THE BIG BEND by Oiio. The longest skyscraper, no taller

Descripción del proyecto THE BIG BEND por Oiio

The story of "The Big Bend " follows a recent trend that has appeared in New York City: the emergence of myriad tall and slender residential skyscrapers. As the story unfolds, the reader is presented with a provocative thought. He or she is challenged to think of an alternate version of the city that seems to be ever-growing but only in height: "But what if we substituted height with length? What if our buildings were long instead of tall?"

57 STREET BILLIONAIRE’S ROW 
After the emergence of One57, which was completed in 2014, everything changed for 57th Street. By the first quarter of 2016 there was a 625% increase in it’s sales average. The sudden emergence of One57 and the set of tall and slender residential skyscrapers which were built later operated as a call to wealthy investors from around the world that were planning to buy a New York apartment. Aside from it’s exceptional location, the success of 57th Street corridor has mainly to do with floor area ratio (FAR), the formula that equates to maximum developable floor space allowed at a property. FAR can be stretched really tall with a few tricks.. According to a report conducted by students from the Columbia University in 2010, the streets in the surrounding area had different combinations of 8, 10, 12, and 15 FAR, but 57th Street was the only street with all 15 FAR and in stark contrast to 58th and 59th Streets that have mostly only 10 FAR.

THE BIG BEND
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 literary 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. 

 New York city’s zoning laws have created a peculiar set of tricks trough which developers try to maximize 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. 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.

ELEVATOR
What was once considered to be the greatest challenge in elevator history, is finally becoming reality: the elevator that 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.