SpaceWalk, walkable roller coaster born in South Korea
Have you ever dreamed of walking in space? Today it is possible. Or, at least, you can imagine doing so. SpaceWalk is an impressive walkway-sculpture [...]
South Korea
Have you ever dreamed of walking in space? Today it is possible. Or, at least, you can imagine doing so. SpaceWalk is a massive walkway-sculpture built like a roller coaster in the Hwanho Park in Pohang, in South Korea. An attraction named after "spacewalk," a term used in space missions to define walking in zero gravity. An incredible place, which resembles a tangle of spirals, but consists of many small steps, quickly became one of the most Instagrammable places in the country.
In this article:
Ph. spacewalkmanager (Instagram)
Everything you need to know about SpaceWalk
Designed by German architects Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth, the space walk is the largest contemporary public sculpture ever built in South Korea. Just like a roller coaster, SpaceWalk winds through loops and propellers until, at its highest point, it reaches a height of 70 meters.
Accessible through a central staircase, the sculpture offers its visitors two types of pathways. The first with a slight slope, from which there is a breathtaking view of Yeongil Bay. While the second consists of a steep climb which allows you to 'touch the sky with your fingers.' Although they differ in level of difficulty, both routes are suitable for all.
Along the entire route, visitors will enjoy views of the city, the steel mill, and Youngildae Beach.
When the sunlight goes down, the 333 meters of SpaceWalk are illuminated by very long rows of LEDs that make this work of art truly magical. Just as the two creators of SpaceWalk state, when illuminated the walkway appears like a seal in the sky that changes shape depending on where you look at it.
Needless to say, in a short time social networks were flooded with images of the staircase, causing a veritable boom of visits by thousands of curious tourists eager to try their hand at the spacewalk.
Along with showcasing its products, that of promoting tourism was precisely one of the purposes of Posco, the steel company that commissioned the sculpture, made precisely of galvanized and stainless steel.
Ph. Curiotweet (Twitter)
The Chinese precedent
Spacewalk is not the only staircase that can give you thrills. If you are a lover of vertiginous walks, one of the must-go places is in China, exactly in the Shenxianjiu Valley, where you can traverse the adrenaline-filled Ruyi Bridge.
Opening and opening to the public in September 2020, this marvel of engineering and architecture was designed by steel structure expert architect He Yunchang, already known for designing the "bird's nest" for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.
Ph. Idealistacom (Instagram)
Suspended at 140 meters high, the Ruyi Bridge differs from traditional bridges in its special structure, composed of three undulating walkways, where the fearless can play at feeling suspended in the void by walking along the section with the glass floor. The shape takes inspiration from the ruyi (hence the name of the bridge), an object in Eastern tradition that symbolizes happiness and good luck.
