Towers of Tech: the world’s most futuristic buildings
We’ve come a long way from mud huts and mammoth-bone tents. Amy Frearson discovers the futuristic buildings that think they’re giant gadgets
Behold, some of the worlds greatest feats of architechture.
Here you’ll find buildings trying to slow climate change, avoid increasing snowfall, retire the use of paper and turn smog into salt.
Obviously you won’t be happy till Willy Wonka-esque horizontal glass elevators become a thing of reality, but these works from some of the world’s most creative minds will have to do for now.
The eco warriors
One Central Park (Sydney, Australia) / centralparksydney.com
What’s the story? This twin-tower skyscraper by French architect Jean Nouvel is equipped with a heliostat system – a huge panel of motorised mirrors that track sunlight and reflect it into a street that would otherwise be in permanent shadow. It also boasts a remote-controlled irrigation system that allows over 1000 species of plants to grow without soil across the building’s walls.
Fact! When the sun goes down, the suspended mirrors transform into a canvas for an impressive LED light show by the renowned artist Yann Kersalé.
Agora Garden (Taipei, Taiwan due 2016) / vincent.callebaut.org
What’s the story? This twisted 20-storey marvel now under construction in Taiwan’s capital could be mistaken for a giant DNA strand. The double-helix construction isn’t just for show, though. It creates a cascade of balconies covered in vegetable gardens and fruit trees, so residents will be able to grow their own food and compost their waste.
Fact! A 1000m2 pergola of photovoltaic panels on the roof will generate enough energy to make it entirely self-sufficient.
ZEB Pilot House (Larvik, Norway) / snohetta.com
What’s the story? This house by architectural superstars Snøhetta not only generates enough electricity for itself – it has enough left over to fuel an electric car all year round. Its sloping roof is covered with solar panels and collectors that draw as much energy from the sun as possible, while energy wells in the ground supplement this with geothermal power.
Fact! The building is so well insulated that two radiators – one on each floor – are enough to heat every room.
Italy Pavilion, Expo 2015 (Milan, Italy due May 2015) / expo2015.org
What’s the story? Italy’s national pavilion at the upcoming Milan Expo has been designed by Italian studio Nemesi & Partners to clean the air around it, thanks to the smog-purifying cement covering its exterior. Made from recycled aggregates, including scraps of Carrara marble, the material can transform airborne pollutants into harmless salts.
Fact! Over three quarters of the special air-purifying cement is itself made from recycled materials.
The survivalist
Halley VI Research Station (Brunt Ice Shelf, Antarctica) / hbarchitects.co.uk
What’s the story? Imagine an environment where temperatures drop to as low as -56°C, the sun doesn’t rise for three months, and the icy ground below you can crack at any time. British architect Hugh Broughton was tasked with creating a building where at least 16 scientists can endure these conditions all year round. His response? A chain of heavy-duty modules that use hydraulic legs to climb up out of the snow.
Fact! As the ice shelf floats out towards the ocean, the modules can be lowered onto giant steel skis and towed by bulldozers to a safer inland location.
The tech icons
Spaceport America (New Mexico, USA) / spaceportamerica.com
What’s the story? The world’s first commercial spaceport, this is the departure lounge for space tourists. For added drama, the astronaut areas are integrated with the terminal and voyagers can even take a peek inside the control room. Behind the scenes, tubes boring down into the earth reduce the building’s heating, ventilation and air-conditioning costs by as much as 70%.
Fact! Designed around the dimensions of Virgin Galactic spacecraft, the hangar can support two WhiteKnightTwo and five SpaceShipTwo vehicles.
Sharifi-Ha House (Tehran, Iran) / nextoffice.ir
What’s the story? Neither sticky hot summers nor snowy winters present a problem to this residence by Tehran studio Next Office, which features three rooms that can be rotated by 90°. In warmer months, each swivelling pod folds out to reveal large windows and balconies, but when the temperature drops they’re all brought back flat for residents to stay warm and cosy.
