President, Chief Creative Officer, Partner
The Observatoire Place Ville Marie
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.
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).
"We always emphasize to our clients that opening an observation deck is starting a business. It's not just a design, or an experience, or an interior design job. You need to understand everything from the market, to the demand, the price point, the duration of the visit, the quality of view, and the height of the building, to name a few."
Views from the Observatoire Place Ville Marie, formerly a nightclub.
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.
"An observation deck is really about how much money you make per elevator ride — there is a fixed number of people you can move. If people spend too much time on the deck, it will hurt revenues. The mathematics and logistics of elevator and floor capacity vs. visit duration are key."
A multimedia experience in the Burj Khalifa elevator.
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.
"There is more competition amongst observation towers, but the leverage for attraction isn't changing. You have your height, your view, and location. Aside from that the only other lever for differentiation is experience."
Engaging media make lasting impressions in the entrance of the Burj Khalifa.
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.
"The show is the view. If you lose sight of this, (pun intended) you're going to waste money."
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.
"One has to be mindful of the integration of operational realities, otherwise they will take over the design."
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.
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.
"Technology is more about facilitating the flexibility of the business as opposed to just enhancing the visitor experience alone. It supports the experience."
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.
The Tell:Scope™ in action in the Burj Khalifa tower.
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.
"AR offers the potential to completely change a visitor's experience depending on the season, date, and time of day."
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.
The new lobby at Burj Khalifa featuring 4K interactive projection mapping.
"The fact that it's becoming more competitive means that developers, owners, and operators are going to have to face the reality of innovating — creating attractions in their own right that don't solely rely on a view, but that can stand on their own as attractions that people want to visit."
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.
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Designing an observation deck experience
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