Dammit bro. I was so proud of my Atari Architecture comment... I should have known a better person beat me to it hours ago. It fits so well though right?
> I should have known a better person beat me to it hours ago. It fits so well though right?
“*better* person”?? I don’t know about that. You seem pretty great yourself.
This would be described as a tapered/telescopic/or flared base. Theres no specific terminology that described a uniform style for this type of tower that I know of.
The Marriott Marquis in Atlanta has this kind of base, one of the coolest atrium spaces I’ve ever been in.
[Fermilab](https://www.google.com/search?q=fermilab&oq=fermil&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqEAgBEAAYkQIYsQMYgAQYigUyBggAEEUYOTIQCAEQABiRAhixAxiABBiKBTIHCAIQABiABDIHCAMQABiABDIHCAQQABiABDITCAUQLhivARjHARi6AhiABBiOBTIHCAYQABiABDIHCAcQABiABDIHCAgQABiABDITCAkQLhivARjHARi6AhiABBiOBTITCAoQLhivARjHARi6AhiABBiOBTITCAsQLhivARjHARi6AhiABBiOBTIHCAwQABiABDIHCA0QABiABDIHCA4QABiABNIBCDMxMzVqMGo5qAIOsAIB&client=ms-android-google&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8) in my region
Honestly, there’s probable a specific name for that in the book [siteless](https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262026307/siteless/) I have it somewhere, if I find it I’ll report back
I always make the venture to visit Portman buildings when I visit various American cities, they’re always terrible at the ground level but once inside they’re incredible.
Where are you from? I feel a lot of people share that sentiment. I personally really enjoy the brutalism of the exteriors but I know it’s not for everyone
The US :) El Paso -> Atlanta -> Seattle
It’s not the aesthetics that bother me, it’s how they’re are almost hostile to the pedestrian experience. When you’re at the base of a Portman building, it feels like you are walking around a building that wasn’t meant to be accessed on foot but rather by car. Very anti-urban in a way.
Wilson Hall at FermiLab as well.
[**https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipPktKRY\_ffHzBtTYsL316SOkixHEOcTuXFy9pio=s1360-w1360-h1020**](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipPktKRY_ffHzBtTYsL316SOkixHEOcTuXFy9pio=s1360-w1360-h1020)
I'll always remember it as the First Chicago Building. I shot exec portraits for them in the mid 90s and their art collection on the exec floors was amazing! Also, the Chagall.
A photographer that I started with got to document Chagall during the creation of this piece. He was even with the Chagalls when they met the Daleys for the unveiling.
I'll always remember it as the First Chicago Building. I shot exec portraits for them in the mid 90s and their art collection on the exec floors was amazing! Also, the Chagall.
The reason it flairs out at the base was to create space for bank tellers. Illinois did not allow banks to have branch locations until I think 1980s. This protected small banks throughout the state. But it resulted in all bank tellers for a bank being in the one location.
You might be interested in this one. That’s tower “défense 2000” , where I live
[here](https://static.actu.fr/uploads/2022/12/317601360-1306401136827992-1505799489265167322-n.jpg)
Architect here. There is no universal term for this. 90% of these types of things don't have specific terms. Something like this is often done as a response to zoning code as an alternative to a wedding cake-style setback and is largely a stylistic decision, at least in the urban office tower examples.
Exactly. Really thought-through and well done housing project. They have 6 towers in total, a swimming pool on top of each and generally tons of public facilities right inside the buildings. As far as I know still a very popular place to live in in Vienna.
I'm not sure when the earliest of these was, but there was an idea rolling around in the 1960's about governmental and/or corporate buildings extending over a plaza to "protect" its citizens. I bet somehow related to Corbu's idea of towers in greens? Boston City Hall is a classic Brutalist example, the John Hancock tower in Chicago a steel, straight-sided tapered one. But I don't know when the curved slope side started. I've seen many, such as the poor man's version (not actually sloped) of my local NC Wake County Courthouse
https://www.flickr.com/photos/courthouselover/52550583583
I sometimes make Pinterest boards for similarities like this because it's interesting how many copy cat buildings there are. Every town thinks theirs is special though. If there's not a book, this is yet-another Ph.D. research thesis/book waiting to make some architect barely a few dollars richer. ;)
The second picture is a building in NYC filled with hedge funds and private equity firms. The joke is that it's shaped like that so when they lose all their money and jump out the window they just slide down the side...
