STUDENTS will be able to take a theme park-style slide between floors rather than stairs at an amazing new building.
The slide at the £40m building in Glasgow features twirling loops and looks like something out of a water park rather than a traditional hall of residence.
The chute between the first and ground floors features a clear plastic top half so there is no danger of undergraduates falling out. But how drunken crashes at the bottom will be avoided is less obvious.
Google’s offices in San Francisco, Tel Aviv and Zurich feature similar looping slides but it is thought to be the first time such a novelty has featured in a UK building of its type.
The slide, which appears to be around 15 feet high, twirls in two loops on its journey from the first to the ground floor of the housing development.
Promotional material released by true Student Living says the twirl slide “enables students get to the ground floor in style once that important paper is complete.”
A spokeswoman for true Student Living said: “The slide is the brainchild of the architects at KKA who designed the building.
“Obviously the Google slide has become iconic representing the working environment at the company.
“The slide in this building is picking up that role as a talking point.”
As well as appearing in Google’s offices, bosses at The Workshop, an office space in Folkestone, Kent, installed a 20ft stainless steel slide to create a “sense of fun” amongst employees.
Speaking at the time, office manager James Avery said: “We are quite Google-esque and techy here, and the slide really adds to that Google feel about the place.
“Everyone has a go when they come in, but people have become accustomed to it now. No-one looks up, it’s just the norm.”
As well as the slide, the luxurious £40m student housing development will also feature a karaoke room, cinema and cafe serving protein shakes.
Rooms will have flat screen TVs and touch pad “rainfall” showers and students will also be able to take advantage of “well-being classes” and motivational talks.
Construction of the building, which will be on Kelvinhaugh Street in the west end of the city, is ongoing and the first residents are expected to move in, in September 2017.
A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: “Planning permission was granted in 2015.”
The development will provide accommodation for 590 students from several higher education institutions in Glasgow, include Glasgow University, Glasgow School of Art, Strathclyde University and Glasgow Caledonian University.
Prices start from £150 a week.
True Student Living hope to roll out similar accommodation buildings in other UK cities in the future.
