On the Line with the 'Cliffhangers' of Reunion Tower

The most iconic feature of Dallas' skyline is the geodesic sphere atop the Reunion Tower. The 259 high-output LEDs around this ball form patterns for holidays, sports victories and various remembrances. But someone has to keep the sphere in shape — cleaning windows, inspecting the light nodes and changing the...

By Joe Pappalardo

January 30, 2016

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The most iconic feature of Dallas' skyline is the geodesic sphere atop the Reunion Tower. The 259 high-output LEDs around this ball form patterns for holidays, sports victories and various remembrances. But someone has to keep the sphere in shape — cleaning windows, inspecting the light nodes and changing the "bulbs" when needed. Enter a trio of men, the entire staff of Cliffhanger Building Maintenance, who have been maintaining the sphere for more than a decade. Hector Rivera owns the company, employee Joel Rosas is the veteran and Isidro Suarez is the young heir apparent. When you're tying each other's safety lines, confidence in your partner is as necessary as skill. "I trust him 100 percent," Suarez says of Rosas. "And he trusts me." Take some dramamine and watch the video below of the guys inspecting the lights, with nothing but a makeshift swing and 560 feet of empty air beneath them.

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