I'm at a place called vertigo

May 11, 2006 1:59 AM

Does anyone have any recommendations about how one could go about gaining access (legally) to interesting roofs in interesting buildings in interesting cities around the world?

One of my favourite places to be is up on the roof of buildings drinking tea and chatting with my closest friend (ie. just me and one other). I love the views and the feeling of space and the grounded (contradiction in terms I know!) feeling of doing this. There is a scene in Spy Game where Robert Redford & Brad Pitt are having an early morning debrief on a roof in Berlin. It is not about being up very high more the different perspective one gets. Living in London I notice a lot of buildings in which the roof space is not utilised. It probably comes across as a strange thing to enjoy and I cannot imagine building managers would be willing to allow access unless one was producing a television programme or the like. Does anyone out there share this love of mine? Any creative ideas and suggestions would be very much appreciated.

posted by numberstation to Human Relations (8 answers total)

The roof of Nemo in Amsterdam is well thought of. You can have a drink there. Lots of people are having drinks there. It's like some kind of alternative beach in the summer.
posted by Skyanth at 2:42 AM on May 11, 2006

I wonder if Alain Robert takes on apprentices?
posted by rob511 at 4:14 AM on May 11, 2006

Check out infiltration.org for like-minded souls.
posted by roofus at 4:16 AM on May 11, 2006

There's the Kensington Roof Gardens in London. The Ismaili Centre in South Kensington has a beautiful roof garden which has been designed to appeal to all 5 senses. This is not open to the general public but has taken part in Open House London.

As for other cities, rooftop restaurants in department stores - Printemps (Paris), Steffl (Vienna).
posted by boudicca at 4:22 AM on May 11, 2006

Also, art museums with roof terraces for sculpture: Tate Modern, Pompidou, MoMA.

New Zealand House on Haymarket in London has a roof terrace running all the way round the building with great views of Central London. BedZED housing has the funkiest roofs. Both in Open House I think.

(Sorry, I'm realising I too have a thing for roofs.)
posted by boudicca at 4:50 AM on May 11, 2006

Go to a bookstore and look for Robert Polidori's book Metropolis. He has plenty of anecdotes and advice re: gaining access to locations for his photos (p.96). If you want access to a non-public place, it would probably be easier if you had a camera with you and claimed to be a photographer, as opposed to saying you just want to hang out. And tell them your friend is your assistant.
posted by lovejones at 5:48 AM on May 11, 2006

I don't think there's any one answer; each city and each building will be a different story. I have a friend who shares your passion (I enjoy it too, but don't seek it out), and one of my most cherished memories is of taking the elevator as high as you could go in the Woolworth Building, sneaking around and finding a door that was normally locked but had been propped open by workmen, and going out onto a narrow balcony far, far above the ground (with no protection but a waist-high railing), from which we watched dramatic black stormclouds swooping in from Jersey. Now, of course, After September Eleventh, it would be impossible, but even then, if you'd asked someone who knew the building they'd have said "No, you can't get up there." So when you see a likely-looking roof, follow your instincts; you may get lucky.
posted by languagehat at 6:29 AM on May 11, 2006

The roof of the Pan Am Met Life building over Grand Central Station in NYC used to be reachable if you took the elevator to 58, went up the fire stairs to the Sky Club (which was closed after the helicopter crash in '77), walked up the long escalator to the top level, walked up the even longer escalator to the heliport control room, and forced the sliding door open. Amazing views, and the huge air-conditioning exhausts created a warm oasis in winter. Anyway, I gather the Sky Club is open again - maybe you can still sneak up to the roof.
posted by nicwolff at 9:37 AM on May 11, 2006