Vortex Tower
Encyclopedia
The Vortex Tower was the working name of a project designed by Ken Shuttleworth’s MAKE Architects
. The building would have risen to a height of 984 feet (300 m) and 70 floors.
The shape of the Vortex Tower is a hyperboloid of revolution. The structure
is twisted into a spiral shape
with a tapering centre and wide base. The project
is based on a different concept, with rotation enabling the use of leaning column
s as straight structural elements of hyperboloid.
The VortexTower was proposed for the edge of the City of London
outer eastern fringe.
The similarity of the Kobe Port Tower
has been noted.
MAKE Architects
Make Architects is an architectural practice based in the United Kingdom founded by Ken Shuttleworth after he left Foster and Partners in 2003. They have offices in London, Birmingham, Beijing, Abu Dhabi and Dubai and the practice is currently engaged in projects worldwide ranging from high rise...
. The building would have risen to a height of 984 feet (300 m) and 70 floors.
The shape of the Vortex Tower is a hyperboloid of revolution. The structure
Structure
Structure is a fundamental, tangible or intangible notion referring to the recognition, observation, nature, and permanence of patterns and relationships of entities. This notion may itself be an object, such as a built structure, or an attribute, such as the structure of society...
is twisted into a spiral shape
Shape
The shape of an object located in some space is a geometrical description of the part of that space occupied by the object, as determined by its external boundary – abstracting from location and orientation in space, size, and other properties such as colour, content, and material...
with a tapering centre and wide base. The project
Project
A project in business and science is typically defined as a collaborative enterprise, frequently involving research or design, that is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim. Projects can be further defined as temporary rather than permanent social systems that are constituted by teams...
is based on a different concept, with rotation enabling the use of leaning column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s as straight structural elements of hyperboloid.
The VortexTower was proposed for the edge of the City of London
City of London
The City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
outer eastern fringe.
The similarity of the Kobe Port Tower
Kobe Port Tower
, a hyperboloid structure, is a 108 metre high lattice tower in the port city of Kobe, Japan. Kobe Port Tower has an observation deck at a height of 90.28 metres. The red steel Port Tower offers a spectacular sight of the bay area and the surrounding area....
has been noted.