Floating Structures Scrub The Air Of Pollution
Jellyfish-like buildings float high above the city, cleaning the air in this design proposal.
Some things that existed as science fiction in the past, have now turned into reality. Video chats and holograms were standard in Star Trek before TuPac made it to Coachella and Skype exploded. That’s why the thought of floating jellyfish cleaning the air in our cities may look and sound like a fantasy, but could very well be the norm one day. Designers Hao Tian, Huang Haiyang and Shi Jianwei have envisioned the city of the future with an army of hovering, acid-purifying skyscrapers that would improve our quality of air and life.
Their concept was submitted to the annual Evolo Skyscraper competition, which rewards innovation in design, use of materials, aesthetic and technology of the vertical buildings that dominate our cities. The ‘pH Conditioner’ design would sit 200-300 meters above the city, where pollutants gather and would absorb acidic material and neutralize it. Industrialization and our use of fossil fuels has put the earth’s air and soil at dangerously acidic levels, these jellyfish structures would purify the air, and turn the pollutants into available resources such as water and fertilizer.
This design was one of 24 honorable mentions in the competition. If you want to see some really crazy stuff, check out the winner, a ‘polar umbrella‘.