Danish studio BIG has designed an observation tower shaped like a honey dipper for Phoenix, Arizona (+ slideshow).
Rising above the downtown city rooftops, the spiralling structure is conceived as a tourist attraction that will contain a continuous series of exhibition spaces, shops and restaurants.
BIG has nicknamed the structure "The Pin" and the designs show a reinforced concrete tower with three glass elevators to transport visitors from the base of a narrow stalk to the summit of the sphere.
Just like the Guggenheim Museum in New York and the ArcelorMittal Orbit at London's Olympic Park, visitors will be encouraged to take an elevator to the top then gradually work their way down whilst looking out across the city and nearby mountains.
"Like the monsoons, the haboobs and the mountains of the surrounding Arizonian landscape, the Pin becomes a point of reference and a mechanism to set the landscape in motion through the movement of the spectator," commented BIG founder Bjarke Ingels. "The motion at the Pin is turned inside-out, allowing visitors to contemplate the surrounding city and landscape of Phoenix."
To create the spherical shape, the spiralling open-air pathway will be widest at its centre and will taper away at the start and end of the route.
"Like a heavenly body hovering above the city the Pin will allow visitors to descend from pole to pole in a dynamic three dimensional experience seemingly suspended in midair," said Ingels.
Restaurants will be located at the base of the sphere, while a new public square surrounded by shops will be positioned at the ground-level entrance.
In the last week BIG also unveiled plans for two twisted apartment blocks in Miami.
See all our stories about BIG »
Here's some more information from the architects:
BIG unveils Phoenix Observation Tower
BIG is commissioned by Novawest to design a 420 ft tall mixed-use observation tower to serve as a symbol for the city of Phoenix, Arizona.
Located in downtown Phoenix, the 70,000 sf Observation Tower shall add a significant structure to the Phoenix skyline from which to enjoy the city's spectacular views of the surrounding mountain ranges and dramatic sunsets. Phoenix-based developer Novawest, commissioned the team to create a destination event to provide tourists and citizens of Phoenix alike the chance to enjoy the unique features of the Valley of the Sun.
Above: simple concept diagram
The future observation tower is conceived as a tall core of reinforced concrete with an open-air spiral sphere at its top, resembling a metaphorical pin firmly marking a location on a map. The spiraling sphere contains flexible exhibition, retail and recreational spaces which are accessed via three glass elevators that connect the base with the summit and offer panoramic views of the city and the tower's programs as visitors ascend or descend.
Walking downwards from the top through a continuous spiral promenade, the visitors of the observation tower experience all of the building's programs in a constant motion, while enjoying dynamic 360 degree views of the city of Phoenix and the Arizonian landscape.
Above: design concept
The spiral layout combines the different programmatic elements and the circulation into a continuous dynamic twirling space which is proportioned according to the movement of the visitors, producing a unique viewing experience of the surroundings. Instead of a constant width, the spiraling promenade starts from zero at the point of arrival, reaches its maximum width at the middle, and shrinks back to zero at the point of departure. Separation between the programmatic elements within the sphere happens not through physical vertical barrier-walls, but softly through the slope and the height difference to preserve a total continuity and create a flexible space for exhibitions and events.
Once the visitors reach the middle of the sphere, they can choose to either conclude their journey by taking the elevator back to the ground, or continue to the restaurant levels at the lower hemisphere. The motion resembles a journey through the center of a planet, and a travel from the north to the south pole.
The base of the tower will serve as a public plaza offering shade, water features and a small amount of retail together with a subterranean queuing area. The tower will serve as a working model of sustainable energy practices, incorporating a blend of solar and other technologies.
Above: accommodation diagram
Name: Phoenix Observation Tower
Type: Commission
Size: 70,000 square feet
Client: Novawest
Collaborators: MKA (structure), Atelier10 (sustainability), Gensler (local architect), TenEyck (landscape)
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Country: USA
Partner in Charge: Bjarke Ingels and Thomas Christoffersen
Project Leader: Iannis Kandyliaris
Team: Thomas Fagan, Aaron Hales, Ola Hariri, Dennis Harvey, Beat Schenk
Looks like a honey stick.
Good eye! Mind you, it says so in the very first sentence of the article.
As someone with vertigo, much contemporary architecture seems designed specifically to terrorise me – balconies and walkways with glass railing at dizzying heights over atrium, cliffs or atop giant lollipops in the boiling desert.
I thought it was super exciting for the desert, but in the middle of such a horrible city… Great job from BIG, hope to see it built somewere interesting!
BIG could do better for such a great city and unique place.
Any suggestions on how?
“I’ll take you to the candy shop…”
Looks like a good take on creating a landmark, both iconic and functional. The scheme is so straightforward and so clear from the images, it could really do without those diagrams. Give those arrows a rest.
“Give those arrows a rest” – that’s a good one!
Hahaha.
What is there to see?
To observe what, for blood’s sake? The aerial depicts a drab, marginal city with a high percentage of racial prejudices towards fellow Mexicans.
You can see the racial prejudices from the top? I didn’t see that in the brochures.
Cotton candy!
Looks like the 1950s are back.
Fine, I’ll play nice Dezeen: at least it will create an interesting shadow.
Yea, in Phoenix, let’s do even more without shade, and closer to the sun to boot.
That thing is going to be hotter than the devil’s dick in the summer with all those windows. Great idea.
And let’s compensate our lack of planning and common sense by installing some insanely energy consuming a/c system. Who cares, peak oil and climate change are fake anyway. Yee-haaa.
I would love to have it here and see such a beautiful structure. Hope I live long enough to see it and visit. Please get going with building it – I’m excited.
After seeing this project I know the world will end tomorrow.
So nobody is getting the reference to the Google Maps “pins”? This is a striking example that architecture indeed can be iconic without taking itself too seriously. Nicely done BIG. Made me chuckle and be awestruck at the striking simplicity of the concept at the same time.
The “pin” reference may actually be a banal water tower, whose architecture in the US is commonly a sphere on top of a pole. It would be hard to speak in and iconic way about such an architecturally wretched city that lacks pedestrian interaction, where people mostly drive from one spot to another and have guns on them.
Won’t happen. Nothing to see here anyway.
So this is what Google Project “X” was.
Enjoy it!
Who in their right mind wants to observe Phoenix?
Very reminiscent of the Space Needle, which is really only remarkable for its historical significance – more so than its actual views (which can be found in other high-rise buildings).
This thing won’t rise very high (thanks to downtown Phoenix’s height restrictions) and due to the location you won’t get views of the mountains, either. Unless a smoggy, dusty horizon is your idea of “natural beauty”
It does look like a honey stick… :-) interesting!
Is it shaped like a “honey-dipper” or is it just a rip-off of Danish Jørn Utzon’s proposal for a restaurant overlooking the harbour of Copenhagen? Judge for yourself:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gwDYOs4_fMQ/Ruc7G7CcDcI…
Are you serious? I don’t think so.
Interesting reference, johnneilsen. The round tower in Copenhagen is another historical reference BIG would have been aware of, which makes their project more compelling. http://www.flickr.com/photos/darrellg/6167850116/
A tribute to Brasilian architect Eduardo Longo? http://eduardolongo.com/bienal-utopia.htm
Utopia Pavilion, Sao Paulo Biennale 1980.
It looks nice. Unlike all the kids that said “what’s there to see?” I say they are immature kids who have nothing better to do. Build it – I know it would be a fantastic masterpiece.