The rise of ‘scar-chitecture’: Why so many new buildings are missing a chunk of their facade

Featuring dramatic cuts in the facade or portions of floor plates sliced away—a new kind of architectural detail is reshaping the exterior of high-rise towers on a global scale. Distinctive gashes are splitting the surface of new buildings with a kind of surgical intent. [Photo: © Laurian Ghinitoiu/courtesy Bjarke Ingels Group] There’s The Axiom, a recently completed 49-story office tower in Shanghai designed by Buro OS. It appears from one side to be a conventional rectangular...