From a distance, the new twelve-sided tower rising in Phoenixโs Arts District looks like it belongs in a futuristic cityscape–or maybe in the middle of a very enthusiastic geometry lesson. However, ask the designers and they’ll tell you there’s a wink and a nod to a certain beloved racing game: Mario Kart.
“To build buildings that are unique that people stop and say, ‘Hey, what is that?’ I think is important to any downtown,” said Zac Cohen, creative director at Rรคkkhaus, the architectural firm behind the project, to Fox 10 in Phoenix. In other words: If you think this building looks quirky now, just wait until you learn what inspired it.
The complex takes its name from a famously chaotic, candy-colored racetrack known for sending players plummeting into the void, Rainbow Road. Obviously, you won’t see any characters or trademarked symbols on the exterior–a strategic choice, given a certain company’s well-known legal enthusiasm–but the references are there if you know where to look and if you look hard enough.
