One World Trade Center is the tallest building in New York City and the United States at 1,776-feet-tall. 217 W. 57th Street will become the tallest skyscraper in New York when it is completed in 2019 at 1,550 feet. One Vanderbilt won’t be much shorter when it reaches its planned height of 1,401 feet in 2020. It’s no secret with all of these planned and under construction skyscrapers in the Big Apple, New York has become infatuated with the intoxicating allure of the supertall.
An architecture firm based in New York and Athens, however, has created a conceptual skyscraper that would surpass all of these towers at 4,000 feet. But there is a catch: the building wouldn’t be 4,000 feet tall, it would be 4,000 feet long.
Oiio wanted to design a substitute for New York City’s recent obsession with luxury high-rise towers. “New York city’s zoning laws have created a peculiar set of tricks through which developers try to maximize their property’s height in order to infuse it with the prestige of a high rise structure,” Oiio says on its website. “But what if we substituted height with length? What if our buildings were long instead of tall?”
Image courtesy of Oiio.
The result of these questions is The Big Bend skyscraper, a building that would rise into the sky with the profile of a giant safety pin. The structure would take on the appearance of slender towers such as 432 Park Avenue, but with a twist. Once The Big Bend reached its maximum height, it would loop back towards the ground a few dozen meters from the first leg and straddle a smaller, historic building.
Staying with the theme of loops and bends, The Big Bend would be equipped with an elevator running along an innovative track changing system that allows for the horizontal connection of two shafts on the top and bottom to create a loop. This means elevators would be able to run between the two legs of the building as well as into the bend itself.
The building would rise near Central Park among other supertall structures like One57, Central Park Tower, and 111 West 57th Street. “We can now provide our structures with the measurements that will make them stand out without worrying about the limits of the sky,” says Oiio. Currently, the building is completely conceptual with know plans of being built.
Image courtesy of Oiio.
Image courtesy of Oiio.
Image courtesy of Oiio.
Related Stories
Office Buildings | Jun 17, 2015
Daniel Libeskind unveils 'talking towers' design for Rome development
The scheme will drastically change the Eternal City’s skyline: three angular towers that look like they’re “in conversation with one another.”
High-rise Construction | Jun 15, 2015
Cornell Tech breaks ground on world's first Passive House residential high-rise
To achieve Passive House standards, Cornell Tech Residential will incorporate a number of sustainability-focused design elements. The façade, constructed of a prefabricated metal panel system, acts as a thermally insulated blanket wrapping the building structure.
High-rise Construction | Jun 15, 2015
‘Stacked box’ skyscraper proposed for Vancouver
The scheme by German architect Ole Scheeren involves 48 stories with multiple volumes of rectangles protruding out of several floors toward different directions of the city.
Office Buildings | Jun 9, 2015
Bjarke Ingels unveils stepped design for final WTC tower
The towering "staircase" will rise from St. Paul’s chapel to the skyline, leaning against One World Trade Center.
Office Buildings | Jun 9, 2015
Hines planning $300 million office tower for Denver skyline
Designed by Pickard Chilton, the 640,000-sf tower is geared for large-scale tenants, with features like floor-to-ceiling glass, a 5,000-sf fitness center, a tenant lounge, and a series of outdoor terraces.
High-rise Construction | Jun 5, 2015
Japanese policymakers discuss mandate for toilets in elevators
This quirky-sounding building code is a safety measure for the earthquake-prone nation.
Wood | Jun 2, 2015
Michael Green Architecture designs world's tallest wood building for Paris competition
“Just as Gustave Eiffel shattered our conception of what was possible a century and a half ago, this project can push the envelope of wood innovation with France in the forefront," said architect Michael Green of the project.
High-rise Construction | May 6, 2015
Two new designs submitted for New York City Riverside Center
Both designs reference the cantilevers and other elements featured in architect Christian de Portzamparc’s original masterplan for the complex, which has now been scrapped.
High-rise Construction | May 6, 2015
Parks in the sky? Subterranean bike paths? Meet the livable city, designed in 3D
Today’s great cities must be resilient—and open—to many things, including the influx of humanity, writes Gensler co-CEO Andy Cohen.
Building Owners | May 6, 2015
Hackathons and RFCs: Why one developer killed the RFP
In lieu of an RFP process, Skanska Commercial Development hosted a three-week "hackathon" to find an architect for its 2&U tower in Seattle.
