At first glance, the building resembles a Cubist representation of a bunch of grapes. Each identical module was constructed, wired, plumbed and furnished at a remote facility, then attached to one of the building’s two main shafts via crane using just four high-tension bolts.
A total of 140 modules were attached to the 11-story and 13-story shafts, and adjoining cubes could be connected to one another to provide more space. Though the modules were intended to be replaceable on demand, a design flaw dictated that removing and replacing a lower module would entail removing ALL of the modules above it – thus, NONE of the modules have been replaced.
Living in a box measuring 2.3 m (7.5 ft) × 3.8 m (12 ft) × 2.1 m (6.9 ft) isn’t easy when one considers each module includes a built-in bathroom, kitchen, an entertainment console and a single large, porthole-like window. Only about half of the modules are currently occupied and of those, only about 20 are actually used as personal living spaces with the rest housing offices and workspaces.