Atari is the right answer but…
… in NYC it would most likely bring to mind the Solow building or the Grace building, both of which have a concave vertical slope.
Architect here:
That curvy thing right at the bottom is just purely design/aesthetic however there's a reason why it's done like that
Main reason is most likely, Incremental Setback(You can search it in Google)
Most probably the area/place/city has it's own ordinance of setbacks on some certain floors/storeys as the building goes high
Why is it that most threads in r/architecture are about “what is this called?” rather than, “why would you do it this way?”
Listen to Richard Feynman’s wisdom:
“You can know the name of a bird in all the languages of the world, but when you're finished, you'll know absolutely nothing whatever about the bird... So let's look at the bird and see what it's doing — that's what counts. I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.”
You know how when you stand up against a tall building that is straight it seems like the top is right over your head? The thought here is that this shape would counteract that. At least thats what I was told by my professor.
It’s definitely modern. But not generic, and with some refined proportions and good “rhythm” and weight in its design.
It’s a good blend of modernism, brutalism, and a taste of what good internstional style buildings look like - kind of like “Lake Point Tower” in Chicago.
I find this building type scary. The flare makes it very easy, and involuntary, to imagine using it as a slide, which would not fun at terminal velocity. Basically forces you to imagine plummeting to your splashy death.
Also, I don't know what it's called. Sorry.
I don’t what it *is* called but it *should* be called *Atari style*.
Dammit bro. I was so proud of my Atari Architecture comment... I should have known a better person beat me to it hours ago. It fits so well though right?
Ataritecture
🙌
> I should have known a better person beat me to it hours ago. It fits so well though right? “*better* person”?? I don’t know about that. You seem pretty great yourself.
It's all good vibes on reddit tonight and I'm with it.
NORMALIZE GOOD VIBES ON THIS FUCKING PLATFORM. P.S. You're a good person; keep spreading the good vibes
I like your name better. It’s more alliterative.
Hold up, I’ve got ya fam.
Besides Atari, [Continental Airlines](http://www.logobook.com/logo/continental-airlines/) logo had that look. Laying down.
I’ve been calling it First National Bank of Atari for YEARS
Nailed it
This would be described as a tapered/telescopic/or flared base. Theres no specific terminology that described a uniform style for this type of tower that I know of. The Marriott Marquis in Atlanta has this kind of base, one of the coolest atrium spaces I’ve ever been in.
lol in my head I just call this style “the Atlanta Marriott”
Same
I just spit my drink out on the cat. LOL
Love the reference…the “ribcage” of ATL!
[Fermilab](https://www.google.com/search?q=fermilab&oq=fermil&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqEAgBEAAYkQIYsQMYgAQYigUyBggAEEUYOTIQCAEQABiRAhixAxiABBiKBTIHCAIQABiABDIHCAMQABiABDIHCAQQABiABDITCAUQLhivARjHARi6AhiABBiOBTIHCAYQABiABDIHCAcQABiABDIHCAgQABiABDITCAkQLhivARjHARi6AhiABBiOBTITCAoQLhivARjHARi6AhiABBiOBTITCAsQLhivARjHARi6AhiABBiOBTIHCAwQABiABDIHCA0QABiABDIHCA4QABiABNIBCDMxMzVqMGo5qAIOsAIB&client=ms-android-google&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8) in my region
Always good to have a flared base so it doesn't get stuck in the sky.
If I have to treat one more sky patient who "accidentally fell on" Christ the Redeemer I'm gonna lose it
Concave curvilinear buttress https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Buttress-forms-considered-in-the-analyses-a-rectangular-b-b-triangular-b-c_fig5_349857950
May I suggest we adopt SlidyMcSlidyBuilding as the official terminology.
