Science & Technology

Architects propose Saharan vertical city

By T.K. Randall
April 28, 2015 ·  7 comments

The city would rise 1,400ft above the sand dunes. Image Credit: CC BY-SA 2.5 Luca Galuzzi (galuzzi.it) The 'City Sand Tower' would be a huge vertical self-contained city with the outward appearance of a large rock.

Rising 1,400ft above the sand and with a total floorspace of 192 acres the tower would contain residential housing, offices, restaurants, recreational facilities and much more.

Its exterior would utilize angled facades and shaded materials to both collect sunlight for solar energy and to keep the interior cool.A vertical farm inside the city would help to keep its residents fed while a meteorological research station would be located on the roof to take advantage of the clear desert skies.

The whole thing would be powered by a combination of solar panels and geothermal energy.

It isn't clear when, if ever, this impressive desert city will ever actually come to fruition however and it remains, at least for the moment, more of a concept than a plan to be carried out in practice. It is quite possible though that structures like this will become the norm in the not-too-distant future.

A full set of conceptual designs for the tower can be viewed on the OXO Architectes site - here.

Source: Discovery News | Comments (7)

Tags: Sahara, Arcology