Fact! The pods’ motorised turntables use the same system found in theatre sets and car exhibitions.
3D Print Canal House (Amsterdam, Holland) / 3dprintcanalhouse.com
What’s the story? In March 2014, DUS architects started a three-year project to print a Dutch canal house. In the process, they hope to discover the materials and methods that will help 3D-printed housebuilding become the standard for environmentally friendly architecture. The concrete-reinforced plastic blocks are being spat out by a ‘Room Maker’ as we speak.
Fact! You can visit and, for a €2.50 entrance fee, get a downloadable audio tour for your smartphone.
New York by Gehry (New York City, USA) / newyorkbygehry.com
What’s the story? With its rippled steel facade, this skyscraper is the poster child for software that architect Frank Gehry believes will make paper redundant in architecture. Despite the form, which gives all of its 903 apartments a different profile, almost no printed drawings were required – all thanks to a cloud-based system that allows architects and engineers to share digital files and blueprints.
Fact! There are typically thousands of ‘change orders’ on builds of this scale. This had just eight.
The interior techorators
Multi elevator system (concept) / thyssenkrupp.com
What’s the story? Moving sideways as well as up and down, this lift brings Willy Wonka’s glass elevator one step closer to reality. Doing away with the traditional rope and counterweight, this will be controlled by powerful magnets that will allow several cabins to levitate in one shaft. The company plans to have a working prototype installed by the end of 2016.
Fact! With lifts travelling at five metres per second, you’d never have to wait more than 30 seconds for one to arrive.
Art Suite: 7.5° Rø, Icehotel Jukkasjärvi, Sweden / icehotel.se
What’s the story? Every year the Icehotel commissions 15 artists to hand-carve ‘art suites’ for its winter season. This one, inspired by Danish astronomer Ole Christensen Rømer, stacks up blocks of ice to create a vortex and the illusion of infinity. It’ll be open until April, after which the walls will melt and it’ll be time to design a new one. Well, it’s easier than stripping wallpaper.
Fact! This year’s hotel was built from 30,000 tonnes of ‘snice’ – a mixture of snow and ice sourced from the nearby Tornu River.
Yotel New York New York City, USA / yotelnewyork.com
What’s the story? A robot concierge greets you as you arrive at this Times Square hotel. The ‘Yobot’ takes care of your luggage, while you check yourself in at a digital kiosk. Once you’ve made it to your room, you can tilt or rotate your circular bed for sleeping, working on your laptop, or just slowly spinning around as you view the Manhattan skyline and boring hotels with non-spinning beds.
Fact! When there aren’t any jobs to do, Yobot will perform acrobatics to entertain guests (and taunt hotel porters).
James B Hunt Jr Library North Carolina, USA / ncsu.edu
What’s the story? Library bookshelves might have their musty charm, but they’re also an inefficient use of space. That’s why the North Carolina State University built a robotic retrieval system, which lets you choose from over two million books and get them robo-fetched. The university also boasts a 3D-printing workshop, interactive walls and a dedicated gaming lab.
Fact! The bookBot system takes up five storeys, compared with the old system of 45 for the same number of books.
Greatest kits
Why should architects have all the tower-building fun? Here are the world’s best constructions for the rest of us:.
PopUpHouse £poa / popup-house.com
Incredibly, the only tool you need to assemble this full-size earth-friendly abode is a screwdriver. It uses wooden screws, insulated blocks and laminate veneer lumber to create a recyclable, energy-efficient and customisable structure. Quite a project for Lego fans.
Arckit from £90 / arckit.com
Hate following instructions? This modular kit, originally designed for architects, lets you construct the house of your dreams, then knock it down and start again. It comes in three sizes and includes adhesive sheets to print off in different textures for added realism.
Scottish Tenement Kit £21.50 / finchandfouracre.co.uk
Not everyone wants to build the Guggenheim or the Eiffel Tower. For something a little more humble, try this card-and-glue tenement block. It comes with all the equipment you need to build a red or blonde sandstone abode for your tiny Victorian workers.
Words: Amy Frearson
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