flexiblefullpage
billboard
interstitial1
catfish1
Currently Reading

The world’s longest skyscraper

High-rise Construction

The world’s longest skyscraper

As supertall skyscrapers continue to pop up around NYC, an architecture firm based in New York and Athens asks, ‘What if we substituted height with length?’


By David Malone, Associate Editor | March 20, 2017

Image courtesy of Oiio.

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

Sustainability | Oct 4, 2016

One World Trade Center officially awarded LEED Gold certification

The skyscraper received the certification despite a setback caused by Hurricane Sandy.

High-rise Construction | Sep 23, 2016

A massive redevelopment in Tokyo reunites developer and architect

Mitsui Fudosan and SOM join forces to create OH-1, a mixed-use complex with a prominent public square.

High-rise Construction | Sep 12, 2016

Bangkok’s tallest tower is also one of its most unique

At 1,030 feet tall, MahaNakhon Tower’s height is only outdone by its arresting design.

Mixed-Use | Sep 9, 2016

Rolled book scroll-inspired mixed-use project from Aedas planned for Chongqing, China

With a bookstore at the heart of the development, the project looks to exemplify an ancient Chinese proverb that says “knowledge brings wealth.”

Office Buildings | Sep 8, 2016

Taipei’s Lè Architecture, designed by Aedas, is almost complete

The 18-story building is designed to resemble a moss-covered river pebble in Taipei’s Nangang District.

High-rise Construction | Sep 8, 2016

Construction on the tallest residential tower in western Europe could start early next year

China’s Greenland Group is the developer of four of the world’s 10 largest skyscrapers

High-rise Construction | Sep 8, 2016

Lendlease to build Aykon London One Tower

Damac, the Dubai-based developer of the project, selected the Australian property construction and development company to build the tower.

High-rise Construction | Sep 7, 2016

Shenzhen Kingkey Group submits re-planning package for what could become China’s tallest tower

The high-rise, H700 Shenzhen Tower, is one of a group of towers being built in Shenzhen’s Caiwuwei financial and commercial area.

High-rise Construction | Sep 6, 2016

Peddle Thorp Architects' solar-powered Melbourne high-rise looks to go off the grid

The skyscraper would be the first in Australia to incorporate solar cells in its façade.

High-rise Construction | Aug 22, 2016

Tall buildings with a twist: CTBUH ranks the world’s 28 tallest twisting towers

In 2005, the Turning Toroso, designed by Santiago Calatrava, was completed, making it the first twisting skyscraper in the world.

boombox1
boombox2
native1

More In Category




Curtain Wall

7 steps to investigating curtain wall leaks

It is common for significant curtain wall leakage to involve multiple variables. Therefore, a comprehensive multi-faceted investigation is required to determine the origin of leakage, according to building enclosure consultants Richard Aeck and John A. Rudisill with Rimkus. 

halfpage1

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021