The New York skyline is dominated by some amazing buildings. Whether it’s the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building or even the Statue of Liberty, the “City That Never Sleeps” it is in itself a monument of architecture. Now, in New York, a 1,219 meter skyscraper designed by a Greek.
Manhattan’s ‘The Big Bend’ is set to be the longest skyscraper in the world and it will look like the upside down letter U.
Designed by Ioannis Oikonomou by architecture firm Oiio Studio in 2017, some assumed ‘The Big Bend’ was an April Fool’s joke when it was first announced. If the plans go ahead, it will push the city’s architecture to its limits.
Oiio’s plan shows two towers that will rise on 57th Street, which is better known as Billionaire’s Row. Instead of just stopping in mid-air, the two structures will be joined by an arch to create the ‘world’s longest building’.
Strict planning laws in New York state that the taller a skyscraper is, the more expensive it is to build. “Big Bend” hopes to circumvent thatjoining the two buildings together.
The ‘Big Bend’ will be more than 304 meters longer than Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, which is currently the tallest tower in the world. It will also be 61 meters taller than One World Trade Center, which is New York’s tallest building.
Discussing his design, Economou stated: “There are many different ways a building can be made to stand out, but to do so it must the building literally stands out. If we can bend our structure instead of ‘bending’ New York’s zoning rules, we will be able to create one of the most prestigious buildings in Manhattan.”
Doubts about the skyscraper
There are many ifs and buts, with many believing that the Big Bend it will never be built.
Writing for Curbed New York, Amy Pitt suggested, “It seems highly unlikely that such a project could ever beginso to speak—community members and city preservation groups have already condemned the rise of supertall buildings along Central Park South, so adding one more isn’t going to go down very well.”
“There would also be the simpler hurdles, like funding, finding a contractor who is willing to do this idea, etc.”
Architect Digest similarly published an article entitled “This skyscraper could destroy the New York sky‘, with the concern that The Big Bend will ‘overshadow’ Central Park.
With information from uniladtech
