In Vienna, Austria, zoning regulations prevent the construction of any building that will throw its neighbors into shadow for more than two hours a day. It's a sensible rule, but it tends to have the effect of keeping Vienna flat, because the taller a building is, the more sunlight it cuts out.
So how do you build a 30-story tower in Vienna? That was the question posed to Rotterdam-based architecture firm MVRDV, previously covered here on Co.Design for more projects than we can count. MVRDV's solution? To design a skyscraper that looks as if God reached down, grabbed it, and twisted it: an hour-glass office building that rotates like a Rubik's cube in the middle, ensuring the building's neighbors never stay in the shade for more than two hours.
Located near the Gasometers in the Simmering district of Vienna, the Hochhaus Tower is designed so that each of the first 10 stories is positioned at a slightly different angle from the others. Not only does it give the Hochhaus a futuristic look, but it prevents the building's 360-foot profile from cutting off the rising and setting sun. It also helps siphon off wind, channeling it away from pedestrians in the plaza below, while giving the first 10 stories space for a series of terraces.
Outside of the first 10 stories, the rest of the Hochhaus Tower's 30 stories will be relatively conventional, although they will each feature ceilings about 12 feet tall. The steel and glass facade of the tower will also feature operable windows and even French-style patio doors to help keep the building well-ventilated.
Sounds like it will be a bright, cheery, and airy place to work. Construction of the Hochhaus Tower is scheduled to start next year, and complete by the end of 2018. Read more about MVRDV's plans here.
[via Decor Advisor]