Futuristic Architecture

1. BIOSPHERE 2

Biosphere 2 is a new type of laboratory which combines state-of-the-art architecture with mechanical and computer monitoring systems. It is a tightly sealed glass and steel structure covering 3.15 acres in Arizona, which Scientists have built to create several complete ecosystems or biomes that mirror those on Earth.

The ecological systems of Biosphere 2 include an ocean, a savannah, a tropical rainforest, a human habitat, a desert and a marsh. Its steel struts are finished with a corrosion-resistant material. The Biosphere 2 was designed and built to last 100 years, providing sufficient data for scientific research to have a better understanding of the world’s works.

(Source:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/inluxury/2317/1378133330517/water_discus_hotel_2443547bjpg/ALTERNATES/w940-land/Water_Discus_hotel_2443547b.jpg)

2. WATER DISCUS HOTEL

Deep Ocean Technology is currently designing the world’s largest underwater hotel, set to be built in Dubai. The Water Discus, however, is not the first underwater hotel - Maldives and Florida beat Dubai to it. The Water Discus will have 21 suites, a bar and a dive center.

Water Discus Hotels has two discs - one under water and one above water. This combination will allow guests to admire the depths of the ocean whilst indulging in the warm climate. The two parts of the structure are joined by five solid legs and a vertical shaft containing a lift and a stairway. The size of each disc has been accommodated to local conditions.

( Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/Wiki_bio2_sunset_001.jpg )

3. ENDLESS SKYSCRAPER

Recently winning first place in a Skyscraper Competition, SURE Architecture has proposed a design for a London skyscraper. Their skyscraper, entitled “The Endless City in Height,” is designed to stand three hundred metres tall. It will be built with its own complete ecosystem featuring offices, shops and parks.

The ramps of the buildings are connected by a series of bridges and walkways. Shops located along the ramps are free to customize their front façade in any way they would like. This adds a sense of vibrancy to the design. Structural support for the tower would be provided by six steel tubes, which would also house plumbing and electrical work for the majority of the building.

( Source: http://static.dezeen.com/uploads/2014/09/Endless-city-by-SURE-Architecture_dezeen_468_0.jpg )

4. GEISEL LIBRARY

The form of the Geisel library may seem like a structure that has just jumped off the pages of a science fiction comic. In reality, it is the main library of the University of California in San Diego. The building occupies an enrapturing nexus between brutalism and futurism. With its alien structure, the library is given an unearthly appearance and provides a startling statement about the imaginative power of an architect.

The tower is a major example of the brutalist architecture movement that flourished from the 1950s to the mid-1970s. From their perches within the tower, which rises 110 feet above ground at the highest point, students are able to gaze across vast expanses of the campus and beyond.

( Source:http://www.google.com.my/imgres?imgurl=http://www.hossedia.com/wp-content/uploads/GibselLibrary.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.hossedia.com/2012/04/la-jolla-ucsd/&h=968&w=1290&tbnid=RA1HeBLoM4cjGM:&zoom=1&docid=jY0t4mjZZ7GuBM&ei=WGDDVPf-Hoj68QWfo4HICw&tbm=isch&ved=0CDkQMygLMAs )

5. SCIENCE CITY

The City of Arts and Science is a cluster of futuristic buildings designed by Santiago Calatrava. This cultural and architectural compound covers an area of 350,000 square meters in Valencia, Spain. The amazing cluster of buildings include:

L’Hemisféric: A cinema, the centerpiece of the City of Arts and Sciences. Its design resembles a slightly opened eyelid, giving access to the surrounding water pool. The City of Arts and Sciences is split in half by a set of stairs that descend into a vaulted concrete lobby. In this lobby, there is a miraculous echo and if two people were to stand on the two opposite pillars inside the eye, they would be able to have an audible conversation.

L’Umbracle: A scenic walk with a variety of plant species. It harbors the Walk of the Sculptures, an outdoor art gallery with sculptures by contemporary artists. L’Umbracle is also home to numerous free-standing sculptures surrounded by nature. The spectacular plants displayed were carefully picked to change colour with each season.

L’Oceanogràfic: An open-air oceanographic park which was built in the shape of a water lily. Each building epitomizes different aquatic environments including the Mediterranean, the Wetlands, Temperate Seas, Tropical Seas, Oceans, the Antarctic, the Arctic, Islands and the Red Sea.

( Source: https://abidare.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/otherworldly-forms.jpg )

“As the site is close to the sea, and Valencia is so dry, I decided to make water a major element for the whole site using it as a mirror for the architecture.” - Santiago Calatrava