Architectural Innovation: Buildings That Look Like Smartphones
Buildings That Look Like Smartphones
The Cellphone Building in Kunming, China

This Cellphone Building in Kunming, China, is anything but noticeable. It serves as a distinct contrast to all the grey tones of the city skyline, making it such a welcome sight.
The “Crazy” John Phone Tower

The Crazy John Phone Tower in Australia measures nearly 395 feet high, which is pretty big for a “cellular phone.”
“Crazy” John

“Crazy” John Ilhan, the founding father of this building, owes his fortune (and the realization of the Tower) to the booming telecommunications industry.
The Jasmine Tower

The Jasmine Tower at Chaengwatana Road in Bangkok was made in honor of the rising popularity of telecommunications in the country.
Exterior of the Jasmine Tower

As you can see, its exterior is made to pretty similar to the old school mobile phones, while also maintaining a sleek surface that is reflective of modern touch screen phones.
Seoul, South Korea

Located in Seoul, South Korea, the SK Headquarters measures 148 meters tall, and is proves to be a perfect match for the company that it houses, a telecom brand.
SK Headquarters

Looking into further detail, SK Headquarters also features a cell phone motif with its ambient lighting, which resembles that of a flip phone.
Concept tower by ArchPartners

This concept tower by ArchPartners resembles an iPod, but then again if it pays homage to one of the biggest products that Apple has ever released in the past few years, it makes perfect sense.
The Walkie-Talkie

The Walkie-Talkie in 20 Fenchurch St., London, UK was designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects. It is a mighty fine structure of elegance and watchfulness, but there’s one problem…
The Walkie-Talkie reflection

Apparently, its curved glass structure makes it dangerous for people out in the street, especially during daytime, when the sun gets too hot.
The Big Camera Building

Found in the Ikeburo District of Tokyo, the Big Camera Building is a rare sight, given that the rest of the buildings in the vicinity are as common as they come.
Big Keypad

However, at night, the “keypad” lights up to indicate the floors and the offices which offer a multitude of products & services.
The Omniyat Properties iPad Building

The Omniyat Properties iPad Building in Dubai, United Arab Emirates is anything but an iPad in look. This concept was created back in 2007 and was intended to be an iPod resting atop its docking station.
“iPad”

It has undergone some renovations due to the financial crisis that hit during the late 2000’s, and is now aptly known as “The Pad.”
The Telefonica Building in Santiago, Chile

The Telefonica Building in Santiago, Chile, was intended to promote a rise in the popularity of mobile phones. However, designers Seismic A&E did not foresee the rapid advancements in mobile technology and appearance, thus turning this building into something that’s already quite dated.