21 Manifestly Magnificent Cantilevers

Cantilevered building volumes appear to be levitating, have walls that seemingly disappear and (bonus!) views that extend to the horizon—preferably a tropical ocean.

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Ever filled out an online survey that asks the question which super power you would rather have, flying or invisibility? For architects this question probably seems silly, for employing the cantilever in their designs does both those things. It gives buildings volumes that appear to be levitating, walls that disappear and (bonus!) views that extend to the horizon—preferably a tropical ocean.

The physics of the cantilever are pretty simple: One end is anchored and the opposite juts dramatically into space. The structure of the building no longer has to rely on the exterior walls for support; it can essentially disappear. This enormously expands the possibilities for materials that can be implemented for the façade, allowing for full-length glazing and experimentation with patterning. Having glass walls from floor to ceiling, for example, is a hallmark of modern architecture, which allows for the integration of the interior spaces with the exterior landscape, such as with Fabi Architekten‘s Black on White house below:

Black on White (Schwarz auf Weiß) by Fabi Architekten, Wenzenbach, Germany

Additionally, lifting built volumes off the building site and stacking them on top of one another creates dramatic outdoor areas, as evidenced by Original Vision‘s seductive Villa Amanzi below. The functionality of these lush outdoor spaces is helped by the cantilevers overhead, which can supply protection from the elements, essentially creating a hybrid indoor/outdoor room:

Villa Amanzi by Original Vision, Phuket, Thailand

Finally, shrinking the foundation and employing a cantilever also solves problems presented by sloped or small building sites. The foundation can be consolidated into a smaller core with living and working areas arranged around this axis. Buildings constructed on the side of mountains using cantilevers are also able to open fully to the surrounding views, creating a visual emphasis on the environments outside the building.

We’ve gathered 21 examples from our database of this magnificent, awe-inspiring and quite functional architectural feature. All hail the cantilever!