If you've ever wondered what an ant's perspective is like when approaching a picnic basket, head over to Longaberger Company's massive basket building in Newark, Ohio. The seven-story home office for the handcrafted baskets manufacturer doubles as an enormous replica of a woven basket neatly situated in a park-like environment, making its resemblance to a picnic basket fit for a giant uncanny.
The design for the building began with the founder himself. In an effort to fully realize company founder Dave Longaberger's dream office design of his favorite company product, the Medium Market Basket, construction on the unique architectural landmark began in 1995. After 2 years and 3 months of labor, the home office was fully constructed, mimicking one of the business's most successful items. The steel framed structure covers 180,000 sq. ft., weighing in at somewhere between 8,000 and 9,000 tons. The handles of the “basket” alone weigh 150 tons and are heated to prevent ice from forming on them during the cold winter months.
Longaberger Company website
via [Gaks, WorldArchitectureNews.com]
