In Chongqing, China, the Dance of Light tower, one of the most twisted towers ever built has been erected. The 180 meters (590 feet) tall Dance of Light tower was created by the architecture firm Aedas. Reports reveal that the construction was completed this year. It has a twisting facade that resembles the northern lights.
The structure is situated on Xingfu Plaza in Chongqing’s Jiangbei District. It is reported to use the basic and graceful shape of a double-curved façade to give the sense that it is twisting. The facade “is not just an external statement, but also a form of protection that sculpts internal spaces,” according to Ken Wai, Aedas global design principal.
Light is crucial in emphasizing the twisted shape of the tower since the designers were inspired by the dancing aurora. These are the rays and spirals of the polar lights frequently observed in the Arctic and Antarctic.
The light reflects and bends across the glass façade of the skyscraper, changing its view of it from various angles. According to a press release from Aedas, “when night falls, the curved facade exhibits reflections that suggest the dancing figure of a ballerina.”
Read Also: Contract awarded for project Kaohsiung MRT Yellow Line in Taiwan
Dance of Light tower design
According to the architect, “the podium roof extends a coherent statement of sliding twist from top to bottom. Thus, it blends with the geometry of the tower.” Twisted high-rises have become more and more common during the past ten years. This is due to the advancements in building, engineering, and architectural computer programs.
The Turning Torso in Malmo Sweden was the first example of this avant-garde architectural movement. The twisted skyscraper was designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and constructed in 2005. Other well-known twisted structures include the 306-meter-high (1004-foot-high) Cayan Tower in Dubai. It was built by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and finished in 2013. Others include MAD Architect‘s Absolute World Towers, located in Canada and finished in 2012.
The Dance Of Light tower, according to Aedas, features a “twisting angle” of up to 8.8 degrees per floor, which the studio claims is over 1.5 times greater than any previous ultra high-rise tower. “The skyscraper has all the makings of a metropolitan symbol as an open public space, particularly the significant bending of the facade,” continued Wai.
