NZ’S FIRST SUSPENDED VIEWING CUBE

The tourism operator has applied for resource consent to build the glass cube off Skyline Queenstown’s famous viewing deck, at the top of Bob’s Peak.

The 1 metre-wide, 1 metre-deep and 2 metre-tall ‘cube’ will give guests the feeling of being suspended in mid-air as they look out towards the Remarkables mountain range, the Crown Range and over Lake Wakatipu to Cecil Peak, while standing directly above the Skyline Queenstown luge track.

Designed in conjunction with well-known engineer Derek Chinn, of Bartlett Consulting, the project will be a significant engineering feat in order to achieve the sense of mid-air suspension with glass, Skyline Queenstown general manager Lyndon Thomas says.

“The No.1 reason our guests visit Skyline Queenstown is for the incredible view and most of our guests will take a photo from the viewing deck. We want them to feel a part of the view by providing them with a unique opportunity to enjoy the natural landscape, and we believe the addition of the viewing cube will do just that,” Thomas says.

“We want to create lasting memories of our guests’ trips to Skyline Queenstown and we are working hard to add value and create new products and experiences that cover a broad spectrum of our customer demographics.”

The design was inspired by the ‘Step into the Void’ installation at the Aiguille du Midi in Mont Blanc. Thomas believes the Skyline Queenstown glass cube is the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

The resource consent application has been lodged with Queenstown Lakes District Council. All going to plan, construction is expected to be complete by the end of the year.

The viewing cube development is the latest in a string of recent additions and upgrades at Skyline Queenstown, following purpose-built mountain-bike trails, the Stratosfare Restaurant & Bar rebrand launch, Market Kitchen and a mini diggers attraction for kids.