Last May, the city of Melbourne has approved a 741-foot tower that features a curvy façade based on Beyoncé’s music video Ghost, where models (possibly the songstress herself) are enveloped in what appears to be skin-tight chiffon, stretching and swaying as a wind machine blows.
But according to the building’s designer, architects at Australian firm Elenberg Fraser, the shape isn’t merely an ode to one of today’s most prominent pop icons alive. In fact, lead architect Reid Dixon told Gizmag it was purely coincidental.
"The building volume was created by those natural outcomes," Dixon told Gizmag. "We were in a meeting and trying to describe the appearance of the design to somebody, but we didn't have any images. So one of our directors said it looks like the music clip to Beyoncé's Ghost."
"This project is the culmination of our significant research," the firm told Dezeen. "The complex form—a vertical cantilever—is actually the most effective way to redistribute the building's mass, giving the best results in terms of structural dispersion, frequency oscillation and wind requirements."
According to Gizmag, the similarity between the form and Beyoncé's music video was noticed in the early stages, when only the exterior design was completed. So the team went on with the idea, even designing the interiors in "a nice warm palette, inspired by Beyoncé's skin tones and theatre performances," Dixon tells Gizmag.
Computer aid using parametric modeling helped the architects come up with the design specifics, such as where the building swells in and swells out.
The building will have 68 stories, containing 660 apartments and a 160-room hotel. The building will be located at the west end of Melbourne’s business district. There is no construction start or completion date announced yet.
Beyoncé wouldn’t be the first pop icon to inspire architects. Dancing duo Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers were credited for being Frank Gehry’s inspiration in design of the Nationale-Nederlanden building in Prague.
Related Stories
Multifamily Housing | Aug 9, 2017
Related Companies unveils plans for One Hudson Yards luxury rental residences
The 33-story tower will be positioned on the High Line with views of the Hudson River and downtown Manhattan.
Multifamily Housing | Aug 9, 2017
Multifamily developers, designers cater to occupants’ need for mobility
Bike storage facilities and “bicycle kitchens” are among the most popular mobility amenities in multifamily developments, according to a new survey by Multifamily Design + Construction magazine.
Mixed-Use | Aug 9, 2017
Mixed-use development will act as a gateway to Orange County’s ‘Little Saigon’
The development will include apartments, ground-floor retail, and a five-story hotel.
Mixed-Use | Aug 8, 2017
Dorte Mandrup’s 74,000-sm masterplan will be highlighted by an IKEA and BIG’s ‘Cacti’
The mixed-use development links a new IKEA store, a hotel, and housing with green space.
High-rise Construction | Aug 1, 2017
Construction on the world’s skinniest tower halts due to ballooning costs
The planned 82-story tower has stalled after completing just 20 stories.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 31, 2017
Chicago’s Ukrainian Village neighborhood adds new co-living space
The new building offers 12 bedrooms across four floors of living space.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 27, 2017
Apartment market index: Business conditions soften, but still solid
Despite some softness at the high end of the apartment market, demand for apartments will continue to be substantial for years to come, according to the National Multifamily Housing Council.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 27, 2017
Game rooms and game simulators popular amenities in multifamily developments
The number of developments providing space for physical therapy was somewhat surprising, according to a new survey.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 25, 2017
Co-living arrives in Queens: Common adds two new co-living homes
Common adds a new coliving home in Brooklyn and its first offering in Queens with Common Lincoln and Common Cornelia.
Multifamily Housing | Jul 19, 2017
Student housing trends: The transformation of co-living in college
The Student Hotel is representative of a new model for delivering housing solutions for students globally.