Pictured: The incredible 80ft-high staircase in South Korea that’s shaped like a ROLLER COASTER
- ‘SpaceWalk’ is a traversable sculpture located in the hills of Hwanho Park in the city of Pohang
- The steel staircase is described as the ‘perfect place from which to observe the night sky, sunrise and sunset’
- After dark, the staircase has the appearance of a ‘cloud formation’ against the night sky thanks to LED lights
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If you don’t have the nerves for a roller coaster, try this ‘stroller coaster’ instead.
‘SpaceWalk’ is a traversable sculpture located in the hills of Hwanho Park in the city of Pohang, South Korea, that is 80ft (24.6m) from the ground at the top of its loop, the highest point.
The 333m- (1,092ft-) long steel track has LED lights built into the handrails and steps. When evening falls, these lights start to glow, giving the staircase the appearance of a ‘cloud formation’ against the night sky.
Incredible photographs reveal the roller-coaster-shaped ‘SpaceWalk’ staircase in South Korea
The traversable sculpture is located in the hills of Hwanho Park in the city of Pohang
The creators’ aim, as the name suggests, is to give visitors the feeling of a ‘walk through space’.
To climb the surreal installation – which can hold up to 250 people at once – visitors ascend a central access stair, before choosing to follow the track in one of two directions.
One pathway is a gentle climb, while the other is steeper.
Video footage recorded by one visitor shows how both routes end at metal barriers at the beginning of the staircase’s eye-catching loop, there to indicate that the inverted part of it is out of bounds.
SpaceWalk is 80ft (24.6m) from the ground at the top of its loop, the highest point
To climb the surreal installation, visitors ascend a central access stair, before choosing to follow the track in one of two directions. One pathway is a gentle climb, while the other is steeper
The highest point that visitors can reach is 65ft (20m) above the ground.
Making the climb, visitors are rewarded with a ‘magnificent’ view of the Pohang cityscape and nearby Yeongil Bay.
SpaceWalk is also intended as an observatory – the ‘perfect place from which to observe the surrounding area, the night sky, and the sunrise and sunset’.
The 333m- (1,092ft-) long steel track has LED lights built into the handrails and steps. When evening falls, these lights start to glow, giving the staircase the appearance of a ‘cloud formation’ against the night sky
The installation is designed to accommodate 250 people at once. It was created by Hamburg-based artist duo Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth
Making the climb, visitors are rewarded with a ‘magnificent’ view of the Pohang cityscape and nearby Yeongil Bay
SpaceWalk is described as the ‘perfect place from which to observe the surrounding area, the night sky, and the sunrise and sunset’
‘This imposing artwork plays a subtle game with the concepts of speed and acceleration,’ Mutter and Genth say
The Hamburg-based artist duo behind the design, Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth, explain: ‘SpaceWalk references the local mythology of the Pohang region and the prominent Korean tradition of watching the skies.’
They add: ‘With its characteristic curves and loops, [it] initially puts one in mind of a roller coaster… however, this imposing artwork plays a subtle game with the concepts of speed and acceleration.’
This isn’t the first fantastical roller-coaster-shaped structure that the pair has dreamt up.
Back in 2011, Mutter and Genth rose to prominence after they unveiled the fairground ride-esque ‘Tiger and Turtle – Magic Mountain’ in Duisburg, Germany. It’s still a major attraction today.
Access to SpaceWalk is free to all. For more information, visit www.phaenomedia.org.