Nearly three decades after it opened as the headquarters of the Longaberger Company, one of America’s most recognisable pieces of corporate architecture has returned to the market. The seven-storey office building in Newark, Ohio, is listed for US$8.5 million.

Completed in 1997, the 180,000sqft building is an exact enlargement of the company’s signature Medium Market Basket, complete with oversized handles that are heated in winter to prevent ice from forming. What could have been dismissed as a marketing gimmick has instead become an enduring local landmark — an extraordinary relic of roadside Americana.

Inside, the building is considerably more restrained. A central atrium is overlooked by glass lifts and a cherry timber staircase, while locally sourced wood finishes, a media room and fitness facilities reflect its original role as the headquarters for more than 500 employees.

The 21.5-acre campus comes with 25 heated underground executive parking spaces and a further 555 surface spaces. According to the listing agent, the current owner is committed to finding a buyer willing to preserve the building’s unmistakable form rather than alter it beyond recognition.

Nearly 30 years on, the basket still does exactly what it was designed to do: stop people in their tracks.

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