Project of the observation tower in Phoenix by BIG

The New York branch of Danish architect Bjarke Ingels has designed an observation tower for the capital of the American state of Arizona, which aspires to become a new symbol for the entire city. The BIG studio managed to arrive at the right place at the right time and enchant with a simple idea that at first glance looks like an oversized lollipop or the sculpture of a syringe by Claes Oldenburg. The 420-meter-high observation tower is set to rise in the center of Phoenix between a sports stadium and a conference center. At the top of the reinforced concrete leg is a massive sphere, within which the only spiraling ramp ascends. The program will consist of exhibition spaces, restaurants, and bars, where visitors can enjoy unobstructed views of the surrounding city and nearby mountains.
Bjarke Ingels compares his concept to the famous Guggenheim Museum in New York, where all activities also take place on a circular ramp. Unlike the New York example, where visitors observe art and gaze into the central atrium, in Ingels' project the views are directed outward from the 'tip of the needle'.