Nika-3Renderings: Vasily Klyukin

This bold building design from renowned Russian architect Vasily Klyukin was inspired by Winged Victory of Samothrace, a marble sculpture of the Greek goddess Nike crafted sometime around 200 BC.

Nika statuePhoto: Wikimedia

Why model a building after an angel-like deity? Speaking to DesignBoom, Klyukin laments the fact that typically towers only compete in height.

“I wanted to compete in beauty, playing with the acts and forms,” he told the online magazine. “I just couldn’t bypass the goddess of beauty and victory with my attention.”

Still, the architect’s vision is just that: a vision. The design doesn’t even have a potential home, although Klyukin clearly has an idea of what sort of topography he’d like to see it land on. As DesignBoom points out, in many of the renderings the Nike tower overlooks a body of water, referencing the original statue’s commemoration, not only of the goddess, but of a victorious sea battle.

Pretty awe-inspiring stuff. But are we the only ones who see the face of an elephant?

Nike towerNika-4Nika-1Nika-5

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