Futuristic Skyscrapers Point to Cities of Tomorrow
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CREDIT: Luca D’Amico, Luca Tesio |
Humanity's future living in huge cities could get much more interesting if any of this year's finalists for the eVolo Magazine Skyscraper Competition become a reality. Designers came up with concepts ranging from a retrofitted oil rig to a sprawling underground city, as well as vertical farms that can support sustainable urban living.
Not all of the skyscraper designs highlighted by Yanko Design are built from scratch. One standout design reimagines abandoned oil rigs as new urban habitats that harness renewable energy from wind, solar and tidal power. The renovated structures would look right at home in a less dystopian version of "Waterworld."
A few skyscrapers also employ a plug-and-play modular design based on movable containers or structural units. The U.S. FLEXmod Skyscraper can reshape itself in response to new business demands or housing needs, whereas a Containers Skyscraper reuses shipping containers for homes in the sky.
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Several buildings go the green route with vertical farming or sustainable habitats. The so-called RuralScraper takes direct inspiration from farmhouses and has different harvesting zones. A Chicago-based Vertical Farm even envisions grassy platforms fanning out from the main skyscraper body as aerial pastures for cattle.
Some of the most far-out concepts come from fast-growing Asia. Taiwan's Hydro-thermal Skyscraper sits atop the Danshui River as a pollutant-filtering system, but it also harnesses the river current for power and circulates both hot water and steam for showers and a hotel spa. On the other end, Chinese designers came up with underground buildings based around an entire subterranean city for coal miners.
Whatever the purpose, some of the most eye-pleasing designs go for an organic, streamlined appearance that blends in with existing cities. The Tree Skyscraper extends "roots" built from a network of trains and cycling or walking paths across the Montpellier, France to connect isolated communities.
A similar philosophy applies for Germany's Hamburg Skyscraper that extends just as tall as the city's tallest cathedral. That structure stands as an elegant tripod that shimmers with light and reflections to be at one with the city skyline.
Growing urban populations mean that such skyscrapers should see plenty of demand. But the future always has room for smaller standalone houses as well.
This article was provided by InnovationNewsDaily, a sister site of TechNewsDaily.
