U-Shaped Skyscraper In NYC Could Be Longest Building In The World

In the world of luxury architecture, designing the largest building in the world is the ultimate goal.
But the arms race to reach new heights has taken a turn, or a bend, in a rather bizarre new way.
The mock up of a new “Big Bend” building, which would stretch across Manhattan’s ‘Billionaire Row’ on 57th street, were unveiled.
Instead of going straight up in the air, as most buildings tend to do, the Big Bend would rise and loop over in an upside-down U-shape, like the St. Louis Arch, with elevators that can travel diagonally and at curves.
Advertised as the “longest building in the world” the Big Bend is designed as a creative solution to New York’s complicated zoning laws.

Oiio

“New York city’s zoning laws have created a peculiar set of tricks through which developers try to maximise 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?”

“If we manage to bend our structure instead of bending the zoning rules of New York we would be able to create one of the most prestigious buildings in Manhattan. The longest building in the world.”

This is surely an interesting way to go about circumventing New York’s real estate restrictions, and it would surely spice up the mega-rich skyline of midtown Manhattan.

The Big Bend is seen as a rival to the majestic Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the tallest building in the wold, stretching 2,722 feet.

While the Big Bend would fall short of that gargantuan height, the structure would be 4,000 ft. long, perhaps even changing the debate about the possibilities of architectural design.

Oiio

The Oiio press release talked about the architectural “obsession” of Manhattan in their statement,

“There is an undeniable obsession that resides in Manhattan. It is undeniable because it is made to be seen. There are many different ways that can make a building stand out, but in order to do so the building has to literally stand out.”

“We have become familiar with building height measurements. We usually learn about the latest tallest building and we are always impressed by it’s price per square foot. It seems that a property’s height operates as a license for it to be expensive.”

“The Big Bend can become a modest architectural solution to the height limitations of Manhattan. We can now provide our structures with the measurements that will make them stand out without worrying about the limits of the sky.”

It’s clear that this studio has huge ambitions.

We’ll have to wait and see how this pans out, but it seems like a revolutionary idea.

What do you guys think; is the Big Bend the next wonder of the world or simply a fancy gimmick?

Let us know.