‘Hoping to build something just as amazing in Bengaluru’: DK Shivakumar after visiting New York’s Skydeck

“An unforgettable experience visiting the SkyDeck in New York! Apart from the stunning views, what really inspired me was learning how it was all brought to life. Had the opportunity to chat with the brilliant minds behind the project, and a special shoutout to Mr. Babu Killar, a fellow Kannadiga and structural engineer working in New York, for gifting me the SkyDeck book. I’m taking home a lot of inspiration and ideas, and hoping to build something just as amazing in Bangalore,” he wrote, while sharing pictures of the infrastructural wonder.

This comes in the backdrop of talks to construct South Asia’s tallest Skydeck in Bengaluru, which will offer a 360-degree view of the city. The proposal to build such a structure, which was put forth by Shivakumar himself, was recently approved by the Karnataka government. Shivakumar along with irrigation, also holds portfolios such as Bengaluru development. The skydeck will be constructed at an estimated cost of ₹500 crore and it would be 250 metres high.

The building will be located in NICE Road in the outer parts of Bengaluru, and the project also has plans to connect it with the metro rail system for easy access. This is among a series of infrastructure projects aimed to enhance the city’s infrastructure and tourism appeal.

The DCM is in the United States on a personal family trip. Shivakumar dismissed media reports suggesting that his visit to the US is to meet with top figures like former President Barack Obama and Vice President Kamala Harris, and clarified that the trip was purely personal.

“I am travelling to the US along with my family till September 15. The media reports that I am meeting former US President Barack Obama and US Vice President Kamala Harris are incorrect. It is a personal visit,” he clarified in a press statement, according to news agency PTI.

He also visited the Adi Chunchanagiri Mutt in New Jersey on Thursday, which is coming up in a sprawling 20-acre campus in Franklin Township.