A seven-storey office building shaped like a giant picnic basket is back on the market for $8.5m - complete with 75-ton handles fitted with heating elements to stop ice building up. A seven-storey office building shaped like a giant picnic basket is back on the market for $8.5m - complete with 75-ton handles fitted with heating elements to stop ice building up.

Giant basket-shaped HQ with 84 windows hits the market for £6.3m

A seven-storey office building shaped like a giant picnic basket is back on the market for $8.5m – complete with 75-ton handles fitted with heating elements to stop ice building up.

One of the world’s most unusual buildings is looking for a new owner after being put back on the market for $8.5million (£6.3million).

At first glance, it looks like somebody has accidentally supersized a picnic basket.

But this bizarre structure is actually a fully functioning seven-storey office building.

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Complete with giant handles, woven-effect walls and enough space for more than 500 workers, the unusual property has become one of the most recognisable buildings anywhere in the world.

A seven-storey office building shaped like a giant picnic basket is back on the market for $8.5m - complete with 75-ton handles fitted with heating elements to stop ice building up.
The giant basket-shaped HQ. (Jam Press/Brandon Hess)

The eye-catching landmark spans 180,000 square feet across a 21.5-acre site and comes with 555 parking spaces, glass elevators, a gym, media room and dozens of offices.

Even the basket handles are extraordinary, weighing around 75 tons each and fitted with heating elements to stop ice from building up during winter, as reported by Luxury Property News.

The giant basket was originally built as the headquarters of the Longaberger Company, a business famous for its handcrafted baskets.

A seven-storey office building shaped like a giant picnic basket is back on the market for $8.5m - complete with 75-ton handles fitted with heating elements to stop ice building up.
The giant basket-shaped HQ. (Jam Press/Brandon Hess)

Located in Newark, Ohio, in the US, the building was completed in 1997 and was designed to resemble one of the firm’s baskets.

The quirky property, which has become one of the most recognisable buildings in the United States, spans 180,000 square feet across a 21.5-acre site and is being marketed as a rare redevelopment opportunity.

At the company’s peak in 2000, Longaberger generated more than $1billion (£746.5 billion) in annual sales, employed more than 8,200 people and had around 45,000 independent consultants selling its products across the country.

(Jam Press/Brandon Hess)

Rather than opting for a conventional office block, the company decided to construct its headquarters as a giant version of one of its signature baskets.

The result was a building unlike any other.

The seven-storey office features 84 windows and distinctive curved walls designed to mimic woven wicker.

(Jam Press/Brandon Hess)

Towering above the roof are two giant basket handles weighing around 75 tons each.

The handles were even fitted with heating elements to prevent ice building up during Ohio’s harsh winters.

According to the estate agent listing, the Class A office building can accommodate more than 500 employees and includes a media room, on-site gym, glass elevators overlooking a central atrium and extensive woodwork throughout.

A seven-storey office building shaped like a giant picnic basket is back on the market for $8.5m - complete with 75-ton handles fitted with heating elements to stop ice building up.
The giant basket-shaped HQ. (Jam Press/Brandon Hess)

There are also 25 heated underground executive parking spaces and a total of 555 parking spots across the site.

The building sits close to both Ohio State University at Newark and Denison University and is highly visible from State Route 16.

However, despite its iconic status, the basket-shaped headquarters has had a turbulent recent history.

A seven-storey office building shaped like a giant picnic basket is back on the market for $8.5m - complete with 75-ton handles fitted with heating elements to stop ice building up.
The giant basket-shaped HQ. (Jam Press/Brandon Hess)

Longaberger vacated the property in 2016 amid financial difficulties and the building was sold the following year for just $1.2million.

Current owner Steve Coon had hoped to transform the landmark into a boutique hotel, but those plans never came to fruition.

After briefly testing the market in 2022, he withdrew the property when a potential sale fell through.

A seven-storey office building shaped like a giant picnic basket is back on the market for $8.5m - complete with 75-ton handles fitted with heating elements to stop ice building up.
The giant basket-shaped HQ. (Jam Press/Brandon Hess)

Now the giant basket is once again searching for a buyer willing to take on one of America’s most unusual commercial properties while preserving its famous woven appearance.

Listed by Brandon Hess of Shai-Hess Commercial Real Estate, the property is being marketed as a landmark office asset and a one-of-a-kind redevelopment opportunity.

For the right buyer, it could be the ultimate conversation starter.

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A seven-storey office building shaped like a giant picnic basket is back on the market for $8.5m - complete with 75-ton handles fitted with heating elements to stop ice building up.
The giant basket-shaped HQ. (Jam Press/Brandon Hess)

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