A slender looping skyscraper could one day transform the New York skyline – if a team of local architects get their way.
The ethereal skyscraper, called the Big Bend, would be the longest, but not the tallest building in the world.
Architects at Oiio Studio came up with the concept to highlight Manhattan developers’ obsession with building ever taller structures.
In a statement, the firm said: “New York city’s zoning laws have created a peculiar set of tricks trough which developers try to maximize their property’s height in order to infuse it with the prestige of a high rise structure.
“But what if we substituted height with length? What if our buildings were long instead of tall?”
The irony in this instance is that the Big Bend would still be taller than most of the “supertalls” it neighbours.
The curved nature of the building would require developers to construct a Willy Wonka style elevator that travels sideways as well as up and down.
But that’s not the only hurdle that could stop building from ever being constructed. As Curbed notes, it’s likely local groups would oppose another building of its size being built in the vicinity, and it might be difficult to find a developer willing to back such an ambitious project.
We still think it looks pretty swish, even if it is only a concept.