In Newark, Ohio (United States), there's a building that looks like something out of a cartoon: a giant, seven-story picnic basket. This peculiar building was constructed in 1997 as the headquarters of the Longaberger company, famous for making handcrafted wooden picnic baskets. What's most curious is that its founder, Dave Longaberger, insisted that the building be an exact, albeit monumental, replica of his flagship product.
The structure measures over 60 meters long and 30 meters high, and was designed by the firms NBBJ and Korda/Nemeth Engineering. It originally functioned as a corporate office.
The building's original design evoked mixed feelings. Ridiculous to some, ugly to others, and iconic to still others, the building served as an office for several years. Its renovation took place almost ten years ago. During the work, all the dilapidated elements, both inside and out, were replaced. Inside, the atmosphere remains that of the 1990s, with marble floors, wood-paneled columns, and a grand staircase. The central area is a spacious atrium, around which the offices are arranged.
Its unique shape has made it a tourist attraction and one of the most extravagant examples of corporate architecture in the world.
Longaberger used the building until 2016 and closed two years later. The giant shipping container has remained empty for over seven years. In 2019, the building was put up for sale. The real estate agency NAI Ohio River Corridor suggested that the waste container could be converted into a hotel, which would be a huge success; after all, the building's unique shape could attract tourists. A total of 150 rooms would be built inside.
The plan to convert the building into a hotel was halted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Source: Wikipedia and h ttps://www.whitemad.pl/es/.
