Basket Building: Mathematical Similarity at Its Finest

In Similarity and Architecture, we have appreciated how similarity is used to create actual objects based on miniature models. In this post, we celebrate the mathematics of similarity in architecture using one of the strangest buildings in the world — the Basket Building.

The Basket Building

The Basket Building is 180, 000 square-foot, 7-story building located in Newark, Ohio. It is 160 times the size of one of the company’s signature products, the “Medium Market Basket.” It is made of stucco over steel structure. Its handle weighs 150 tons and can be heated during winter to prevent ice damage. It is the headquarters of the Longaberger Company, a manufacturer of handcrafted baskets, pottery, and other lifestyle and home accessories.

According to the company’s website, when Dave Longaberger, founder of the company, thought of the idea of having a “basket building,” many of his colleagues thought that he was just joking.  In December 1997, Dave’s joke became a reality, his basket building been completed and became headquarters of the Longaberger company.

Sadly, Longaberger passed away after a year that his dream building was completed.

Image Credit: addicted eyes

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