Inside a Shanghai building, a stalactite-like structure mysteriously is moving.
Cataracts, thanks to time and distance, have sapped the vitality of the structure, but the building still needs moving to its new site. China Daily — the Chinese version of Reuters — reported that the extraordinary sight has attracted crowds, including some in wheelchairs, although it has yet to be seen how much footage will be aired.
In this seemingly mind-bending video by both AFP and China Daily, the giant structure — which The Telegraph reported was the largest half-concrete skyscraper ever made — is seen suspended like a pendulum around a cylindrical platform.
The building — whose curving beams eventually could top 100 stories tall — was dubbed the Skycube at the time it was built in 1996. The developers, Sustainable Structures and Designs Limited, wanted to show how tall skyscrapers and the surrounding community could create a prosperous and clean city, China Daily said.
Watched these videos. (Scroll down to watch the walk.) A 12 year old made this. Haven’t seen anything like this before. Omg? pic.twitter.com/wXfmFC1jdE — Patrick T. Healy (@phuker) January 2, 2017
Reuters reported that the building is now being moved to a new location. The developers have hired architects and managed to raise funds to move the building’s foundation, which reportedly weighs thousands of tons, and, in August 2016, it was finally moved to its new site, The Washington Post reported.
Though it remains a piece of history, China Daily reported that the building will eventually be converted into offices, the building frame to be scrapped, and the complex, which is called the Skytown, will be declared a historical monument.
So, what makes the structure walk? Reuters reporter Patrick T. Healy said the nature of the building is why it can walk.
“The building has no external walls. Its orientation is oblique, meaning that its sides will always face a given direction — and so will reflect the internal winds.”
WATCH: Incredible footage shows gigantic Chinese building held up with people using their ‘own’ hands http://t.co/Fes6C4Lp22 pic.twitter.com/0EyjE9hF8Y — NY Times World (@nytimesworld) January 2, 2017