China’s Infinity-Loop skyscraper is one of the wildest structures in the world
- The O-Tower is set to become an iconic part of Hangzhou’s skyline
- It’s shaped like an infinity loop
- The building’s been designed to make you feel like you’re outside even when indoors
Published on Dec 15, 2023 at 2:48 PM (UTC+4)
by Andie Reeves
Last updated on Dec 20, 2023 at 1:06 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Alessandro Renesis
The O-Tower is set to become an iconic part of the skyline in Hangzhou, China.
The building was designed to look like an infinity loop.
Each floor has a unique layout and enough natural light and air to make visitors feel like they’re outdoors.
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Danish architecture studio Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) is known for designing out-there buildings.
There’s the LEGO Brand House, shaped like a gigantic pile of brightly colored LEGO blocks.
The firm also designed a floating city off the coast of South Korea that will house 100,000 people.
Now it’s developing the O-Tower for China’s largest smartphone manufacturer OPPO.
Situated in Hangzhou, this futuristic-looking structure will stand out amongst the wetlands of the area.
OPPO wants the building to be a manifestation of its smartphones, elevating the human experience.
The jaw-dropping design aims to “connect ground to sky in a continuous loop of collaboration”.
The tower is a circle-shaped skyscraper with a large, lush courtyard in its center.
BIG is also constructing a lake and sprawling 100,000-square-foot park to balance out the tower’s high-tech design.
The O-Tower aims to become an iconic landmark of Hangzhou’s Future Sci-Tech City.
But it’s designed with more than just looking really cool in mind.
The floors are all different sizes and layouts, lending itself to a variety of uses.
The ground floor includes a public space for tourists, pedestrians and workers to pass through.
“The central oasis and the surrounding wetland park expand the public realm into the heart of the complex,” said Bjarke Ingels, the founder of BIG.
Its roof has been specially designed to let in so much natural light and fresh air that there’s a sense of being in nature even when indoors.
While O-Tower is certainly unconventional, it’s pretty tame compared to some of BIG’s other builds.
The architects are currently working with Toyota to build a city in Mount Fuji.
They’re also creating AI City in China, where every home comes with a robot assistant and an autonomous car.
Andie Reeves
Andie is a content writer from South Africa with a background in broadcasting and journalism. Starting her career in the glossy pages of Cosmopolitan and Marie Claire, Andie has a broad portfolio, covering everything from sustainability solutions to celebrity car collections. When not at her laptop Andie can be found sewing, recording her podcast, taking board games too seriously or road-tripping in her bright green Kia.
