Netherlands-based firm MVDRV has a literally twisted plan for a new skyscraper in Vienna, Austria.
The 30-story, 110-meter mixed-use tower will curve near its “waistline,” which Gizmodo likens to that “moment you reach in every Jenga game, when the weight of an entire tower balances precariously on a single middle block.”
The firm says that the design maximizes floor space on the upper levels without casting shadows over surrounding buildings, which led it to win the competition over architects Dietmar Feichtinger, Dominique Perrault, and Nieto Sobejano Arquitectos.
According to Dezeen, building regulations of the area restrict building heights to 75 meters and should have a trapezoidal plan. But MVRDV extended the building’s height further to make up for the loss of area from the building design’s small square footprint.
The building is planned to stand near Vienna’s historic Gasometers, located between the airport and the city center.
The firm said in a statement: "Through this operation, an elegant, hourglass figure emerged that responds to its surroundings by opening up views towards the Gasometers and the rest of the city.”
Construction is slated to begin in 2016. Learn more at Dezeen.
