'Strawscraper' Tower In Stockholm Could Use 'Hairs' To Generate Electricity (PICTURES)

LOOK: The World's First Strawscraper

A Swedish firm has come up with a brilliant - if slightly odd - idea for making one of Stockholm's tallest buildings energy neutral.

The plan is to turn the Söder Torn tower into the world's first "Strawscraper".

By covering the building in "piezoelectric straws" only a light wind would be sufficient to generate enough electricity to power the residential block.

An artists impression of what the building could look like

Belatchew Arkitekter, the firm behind the technology, said: "Piezoelectricity is created when certain crystals’ deformation is transformed into electricity.

"The technique has advantages when compared to traditional wind turbines since it is quite and does not disturb wildlife.

The tower would be lit up at night to create an intriguing effect

"What is usually considered to be the most static of all things, the building, suddenly comes alive and the construction gives the impression of a body that is breathing."

When the original tower was built it was supposed to be 40 storeys high but the project's architect quit leaving it a mere 24.

A wonderful illustration of how to topple a skyscraper

The hairy addition would mean the Söder Torn would be as high as its envisaged glory - if not quite how the original designers expected it to look.

What the tower currently looks like

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