Beijing: An office skyscraper that has two double-curved facades that make it appear twisted has recently been unveiled in Chongqing, China.
The 39-story Dance of Light tower, designed by architecture firm Aedas and completed this year, is 180 meters (590 feet) tall and features a twisted facade that emulates the shape of the northern lights, according to a press release.
The skyscraper, located on Xingfu Plaza in the Jiangbei district of Chongqing, has a "twisting angle" of up to 8.8 degrees per floor, which is more than 1.5 times of any other skyscraper in the world, making it the "most twisted tower in the world," Aedas claimed, citing a 2016 issue of the CTBUH journal .
“The concept of the Dance of Light was proposed to celebrate the achievement to embrace technology by the city of Chongqing,” Aedas said.
The designers were inspired by the dancing aurora -- the rays and spirals of the polar lights often seen in the Arctic and Antarctic -- so light plays a key role in accentuating the twisted shape of the structure. The view of the tower varies from different angles as light reflects and bends over the glass facades.
"When night falls, the curved facade showcases reflections that allude to the dancing figure of a ballerina," said Aedas in the press release.
"The podium roof extends a coherent statement of sliding twist from top to bottom, echoing with the geometry of the tower and maintaining a consistent architectural style."
According to the firm, the smooth surface is marked by vertical lines of the gridded panels or mullions which are curved and silver in color (owing to a bright silver PVF2 finish), ensuring that light reflects off the building, giving it different looks and appearances throughout the day from different angles.
"As an open public space, the tower has all the credits to be a city icon, especially the significant twisting of the facade is remarkable," Ken Wai, Aedas global design principal, added.
Twisted high-rises have grown in popularity over the last decade thanks to advances in construction, engineering and architectural computer programs.
The Turning Torso, by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and built in 2005 in Malmo, Sweden, was the first twisted skyscraper that showcased the innovative style of architecture.
Other popular twisted buildings include MAD Architects' Absolute World Towers, located in Canada and completed in 2012, as well as the 306-meter-high (1,004-foot-high) Cayan Tower in Dubai, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and completed in 2013.
