Tied Up in Knots: 13 Truly Twisted Towers, Buildings & Staircases

Floating MSD Seaman’s Church

The MSD Seaman’s Church by Miso Soup Design is a center for mariners designed for the South Street Seaport area of New York City by Miso Soup Design. Floating on the surface of the water and shaped like a sailor’s knot, the structure also takes inspiration from knotted rope pedestrian bridges.

Knot House by Atelier Chang

The knots in this structure may not be readily apparent from the outside, but Atelier Chang took a flat form and manipulated it to create a strategic chain of five individual spaces wrapped in folding white walls. The resulting shape orients each individual unit toward the sea while also giving the occupants privacy, limiting views of each other. A two-story ‘Knot House’ at the top functions as a clubhouse and the owner’s residence.

Ribbon Chapel by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP Architects

A wedding chapel created for the resort hotel Bella Vista Sakaigahama in Hiroshima by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP Architects, ‘Ribbon Chapel’ takes in views of the Sea of Japan through a glass structure criss-crossed with two spiraling ‘ribbons.’ The two spirals represent two individuals in the act of knotting together into a single unit.

Dynamic Relaxation by HGA Architectural Design Lab

Part pavilion, part sculpture, part climbing gym, ‘Dynamic Relaxation’ by HGA Architectural Design Lab was created as a resting place for the public on the grounds of the Seoul Olympic Museum of Art. “The geometry of space reflects the topography of park landscape and the continuous curvature, which are the site-specific characters of park,” say the architects. “It is a not only aesthetic sculpture but also a multi-purpose space for resting and climbing, hanging, exercising for everyone.”

Woven Tower by Setfan Shöning & Studio Farris

The pattern created by weaving together date palm fronds inspired the aesthetics of ‘Woven Tower’ by Setfan Shöning and Studio Farris, designed as a competition entry for a competition to design a new landmark for Dubai. Three strips weave around a glass core and then continue out onto the grass around the structure, creating covered outdoor areas.