Cananda has a new architectural marvel in the Rocky Mountains called the Glacier Skywalk and it looks pretty amazing.
Sturgess Architecture and Read Jones Christofferson Engineering (RJC) worked on the Glacier Skywalk, which won the Future Projects Category Award at the World Architecture Festival 2011 in Barcelona, Spain. Judges said "The jury was unanimous. This is a simple, elegant yet highly emotional project," according to the projects website.
Constructing an enormous metal and glass deck protruding from a mountain might sound infringing but that's not the case, or at least . The native bedrock was used to support the 200 tons of weathering steel hanging 280 meters above the ground.
Wood and glass cover the main steel structure, which could support two 747 planes sitting on it.
"These materials mirror, rather than distract from, the natural environment and are free of paint and other toxins. Keenly aware of and sympathetic to its surroundings, the Glacier Skywalk is dedicated to a near-zero footprint," according to the website.
Brewster Travel Canada, a motor coach tour company, has been operating in the countries national parks for 120 years and was serious about protecting it. They commissioned a 169-page report about the environmental impact to make sure the Glacier Skywalk checked out.
It's the site of arguably the best view of a massive gorge in Jasper National Park in Alberta.
For comparison, the view form atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris is only 44 meters taller.
Below are some photos from a YouTube video by Brewster advertising the Glacier Skywalk.
You can also watch this video by Discovery and see a major bump in the road during the construction.
