The new, twisting skyscraper above will soon be home to many Austrian residents as construction is expected to start by 2016.
Located near the Gasometers in the Simmering district of Vienna, the 30-story, 360-foot Hochhaus Tower is the work of Netherlands-based architecture firm MVDRV, known for unique architecture and testing the laws of physics.
The unique twisted shape of the Hochhaus Tower stems from zoning regulations in Vienna, Austria, which prohibit the construction of any building that will throw its neighbors into shadow for more than two hours a day.
In order to get around the regulations, the skyscraper was designed like an hour-glass office building that rotates similar to a Rubik’s cube in the middle, ensuring the building’s neighbors never stay in the shade for more than two hours.
Genius, right?
If all goes according to plan, the Hochhaus Tower will be complete by the end of 2018, equipped with housing, offices, and retail space.
Perhaps the coolest part of the building is its surrounding plaza, which will be a huge sundial, on which the shadow of the tower shows the passing of time!
