Going Right

The Enigma Of The Sideways-Moving Elevator Has Been On The Mind Of Architects And Engineers For More Than A Century. Now, We Have Finally Seen One. Welcome To A World Of Bent Buildings. This Is Where You Get Off.

- Suneet Paul

The story of ‘The Big Bend’ follows a trend that has appeared in New York City and other major metropolises across the world: the emergence of tall and slender residential skyscrapers. As that story unfolds, here’s something that needs a quick think-through: what if a structure challenged you to think of an alternate version of a city where we substituted height with length? What if our buildings were long instead of tall?

The Big Bend, which will cost an estimated $3.75 billion to construct, follows the project called One57, on New York’s 57th Street. Completed in 2014, One57 redefined the idea of ‘tall and slender’ residential skyscrapers with its innovative use of the floor area ratio (or FAR)—the formula that equates to maximum developable floor space allowed at a property, though it rises 1,004 ft and is the eighth tallest building in New York. Designed by Atelier Christian de Portzamparc, One57 proved that FAR can be stretched with a few tricks, something that architects, devel