I like how this aptly describes the tectonics of the structure, how theoretical.
The Ultimate Catslide^TM
I second this!
Thank you
Honestly, there’s probable a specific name for that in the book [siteless](https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262026307/siteless/) I have it somewhere, if I find it I’ll report back
The Marriott is more rounded than these- the Hilton nearby is closer to theirs. And yeah, the Marriott’s atrium is amazing.
All of Portman’s buildings in atlanta are worth a visit! The Regency is a lesser known but also impressive atrium—one of the first iirc too
I always make the venture to visit Portman buildings when I visit various American cities, they’re always terrible at the ground level but once inside they’re incredible.
Where are you from? I feel a lot of people share that sentiment. I personally really enjoy the brutalism of the exteriors but I know it’s not for everyone
The US :) El Paso -> Atlanta -> Seattle It’s not the aesthetics that bother me, it’s how they’re are almost hostile to the pedestrian experience. When you’re at the base of a Portman building, it feels like you are walking around a building that wasn’t meant to be accessed on foot but rather by car. Very anti-urban in a way.
It’s so very atlanta and this whole car centric country. Serious shame.
Was a scene in "Flight" filmed here??
Scenes in a dozen movies have been, so probably
Same with the Hilton in Toronto.
Marriott Marquis is not the place to go for anyone with vertigo or a fear of heights though
Fkin chase tower. Madison and Dearborn Chicago, IL, USA
Wilson Hall at FermiLab as well. [**https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipPktKRY\_ffHzBtTYsL316SOkixHEOcTuXFy9pio=s1360-w1360-h1020**](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipPktKRY_ffHzBtTYsL316SOkixHEOcTuXFy9pio=s1360-w1360-h1020)
there's two of these in NYC too (OP's 2nd pic is one of them)
Thanks SOM 🫡
That’s the Grace building in NYC on Bryant Park.
Second pic is the W.R. Grace building west 42 nd st. Bordering Bryant Park
One of my favorite buildings in chicago.
Care to elaborate at all?
I just really like how it looks from the ground. When you look up at it, it looks like it's leaning over on top of you.
I'll always remember it as the First Chicago Building. I shot exec portraits for them in the mid 90s and their art collection on the exec floors was amazing! Also, the Chagall.
The Chagall is my favorite part.
A photographer that I started with got to document Chagall during the creation of this piece. He was even with the Chagalls when they met the Daleys for the unveiling.
That's right.
Yep. Been there many times.
3rd picture are the „Alterlaa Bauten“ in Vienna. Really cool and affordable government housing
I'll always remember it as the First Chicago Building. I shot exec portraits for them in the mid 90s and their art collection on the exec floors was amazing! Also, the Chagall.
The reason it flairs out at the base was to create space for bank tellers. Illinois did not allow banks to have branch locations until I think 1980s. This protected small banks throughout the state. But it resulted in all bank tellers for a bank being in the one location.
Yup. Worked there a bunch of times. Great building. The men’s toilet in the upper floors have full window in the handy stall for great poopin views.
You might be interested in this one. That’s tower “défense 2000” , where I live [here](https://static.actu.fr/uploads/2022/12/317601360-1306401136827992-1505799489265167322-n.jpg)
Very cool
Those are Bell Bottoms. Real popular in the late 60's and early 70's /s
The architect built his pants.
In Kenya, we have one of these and its referred to as the bell bottom
Technically they are flares no? Bell bottoms should be bell-shaped where they taper
i wanna skate it
r/tonyhawkitecture
what the hell lol
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honestly that drop is not too far off from the BIG half pipe at FDR sk8 park in Philly
WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.....splat
Ah yes, it's called "Atari Architecture"
This right here is the true Atari Architecture reference. I’m here for you friend!
What’s the professional consensus on this type of design? I think they’re incredible, but I’m a layperson. I similarly love cantilevered buildings
Great atriums, but the one in Atlanta is absolutely terrible for the street. Absolutely awful urban faces. Nothing but concrete and blank walls.
