If I remember right, I've mentioned previously that I think there is one very odd part of the new Fort Worth Convention Center Omni Hotel that makes the building look very weird, that being the huge balconies that are cantilevered out from the high rise part of the structure, looking, from a distance, like scaffolding.Previously I speculated that these open balconies were a disaster waiting to happen, just like the whirlpooling Water Gardens that the hotel looks down on were a disaster waiting to happen. Something or someone is going to fall off one of those balconies sometime.
Anyway, I was driving by the convention center last Saturday, driving down Lancaster Avenue to check out the new lighting feature I'd read about. When I got by the new hotel I looked up and saw humans on one of the balconies for the first time.
So, I pulled over and took a picture. At the time it seemed like the thing to do. But then I forgot about it til today.
I don't think the Omni balconies look dangerous at all. At least no more dangerous than the balconies at the Tower or the balconies on the top floor of the Ashton Hotel. The Omni balconies are larger perhaps but I don't think that correlates with higher chances of accidents.
ReplyDeleteThe Water Garden's "tragedy" where some people drowned a few years ago is a poor comparison to the balconies being dangerous. Those people did not have to try to climb into the water, and there were signs posted telling people such. I doubt the owners of the Omni units will want signs posted on their decks telling them not to run and jump, etc., but surely common sense is enough to prevent people from having deadly accidents?
But because there is a pervasive lack of common sense, you may be right. Someone may fall or some object may fall down and kill someone. I don't think you close up the balconies though to protect the masses.