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.
Related Stories
Mixed-Use | Sep 21, 2017
Entire living rooms become balconies in a new Lower East Side mixed-used development
NanaWall panels add a unique dimension to condos at 60 Orchard Street in New York City.
Mixed-Use | Sep 18, 2017
Urban heartbeat: Entertainment districts are rejuvenating cities and spurring economic growth
Entertainment districts are being planned or are popping up all over the country.
Mixed-Use | Sep 14, 2017
Capital One eschews the traditional bank with the Capital One Café
The new branch in downtown Santa Monica offers 8,400 sf of space designed by Gwynne Pugh Urban Studio.
Libraries | Sep 1, 2017
Johnson Favaro selected to design new main library in Riverside, Calif.
The choice comes after a 12-year planning process and a yearlong selection process.
Mixed-Use | Aug 30, 2017
Former industrial building becomes 'lifestyle community' in ever-evolving Baltimore
The new community offers 292 apartments with 20,000 sf of retail space.
Mixed-Use | Aug 30, 2017
A 50-acre waterfront redevelopment gets under way in Tampa
Nine architects, three interior designers, and nine contractors are involved in this $3 billion project.
Mixed-Use | Aug 18, 2017
Covington, Wash., greenlights a 214-acre mixed-use development
A peninsula will extend into the property’s 20-acre lake and contain retail shops, restaurants, a pavilion park, homes, and green space.
Mixed-Use | Aug 17, 2017
Manhattan’s Union Square gets its very own farmhouse
GrowNYC, a sustainability-focused nonprofit, commissioned ORE Design to create the community events center and learning space.
Mixed-Use | Aug 15, 2017
A golf course community converts into an agrihood with 1,150 homes and a working olive grove
The community will cover 300 acres in Palm Springs, Calif.
Mixed-Use | Aug 10, 2017
Mixed-use development includes University of California-San Diego campus extension
The 562,000-sf development was designed by Carrier Johnson + CULTURE and is located five blocks from the San Diego Padres’ Petco Park.
