The Big Bend, New York
In March 2017, architecture studio Oiio released designs for an ambitious skyscraper in New York City. The concept of The Big Bend grew from considering what would happen if New York substituted height with length, and what if buildings were long instead of tall?
The Big Bend would be formed from a very thin structure that would bend all the way over at the top before returning to the ground. At 4,000 ft, Oiio have called their concept ‘the longest building in the world’.
The design was prompted by New York City’s zoning laws which enable real estate companies to purchase air rights from neighbouring buildings, allowing for a new upsurge in super-slender towers that build taller and taller on relatively small plots. The Big Bend would fit into narrow plots on either side of existing buildings over which it would bend.
The designs show The Big Bend placed among the luxury apartment towers currently proposed and under construction at the southern edge of Central Park, commonly referred to as ‘Billionaire’s Row’.
The firm claims that ‘what was once considered to be the greatest challenge in elevator history is finally becoming reality – the elevator that can travel in curves, horizontally and in continuous loops.’ The innovative track-changing system allows for the horizontal connection of two shafts on the top and bottom to create a continuous loop.
All images and drawings © ioannis Oikonomou – oiio architecture studio
[edit] Find out more
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings Wiki
Featured articles and news
Guidance notes to prepare for April ERA changes
From the Electrical Contractors' Association Employee Relations team.
Significant changes to be seen from the new ERA in 2026 and 2027, starting on 6 April 2026.
First aid in the modern workplace with St John Ambulance.
Ireland's National Residential Retrofit Plan
Staged initiatives introduced step by step.
Solar panels, pitched roofs and risk of fire spread
60% increase in solar panel fires prompts tests and installation warnings.
Modernising heat networks with Heat interface unit
Why HIUs hold the key to efficiency upgrades.
Reflecting on the work of the CIOB Academy
Looking back on 2025 and where it's going next.
Procurement in construction: Knowledge hub
Brief, overview, key articles and over 1000 more covering procurement.
Sir John Betjeman’s love of Victorian church architecture.
Exchange for Change for UK deposit return scheme
The UK Deposit Management Organisation established to deliver Deposit Return Scheme unveils trading name.
A guide to integrating heat pumps
As the Future Homes Standard approaches Future Homes Hub publishes hints and tips for Architects and Architectural Technologists.
BSR as a standalone body; statements, key roles, context
Statements from key figures in key and changing roles.
ECA launches Welsh Election Manifesto
ECA calls on political parties at 100 day milestone to the Senedd elections.
Resident engagement as the key to successful retrofits
Retrofit is about people, not just buildings, from early starts to beyond handover.
Plastic, recycling and its symbol
Student competition winning, M.C.Esher inspired Möbius strip design symbolising continuity within a finite entity.
Do you take the lead in a circular construction economy?
Help us develop and expand this wiki as a resource for academia and industry alike.
Warm Homes Plan Workforce Taskforce
Risks of undermining UK’s energy transition due to lack of electrotechnical industry representation, says ECA.
Cost Optimal Domestic Electrification CODE
Modelling retrofits only on costs that directly impact the consumer: upfront cost of equipment, energy costs and maintenance costs.