What if we Flipped Highrise Buildings Over?
Or, why couldn't we reverse [or flip] the way we do strata buildings ...
We’re all trapped by conventional thinking and approaches to things that prevent experimentation, innovation and change. So, what if we challenged ourselves to reverse [or flip] our thinking; even as an experiment?. Here’s seven flipped over highrise buildings to open up your mind …
[2:30 minutes estimated reading time, 443 words]
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Introduction
Today I’m showcasing some more innovative highrise buildings from around the world that have been flipped over; reversing the conventional approach of buildings getting narrower as they get taller.
Apart from their beauty and the structural challenges they overcome, these examples teach us that things can be different and just as good [or even better].
It’s a potent metaphor for life, business, relationship and more.
So, what’s this got to do with strata title issues?
Nothing really except that it involves buildings. Or, possibly everything, because if architects can flip the way a building is built upside down, why can’t we flip the way a building is run upside down too?
In the famous words of Missy Elliott:
Come on
Is it worth it? Let me work it
I put my thang down, flip it and reverse it
Ti esrever dna ti pilf nwod gnaht ym tup i
Ti esrever dna ti pilf nwod gnaht ym tup i
Please enjoy this showcase of upside-down buildings from around the world [and Missy Elliott’s classic song].
November 12, 2021
Francesco …
Affirmation Tower, New York
Architecture studio Adjaye Associates has designed a supertall upside-down supertall skyscraper for New York, which has a series of cantilevers to give it a dramatic form.
Skyscrapers, Vancouver
UK-based Heatherwick Studio designed two irregularly-shaped towers for Vancouver, Canada that, when built, will grow upwards from a bottleneck into tall structures studded with balconies.
Walkie Talkie, London
Rafael Viñoly Architects' concave skyscraper is known as the Walkie Talkie for its distinctive form that has larger floor plates on its upper levels than those closer to the ground.
Era, New York
Planned for New York, American office ODA designed a 20-storey apartment building on Manhattan's Upper West Side that cantilevers outwards from a small footprint.
Vesssel, New York
British architect Thomas Heatherwick designed Vessel, a honeycomb-shaped viewpoint in New York's Hudson Yards development that is formed from a web of interlinked staircases.
Belvedere Tower, Hilversum, Holland
Belvedere Tower by Architect René van Zuuk accommodates more living units on its upper storeys, thanks to its cross-shaped plan that expands as the tower rises.
Tulip, London
British architecture practice Foster + Partners has proposed creating a 305-metre-tall viewing tower named the Tulip in central London that would feature a long stalk topped with a bulbous viewpoint or flower head.