Verre Salle Tower

Verre Salle Tower undergoing expansion works, pictured late July 2022.

**Verre Salle Tower** (formerly Glass Hall Tower, French: Tour de Salle Verre) is a skyscraper in New Kensington. It is currently the tallest building in New Kensington, being currently 95m in height. It also has the highest floor count, at 20 elevated floors and 2 underground floors.

## **History**

Plans to design City Hall arose back in May 2020, when New Kensington had already begun its rapid development. City Hall was planned as a four-storey city hall building. However, when a French building in Héphaïstos was specially designated for the City Hall, it moved there instead. Meanwhile, the city required an iconic commercial tower as a central landmark for the city. Thus, City Hall, then renamed to City State Tower was planned to play the role of the needed tower. A design was finalised by the end of May 2020 and foundation works started.

### Controversy

As many buildings in New Kensington were built in a square-based format, including the original design for City State Tower, other players were dismayed by the boring and ordinary looks of the buildings. Some commented that the skyline was going to look "like something out of Pixels".

#### **Redesign**

Following players' remarks, the original design for City State Tower was cancelled. The project was then renamed once more to Glass Hall Tower, together with a new design that had a special octagonal shape. The tower got smaller and smaller as it went up, somewhat similar to the architecture of Burj Khalifa. Plans were re-finalised by mid-July and construction works started on 31 July 2020. The already-built foundation was then modified to match the shape of the building. Financial company Gerahald Corporation signed a contract on 7 August to own all of the available floors (excluding Floor 11, which is being used as Heights Delights, the building's only restaurant.

On 15 August 2020, Glass Hall Tower topped-out and was structurally complete. Then, on 9 September 2020, the building was partially opened from Basement 2 to Floor 3 to allow guests to alight at Glass Hall Tower Station.

The tower was then set to fully open on 4 October when Gerahald Corporation would move in. However, this was delayed indefinitely.

Later in December 2020, which marked the opening of SkyLine Phase 1, areas opened to public was extended to Floor 6. Meanwhile, other than floors that served as metro platforms (Basement 2 to Floor 6) and the observatory (Floor 13), all floors remained vacant.

#### **Expansion**

In early July 2022, a massive expansion for the tower was announced. The expansion would increase the building's diameter from 18m to 22m, and height from 77m to 95m (together with a floor count increase from 16 to 20). It would also modify the tower's name from Glass Hall Tower to Verre Salle Tower in honour of the city's French roots. Works on the expansion began on 8 July and concluded on 27 August. Gerahald Corporation would then finally move in two years after signing a tenancy contract for numerous floors of the tower in 2020.

## Trivia

* Central Interchange, located within and under Verre Salle Tower is the largest station in the New Kensington City Metro System, served by five lines: the Western-Marine Line, the Central Line, the Cornerwise Cross, the SkyLine and the Century Line.

#### **In Popular Culture**

* Verre Salle Tower (pre-expansion) appears in multiple advertisements and posters in the city, the most famous one being a Gerahald Corporation advertisement, which is located at Harmony Junction.