US Thrill Rides, the company that plans to bring us the world's tallest roller coaster, has just unveiled designs for its latest project: The Tricentennial Tower, a 320-foot tall structure that looks like the Seattle Space Needle with a gondola ride slapped on.
The tower, which is planned for the New Orleans waterfront, emerges as part of a bid to redevelop World Trade Center New Orleans. Should US Thrill Rides and its partner, Two Canal Street Investors, win the bid for the WTC redevelopment contract, US Thrill Rides hopes to have the tower completed and ready to receive visitors by 2018.
It's certainly a departure from the white-knuckles thrill rides the roller coaster design firm is known for. Rather than plummeting precipitously downward, you'll enjoy a comfortable, lazy ride in a bobbing, climate-controlled gondola, all the while taking in sweeping views of the Mississippi River.
Like the Seattle Space Needle, this tower's top will feature an observation deck, a sky restaurant, and 360 degree panoramic views. Sure, the Space Needle is nearly twice as tall, but for East Coasters looking for a cheaper and slightly more local vacation, this bizarrely charming structure might just be the thing that draws us back to the Big Easy. [Gizmag]