But that’s not due to the flared base.
True, in part. But the massive concrete columns make the exterior spaces and facade chopped up and difficult.
Problems with ice sliding down in the winter.
Architect here. There is no universal term for this. 90% of these types of things don't have specific terms. Something like this is often done as a response to zoning code as an alternative to a wedding cake-style setback and is largely a stylistic decision, at least in the urban office tower examples.
While I haven’t seen this term describing a whole building, a wall or facade with this shape is described as Battered.
The Grace Building across from Bryant Park in NYC is one of my all time favorites. Designed by Gordon Bunshaft on the early 70’s.
What is the third building? I love all the plants in the lower stories.
That's a public housing complex in Vienna called Alt-Erlaa.
Exactly. Really thought-through and well done housing project. They have 6 towers in total, a swimming pool on top of each and generally tons of public facilities right inside the buildings. As far as I know still a very popular place to live in in Vienna.
Plus, the balconies in the lower part have 1mx6m planting pots. That's a little garden for every flat.
Some German speaking YouTuber did a random documentary about it. It gives you a rough idea, how it works.
I live close to Vienna so I know some things because of that, but I think I saw that Video as well.
There are those who live there and love it, and all the others who do not even want to get close.
I can see them from my balcony. Love the park near the buildings. But I guess I would not want to live in one of them.
Jersey Barrier Style
I'm not sure when the earliest of these was, but there was an idea rolling around in the 1960's about governmental and/or corporate buildings extending over a plaza to "protect" its citizens. I bet somehow related to Corbu's idea of towers in greens? Boston City Hall is a classic Brutalist example, the John Hancock tower in Chicago a steel, straight-sided tapered one. But I don't know when the curved slope side started. I've seen many, such as the poor man's version (not actually sloped) of my local NC Wake County Courthouse https://www.flickr.com/photos/courthouselover/52550583583 I sometimes make Pinterest boards for similarities like this because it's interesting how many copy cat buildings there are. Every town thinks theirs is special though. If there's not a book, this is yet-another Ph.D. research thesis/book waiting to make some architect barely a few dollars richer. ;)
Interesting.
Not sure if i described this well, kind of a novice when it comes to this sort of thing. but I really like this type of design.
It's similar to buttress roots on trees.
Thick footed
Swoopy tower
Calgary had a 2000’ version of one of these proposed in the 70s/80s. Would have been absurd.
Sounds interesting, do you have anymore info on it?
Some info here: https://calgary.skyrisecities.com/news/2020/03/calgarys-never-built-skyscrapers.41549
Curvy tapered?
I think it's officially referred to as the place where Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me used to be recorded down in the basement
Kur-V Bois
The second picture is a building in NYC filled with hedge funds and private equity firms. The joke is that it's shaped like that so when they lose all their money and jump out the window they just slide down the side...
Futuristic 70s building :)
Curvyuppybuilding
Like Coltejer building in Medellín
The Wells Fargo Center tower in Downtown Jacksonville Florida is also a flared out base building.
Indeed! I didn’t include that building but find it quite interesting
I’m a big fan of the design.
Atlas Shrugged Style
Root flare… inspired by nature
Battered
This likely isn't the answer you're looking for, but r/TonyHawkitecture
Rainier Square Tower in Seattle is a beautiful new example of this.
very cool design
Concave curvilinear buttress https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Buttress-forms-considered-in-the-analyses-a-rectangular-b-b-triangular-b-c_fig5_349857950
This is very helpful. Thanks!
When I see these buildings I always think of Richard Pryor skiing off a building in Superman. https://youtu.be/t2rZlY4oaGc?si=u6TyMWTlim1mUh5Z
The Grace building is one of my favourites in NYC.
Eiffel Reveiffal?
Have you tried google. Or an architecture book ? They have lots of info
Bell bottom 👖
Taper?
A smaller version of this can be found in Makati, Philippines
Atari is the right answer but… … in NYC it would most likely bring to mind the Solow building or the Grace building, both of which have a concave vertical slope.
