Is the Pearl Bangkok tower a copy? These 6 penis buildings around the world say, "No!"
Apparently, gherkins are a hit with architects.
7 years ago
Ari is about to welcome Bangkok’s latest architectural landmark. Opening in June this year, the Pearl Bangkok is a 25-story, B2.5 billion tower just 200 meters from BTS Ari which will reshape the neighborhood’s skyline.
Its design is the work of Hong Kong architectural giants Palmer and Turner, whose firm is responsible for such Hong Kong landmarks as the 1930s Pedder Building as well as modern icons like the Hong Kong Technical College and Bank of China Building.
It also looks like a penis. Critics are already pointing to similarities between the Pearl Bangkok (which its architects say takes inspiration from oval-shaped South Sea Pearls) and London’s famous “Erotic Gherkin,” otherwise known as the Norman Foster-designed 30 St Mary Axe.
Both feature a near-identical, shiny construction of lattice glass triangles that build up to compose a bulging phallic form. (It’s also not the first time Bangkok has been embroiled in a Norman Foster copycat controversy: read here.)
But penis-shaped skyscrapers don’t begin and end at the Gherkin. The Pearl Bangkok actually follows in a long and rich history of world-renowned buildings modeled after schlongs. Here are some of history’s finest.
Gherkin, London, United Kingdom, designed by Norman Foster.
Credit: CC 2.0
Torre Agbar, Barcelona, Spain, designed by Jean Nouvel and Fermin Vazquez.
Credit: CC 2.0 by Evgenii
Buffalo City Hall, Buffalo, USA, designed by Dietel, Wade and Jones.
Credit: CC 2.0 by Chris Dluglosz
Leaning Tower of Pisa, Pisa, Italy, designed by Bananno Pisano.
Credit: CC2.0 by Andy Hay
Yas Viceroy Hotel, Abu Dhabi, UAE, designed by Asymptote Architecture.
Credit: Asymptote Architecture
The Water Tower of Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA, designed by William R. Coats.
Credit: Cmadler at Wikimedia Commons
No details on exactly what will be inside the Pearl just yet, other than that it’ll be a mixed-use development for restaurants, cafes, shops and conference centers.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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