Architecture

Cloud Citizen futuristic mega-building combines multiple skyscrapers

Cloud Citizen futuristic mega-building combines multiple skyscrapers
Cloud Citizen is an conceptual interconnected complex of three towers
Cloud Citizen is an conceptual interconnected complex of three towers
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Cloud Citizen is an conceptual interconnected complex of three towers
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Cloud Citizen is an conceptual interconnected complex of three towers
A view of the Cloud Citizen buildings
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A view of the Cloud Citizen buildings
A view of the Cloud Citizen complex
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A view of the Cloud Citizen complex
A view of Cloud Citizens along the shore
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A view of Cloud Citizens along the shore
A view of Cloud Citizens along the shore
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A view of Cloud Citizens along the shore
A view of Cloud Citizen from across the water
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A view of Cloud Citizen from across the water
An aerial view of Cloud Citizen complex
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An aerial view of Cloud Citizen complex
A view of the Cloud Citizen waterfront
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A view of the Cloud Citizen waterfront
A view of the top of the Cloud Citizen complex
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A view of the top of the Cloud Citizen complex
A view of a public space inside Cloud Citizen
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A view of a public space inside Cloud Citizen
A view of a green space in the Cloud Citizen complex
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A view of a green space in the Cloud Citizen complex
A view of the Cloud Citizen complex at night
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A view of the Cloud Citizen complex at night
An aerial view of the Cloud Citizen complex
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An aerial view of the Cloud Citizen complex
A plan view of Cloud Citizens
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A plan view of Cloud Citizens
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A view of Cloud Citizen from across the water
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A view of Cloud Citizen from across the water
A view of Cloud Citizens from across the bay
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A view of Cloud Citizens from across the bay
Diagrams of how Cloud Citizen will be constructed
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Diagrams of how Cloud Citizen will be constructed
A diagram of the Cloud Citizen construction
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A diagram of the Cloud Citizen construction
A model of the Cloud Citizen complex
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A model of the Cloud Citizen complex
A model of Cloud Citizens
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A model of Cloud Citizens
A model of the Cloud Citizen complex
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A model of the Cloud Citizen complex
A close up view of the Cloud Citizen complex
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A close up view of the Cloud Citizen complex
A diagram of the Cloud Citizen complex
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A diagram of the Cloud Citizen complex
A diagram of the Cloud Citizens complex
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A diagram of the Cloud Citizens complex
A diagram of some of the Cloud Citizen's power generation and green features
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A diagram of some of the Cloud Citizen's power generation and green features
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Use of space and sustainability are key factors in designing the buildings of the future. This is especially evident in the concept designs for a building in Shenzhen, China. Cloud Citizen proposes a sprawling mix of huge interconnected towers, green spaces and environmental features.

Having seen dramatic growth in its population over a number of decades, Shenzhen has a need to ensure that space is used efficiently and that building are as green as possible.This has led to a number or innovative buildings and concepts, such as self-sustaining "farmscrapers" and internal living walls.

Cloud Citizen was a response to (and prizewinner of) the Shenzhen Bay Super City Competition, which asked participants to design a new 170 ha (420 acre) financial district for the city. The brief stated that the district should include three high-rise structures, several cultural buildings and landscape to connect the new area to its surrounding city.

A view of the top of the Cloud Citizen complex
A view of the top of the Cloud Citizen complex

Instead of creating a complex of separate buildings, architects Urban Future Organization partnered with CR-Design to create what they call a "continuous metropolis." Three towers are joined by bridges that themselves comprise multiple floors. The buildings contain commercial, leisure and cultural spaces, as well as programmed public spaces.

Urban Future Organization explains that each public space is connected to a park that is says acts as a "green lung." These "skyparks" are aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of those using the buildings, as well as providing places to meet, relax and feel close to nature. Elsewhere, the building is designed to harvest rainwater and generate electricity from the sun, wind and algae.

Source: Urban Future Organization

View gallery - 26 images
6 comments
6 comments
999 HOT
Looks interesting but introduces big challenges. Maybe architects should be expected to undertake firefighter training as part of their university courses. They might be more considerate towards those who have to deal with their creations when things go wrong.
Bob Flint
Well they got the smog part right, and I suppose it's the belief, & expression to rise above all the crap below, but the natural elements (ie; earthquake, typhoons) will prevent this pipe dream from happening.
zevulon
it would be much more practical to study how to build slums quicker and more densely packed .
slums are being built all over the world very very fast. optimize the speed of slum construction and you will optimize the speed with which people move from rural areas to cities.
StWils
Well, Bob & 999 seem to get it but Zev seems just a bit off the mark. One of the problems is the idea that a relatively small ground level park can be a "green lung". I do not know how many square miles are needed to provide air for a 100,000 people etc, but it is a large number no matter what. Concentrating that many people has social, economic, and security issues that are gigantic. Think of the ongoing issues with ISIL.
Joseph Boe
"China" "health"
Uhhh...yeah....no.
Alm480
"In 1888, a Minneapolis architect named Leroy Buffington was granted a patent on the idea of building skeletal-frame tall buildings. He even proposed the construction of a 28-story 'stratosphere-scraper'—a notion mocked by the architectural press of the time as impractical and ludicrous."
That was only 126 years ago.. It's amazing what can happen when people look for solutions to the problems instead of simply saying "It can't be done."