Chicago skyscraper plans sky-high ice skating, with rink on 94th floor of 100-story building
By APFriday, September 10, 2010
Chicago building plans sky-high ice skating
CHICAGO — Ice skating in Chicago in January is nothing new. Doing it on the 94th floor of a downtown skyscraper certainly is.
Officials at the 100-story John Hancock Center said Thursday that they’re installing a rink that will allow visitors to skate at 1,000 feet up in the air.
About 20 people at a time will be able to skate on the 1,000-square foot rink. It will be open from January through March.
The rink actually won’t be made of ice. It will be made of a synthetic material that creates a hard, plastic floor with a slick silicone glaze.
It’s an attempt to attract more visitors to the building during a normally slow time of year. The 94th floor also has an open-air skywalk and a cafe.
The grand opening is scheduled for Jan. 1.
