Shanghai has its fair share of oddly-shaped skyscrapers. There’s the “Orient Pearl Tower“, also known as “that weird tower made of balls and sticks”, and the Shanghai World Financial Center, which is basically just a giant bottle openener.
So it seems pretty reasonable that Vasily Klyukin, a Russian architect, wants to further embellish the city’s skyline with a skyscraper shaped like a giant cobra. It fits right in:
Klyukin published the designs on his website, and sadly, no one actually asked him to do it: the designs are purely speculative. It’s unlikely to go any further in Shanghai, at least, a the Chinese government took a stand against “weird architecture” just last month. We have a sneaking suspicion this might fall under that umbrella.
Perhaps realising this, Klyukin has also inserted his designs into other cities, including London:
Also on his site are a range of other outlandish designs, including this Tunisian hospital and spa shaped like a yacht:
…which, believe it or not, might actually get built: he signed a contract with a Saudi Arabian property company in August 2014.
Then there’s this building based on a Chanel little black dress:
Yes, that is Piccadilly Circus.
A giant pear:
A candle:
Champagne in a bottle:
I could go on.
According to his site, Klyukin’s “main idea” is the “pronounced individuality and the unique shape of ihis buildings… Klyukin belives that every building, in addition to its concept, should also have its own story, or legend”.
Klyukin, Russian by birth, has also co-founded a bank, and is booked onto Virgin Galactic’s first ever commercial space mission alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. He has also written a thriller. And sculpts.
I’m not saying its likely that any of these designs will actually be realised, but if anyone can do it, he probably can.
All images: Vasily Klyukin.
