From underwater towers to a ‘self-replicating’ cocoon hotel

The future of skyscrapers is not set in stone, concrete or steel. Instead, they may be made of coral-like materials or inspired by silkworms.

An annual competition organized by eVolo Magazine has produced some of the craziest and wildest designs for future skyscrapers.

First was the Chinese skyscraper proposal Urban Intercropping, submitted by Penghao Zhao et al (and others)Credit: Penghao Zhao et al

In second place was the Streamline Concerto, another Chinese design by Jianwei Zhu et al.Credit: Jianwei Zhu et al

About 1,000 meters below the sea surface, this skyscraper has dozens of spherical pods that offer residents fantastic views of the seaCredit: Mohammed Noeman Coutry et al

These are the winners:

Urban mixed farming

First on the list was the Chinese skyscraper proposal Urban Intercropping, submitted by Penghao Zhao et al (and others).

The design uses an advanced planting system that can maintain air quality in metropolitan areas.

Architects have proposed using specific plants that naturally absorb the most CO2 and produce the most oxygen, so that city dwellers can also enjoy fresh air.

The Streamline Concerto

In second place was the Streamline Concerto, another Chinese design by Jianwei Zhu et al.

Instead of a continuous upward climb, architects have suggested that skyscrapers should not develop vertically.

Instead, these buildings can be long, sprawling structures that extend across the ground in all directions.

The team has designed a skyscraper that will be built along the banks of the Yellow River, the second longest river in China, in an effort to combat bank erosion.

The skyscraper will have homes built into the riverbank so that the bank does not wash away.

Check out the stunning mega car with its own fold-out FLYING plane that pops out of the trunk

Ocean Lungs skyscraper

Located approximately 1,000 meters below sea level, this skyscraper consists of dozens of spherical buildings that offer residents stunning views of the sea.

The Ocean Lungs skyscraper was designed by Mohammed Noeman Coutry et al, a team of architects from Egypt.

They designed the building from environmentally friendly concrete, enriched with aragonite, an important component of coral skeletons.

Self-replicating structures and disaster hotels

This bizarre ‘self-replicating’ hotel by Iran-based HSH Design Studio is inspired by the cocoons of silkwormsCredit: HSH Design Studio

Silkworm Skyscraper: Self-Replicating Hotel

This bizarre ‘self-replicating’ hotel by Iranian HSH Design Studio is inspired by the cocoons of silkworms.

“The overall geometry of the hotel’s skyscraper is derived from a standing cube resembling a silkworm cocoon, which is suspended to create diverse and experimental spatial qualities,” the team wrote.

Similar to the idea of the Streamline Concerto, a skyscraper that extends horizontally, the team at HSH Design Studio believes their structure can be extended both upwards and sideways.

“Composites of silkworm cocoon fibers with a white color and elliptical shape as a replicable structure offer the possibility to expand the hotel horizontally and vertically if desired, without the need to demolish land and construct new buildings,” they added.

Chinese designers Zhengsheng Pu, Bingrui Liu and Jingxiang Hong et al have designed the largest hydropower project in the worldCredit: Zhengsheng Pu et al

Clouds over the Three Gorges

When cities eventually run out of room for more skyscrapers, designers are expected to turn to the most unexpected corners of the world, such as canyons and dams.

Chinese designers Zhengsheng Pu, Bingrui Liu and Jingxiang Hong and others have designed the largest hydropower project in the world.

The design is a high-rise building with a lightweight mesh structure, resembling giant spider webs attached to large cranes.

How you would maneuver around this construction is unclear, but according to the magazine it ranked fourth.

The skyscraper by German designers Pablo Allen Vizan and Inma Herves González is inspired by time capsulesCredits: Pablo Allen Vizan and Inma Herves González

Skyscraper by Memory Drop

The Memory Drop skyscraper is a breathtaking coastal structure that is likely to become a new six-star hotel.

German designers Pablo Allen Vizan and Inma Herves González designed a skyscraper inspired by time capsules.

It has many chambers that give access to the core of the sphere, where the ‘memory drop’ hangs lowest.

The skyscraper is more than just homes or a hotel, but an entire city with classrooms, supermarkets, officersCredit: Yinuo Zhang et al

Disaster management and regeneration island

This apocalypse-proof hotel was designed with Japan in mind, an island nation ravaged by several brutal natural disasters.

According to Chinese designers Yinuo Zhang, Jialu Huang Binbin Ye and Ya Yu, the “mobile regeneration island” can move in real time depending on the location of the disaster.

“We use a spiral turntable structure and adjust the shape by rotation, so that the regeneration island can flexibly respond to different situations,” the team explains.

The skyscraper is more than just homes or a hotel, it is an entire city with classrooms, supermarkets and police officers.

Residents travel through the tower using a lift system. From the large gardens at the top, they can reach the islands below.