New 4,000ft New York skyscraper ‘Big Bend’ could become longest building in world
Plans are afoot to build the longest skyscraper in the world in New York - and it certainly has a unique design.
One architectural company in NYC is thinking bigger than anything you’ve seen before.
Oiio is proposing to build a 4,000ft structure, dubbed 'The Big Bend'.
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They hope that this will push the boundaries of what we can create by sneakily using a loophole in New York’s planning laws.
Usually, when you think of a skyscraper, you’re thinking of a tall building that goes straight up to the sky.
But this upside-down U will break the mould.
The designers think this will help them to ‘overcome the limit of the skies’.
Why is The Big Bend u-shaped?
The Big Bend definitely has a unique design, but there's actually an important reason why it's designed to be the shape it is.
Planning laws are crazy strict in NYC - especially for skyscrapers, with developers required to purchase ‘air rights’ so that they can create massive structures.
If The Big Bend was 4,000 feet straight up, it would be considerably more expensive.
But because this design folds back to the ground, they’ll be able to create something massive without having to purchase more space upwards.
It’s sneaky, but it’s also smart.
One pretty cool part of the design - the elevator goes all the way round the u-shaped bend.
Oiio writes on its website: "The elevator can travel in curves, horizontally and in continuous loops.
"The innovative track changing system allows for the horizontal connection of two shafts on the top and bottom to create a continuous loop."
How does The Big Bend measure up to other skyscrapers?
The Big Bend would be bigger than Dubai’s Burj Khalifa (by more than 1,000 feet) if you measure the whole length of the bend.
In terms of height, it would be 200 feet taller than the One World Trade Center.
Designer Ioannis Oikonomou writes on Oiio's website: “We have become familiar with building height measurements.
"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."
Sounds cool, right? The last we heard was that Oiio is still looking for investors to make their vision a reality, so we'll have to wait and see if The Big Bend comes to dominate the New York skyline.
LADbible has contacted Oiio for a comment.
Britt Jones