Are slides the next architectural trend?

Okay, so this sounds kind of odd, but apparently slides are becoming more and more popular with architects. Touted as fun and healthy, they encourage users of a building to skip the elevator in favour of the faster trip they provide when one is only going down a few floors. That is if there isn't a line up. I get the sense that there could be some significant waiting going during peak hours like lunch time.

But, as a post on Tree Hugger notes, theses things are becoming quite the little trend. There's one at the Tate Modern, Technische Universit채t in Munich, and Google's has a few spread around their various offices. Even Toronto has gotten into the mix. The new Corus Entertainment complex on Queen's Quay features a slide that covers three floors and that sounds like its been pretty regularly used. And, well, it looks pretty awesome.

But, as cool as it is to "take the slide" instead of the elevator or stairs, one wonders if these will have a long life span. Of course a slide in an office or school building is exciting and well-used when it's new -- everyone wants to engage in the novelty. But what happens after you've gone down it a few times and you notice that you look like a bit of an idiot getting into and out of the thing?

Photo by ponderossa in the blogTO Flickr pool.