At first glance, the latest renderings released by the Bjarke Ingels-led architecture practice BIG of a skyscraper in Frankfurt seems like the typical, rectangular office building. But then the eye travels to the center of the building, and the tower looks more like the early rounds of a game of Jenga.
Square volumes stacked askew on top of each other seems to be the typology that the firm is keen on using lately: The feature will show prominently in the New York City skyline if BIG's Two World Trade Center design is built.
According to Architect’s Journal UK, the tower in Frankfurt will be 185 meters tall and will house offices, residential units, and public terraces. "By gently shifting the floorplates of the simple elegant volume, the tower incorporates all the elements of a real city: spaces for living and working, inside as well as outside," Ingels told Dezeen. The building in total will be 65,000 sm.
The levels in the middle of the tower that shift outward create terraces and outdoor space for the apartments.
“The tower is located in the center of [Frankfurt’s] mix between tall and low,” a statement from the firm says. “Its design reacts to the constraints and potential of the different programs housed within.”
Austrian engineering firm Bollinger + Grohmann is partnering with BIG to complete the scheme. The building is scheduled for completion in 2018.
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