Beholding 'Off on a Tangent' for a mere few seconds is enough to make one's eyes fly out of focus. The conch shell shaped building appears to be impossibly balanced and swathed in an incredibly complex skin that dizzies the mind of the observer.
But once one's vision adjusts and his head accepts that this twister of a tower is stable and sound, he can appreciate the architectural phenomenon before him. Carmelia Chiang took a monumental risk with this project and modeled her Tokyo Fashion House from an elaborate system of lines and forms that only just touch. 'Off on a Tangent' breaks the ideal of having built elements exist as separates or overlapping masses, yet in the expectation of aesthetic awkwardness one discovers tremendous harmony.
Twisting Tornado Towers
'Off on a Tangent' Challenges the Conventions of Architectural Composition
Trend Themes
1. Complex Skin Design - The use of complex and dizzying skin designs in architecture offers opportunities for disrupting the traditional norms of building facades.
2. Elaborate System of Lines and Forms - The use of an intricate system of lines and forms in building design creates disruptive innovation opportunities by challenging the conventions of how buildings are constructed and perceived.
3. Tornado-inspired Architectural Design - The use of tornado-inspired design elements in buildings offers a unique and visually striking alternative to traditional architectural styles and could disrupt the industry in creativity and innovation.
Industry Implications
1. Architecture - Architecture firms can explore the use of complex skin designs, intricate systems of lines and forms, and tornado-inspired design elements to disrupt traditional building conventions and offer visually stunning alternatives.
2. Fashion - Fashion houses can draw inspiration from the unique and visually striking designs of buildings like 'Off on a Tangent' and use them to disrupt traditional fashion design in terms of pattern, texture, and structure.
3. Interior Design - Interior designers can incorporate the complex and dizzying skin designs, intricate systems of lines and forms, and tornado-inspired design elements in architecture to disrupt traditional interior design and create visually stunning and unique spaces.