‘Improve Bengaluru’s roads first’, netizens tell Shivakumar as he praises New York Skydeck, envisions similar project in city – Infrastructure News

After returning from a week-long personal trip from the US, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar took to X to praise New York’s The Edge which is one of the largest outdoor observation decks in the world. 

In his post, Shivakumar expressed his hope to build something similar in Bengaluru.

Currently, plans are underway for the construction of a 250-meter skydeck in Bengaluru, which is expected to be built on a land parcel in Hemmigepura, located southwest of the city along the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) road.

“An unforgettable experience visiting the SkyDeck in New York!” Shivakumar wrote, adding that the stunning views from the building inspired him and he had an opportunity to talk to some the “brilliant minds” behind the project. “I’m taking home a lot of inspiration and ideas and hoping to build something just as amazing in Bangalore,” he further wrote.

He mentioned catching a glimpse of New York City from the 7,500-square-foot skydeck on the 100th floor of a building in Hudson Yards.

Shivakumar also held discussions with global design firm HOK architect Kenneth Drucker. He played a key role in the construction of several architectural marvels, including the World Trade Centre in New York, the Shanghai Tower in China, and the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, The Indian Express reported.

“If modern technology is combined with strong thoughts, the sky deck may bring a new definition to the Bengaluru skyline as well as improve the quality of urban development,” Shivakumar said.

Designed to boost tourism in Bengaluru, the proposed skydeck will attract visitors with features like food courts, play areas, and other amenities.

However, in reaction to his post on the several people slammed Shivakumar for the skydeck proposal saying that basic infrastructure like roads and footpaths needed attention, IE reported.

“Sir why are you so fixated with SkyDeck? What benefit will anyone be getting from it? Rather spend that money improving roads and footpaths across Bangalore… you must have seen public infrastructure in NYC and other cities in the USA, learn from it,” an X user said.

Another user, Aashrith V, wrote, “From up there, you should see how the infra of the city is built. Not just see how the sky deck is built! Please come, ride/drive as a common man, and you’d understand the pain we have to go through every single day.”

Another X user, Shankar, pointed out, “Let’s focus on the basics first. Roads are in horrible condition. If we cannot lay out flat roads that would last long, how can we trust to build such fancy buildings?”