A new gravity-defying attraction is coming to the Malahat SkyWalk this spring, giving visitors the chance to step out over Vancouver Island like never before.
The popular tourism destination has unveiled renderings of ‘The Overhang,’ an enclosed glass cube that will extend beyond the edge of the SkyWalk’s spiral tower.
Once complete, the structure will allow visitors to stand inside a transparent cube suspended hundreds of feet above sea level.
The attraction is scheduled to open during the Victoria Day long weekend, May 16th to 18th.
According to Malahat SkyWalk, the cube will extend about seven-feet beyond the summit edge of the site’s 10-storey spiral tower.
From inside the glass structure, visitors will be surrounded by panoramic views of Vancouver Island’s coastal rainforest, mountain ranges and the Saanich Inlet.
Suspended approximately 820 feet above sea level, the experience is designed to create the sensation of floating in mid-air, with glass walls, ceiling and floor providing unobstructed views in every direction.
“It’s an exciting year for Malahat SkyWalk as we prepare to celebrate our fifth anniversary, welcome our one millionth guest and launch The Overhang, our most significant innovation since opening,” said general manager Nathan Bird in a statement.
The glass cube will be supported by a steel frame and constructed using multiple layers of structural glass designed to meet strict safety standards. The walls and ceiling will be roughly 36-millimetres thick, while the base will measure about 60-millimetres thick.
The project was developed with BC-based engineering firm Aspect, which also designed the SkyWalk’s distinctive corkscrew spiral tower.
Malahat SkyWalk says the new feature will also be fully accessible, allowing visitors of all abilities to experience the lookout.
Located along the Malahat Highway north of Victoria, the Malahat SkyWalk opened in 2021 and has since welcomed thousands of visitors from around the world.
Guests begin their visit along a raised ‘TreeWalk’ through arbutus and Douglas-fir forest before spiralling up the tower for sweeping views of southern Vancouver Island.
With the addition of The Overhang later this spring, the SkyWalk hopes to offer visitors an even more dramatic perspective of the west coast landscape.
