If I understand the std::bless approach properly, it has a serious shortcoming: let's say T has some sufficiently nontrivial class type. Then, the call to std::bless followed by reading from the std::byte array will create the std::byte array, which ends the lifetime of the T since the T's storage has now been reused by the std::byte array. If T is not an implicit-lifetime type, then that means if you still want to use the original T value qua T, then tough luck. If the T object had automatic storage duration and a nontrivial destructor, then UB will happen when it goes out of scope.