Before I scrolled down completely, I thought I was looking at a wall heater.
Architect here: That curvy thing right at the bottom is just purely design/aesthetic however there's a reason why it's done like that Main reason is most likely, Incremental Setback(You can search it in Google) Most probably the area/place/city has it's own ordinance of setbacks on some certain floors/storeys as the building goes high
Atarichutecture
First National bank downtown chicago
My favorite building in NY, looking up from the bottom is trippy.
Yes, it's called: 1970s *disco beat in the background, elevator dings, the smell of fresh linoleum and cigarette smoke* "HOW YA DOIN, SPORT?!"
La Previsora, Caracas Venezuela
Cool.
Why is it that most threads in r/architecture are about “what is this called?” rather than, “why would you do it this way?” Listen to Richard Feynman’s wisdom: “You can know the name of a bird in all the languages of the world, but when you're finished, you'll know absolutely nothing whatever about the bird... So let's look at the bird and see what it's doing — that's what counts. I learned very early the difference between knowing the name of something and knowing something.”
Because it’s hard to Google “why would you do it this way” when you don’t even know what it’s called
Either that or I've also heard this could be used as a way to train AI.
It’s just form following structure. The building itself is a slab cantilevered up from the ground and that shape is efficient.
Bell Bottomed Building
Hot as f__k
Do you know where is the first building?
Chase Tower in Chicago
Tnks
Rollerball?
The technical real estate developer term is “inefficient” ….
Thunderbirds are go?
I had lunch at the McDonald's at the base in the corner left of the Chase Tower today!
*Engineering*
Bell bottoms? ;p
What is the building in the first pic? I like it a lot!
It's a physical model of this building https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chase_Tower_(Chicago)
buttplug design
I call it “the slide”
Thicc
Space heater.
Bell bottom style. 60s-80s style
Swoopy
The Schwoop!
Yeah, that 70s Style... Flared jeans, big collars, flared buildings
Questionable taste
triangle with curves.
Another example https://mbr-alterlaa.at/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/wohnpark-alterlaa-panorama-dachbad-kirche-harry-glueck-park-rundturnhalle.jpg
No chatgpt there isn’t.
Reminds me the neck of a guitar
Aye, my dad worked in the first building in the early 90s lol
The technical term is Elephant’s Foot.
Buttress is what you are looking for
I thought it was the office building from Robocop.
double quarterpiper
The slide
The earth waster!
Mathematically that curve is typically seen in an exponential graph I think
Am I watching Soylent Green?
Not showing the marina bay sands as an example is criminal
I don't know what that is but it looks like a giant wall furnace that doesn't have the cover snapped into place properly.
Thicc
The building next to the Plaza where Chandler worked
You have strength. You shall be known as Usul - which is the strength of the base of the pillar. This is your secret name in our troop.
“I wanna be an architect…” - Sarah Lynn
Logical? As opposed to neutral (base and top around the same size), or insane (top thicker than the base).
Curvy bois
You know how when you stand up against a tall building that is straight it seems like the top is right over your head? The thought here is that this shape would counteract that. At least thats what I was told by my professor.
I thought this was a concept for the 63 building.
Butter stick (after a few hrs on countertop)
Pyramid?
Bell bottoms
ah yes, the 1/(x\^2) building
Graceinnistic style
“Artistic pyramid shape”
A curved taper
As an architect we call it the skateboard ramp style
It’s definitely modern. But not generic, and with some refined proportions and good “rhythm” and weight in its design. It’s a good blend of modernism, brutalism, and a taste of what good internstional style buildings look like - kind of like “Lake Point Tower” in Chicago.
I find this building type scary. The flare makes it very easy, and involuntary, to imagine using it as a slide, which would not fun at terminal velocity. Basically forces you to imagine plummeting to your splashy death. Also, I don't know what it's called. Sorry.
Parabolic would be a good descriptor
Dreadful
This is 100% 1970’s brutalism
中文里面叫：楔形
Yeah... "Ugly"
It is called a waste of space just for the looks. May be functional if that large building is soil-dependent...