As if New York City didn’t already have enough attractions, why not throw a skyscraper theme park into the mix? New York-based Architect Ju-Hyun Kim proposes stacking up what is usually a rather land-intensive endeavor into a vertical tower, complete with thrilling rides and gravity-defying drops. Unlike most amusement parks, which require a long drive and a massive parking lot, a vertical urban version could cut down greatly on emissions. Since it’s in the heart of the city on a small footprint, this park benefits from the density of the city and could be easily reached by public transit.

skyscraper theme park, vertical theme park, urban design, ju-hyun kim, green design, sustainable design

Normal theme parks stretch over acres of land with sprawling roller coasters, miles of walkways, and thousands of parking spots. Visitors to the park usually have to drive or travel long distances to get there, racking up carbon emissions along the way. By condensing the theme park into a much smaller site in the heart of a dense, urban center, its environmental impact is reduced and instead of driving hours to get to the theme park, visitors can take the subway or bus.

Vegas and other cities already have theme park rides and adventures on top of their buildings, and Ju-Hyan’s Vertical Theme Park, just takes it one step further, advancing on existing technology to combine all of the rides into one cohesive, albeit crazy and intertwined tower. The tower would include a flume ride, sky promenade, city diving, a roller coaster, a ferris wheel, restaurants, a vertical carousel, and a space theater. We’d really like to see the addition of some good energy efficient technologies like hybrid regenerative breaking and renewable energy, but all in all, it’s an interesting concept that we’d like to see come to fruition one day.

+ Ju-Hyun Kim