UNDER THE NUTSHELL - CURIOUS CREATIVITY

Unbuilt Buildings: 12 Awesome Future Architectural Designs

Bold, bio-inspired, vertical and sustainable: those are the traits that architecture of the future will share, if you go by the trends in current cutting-edge concept designs. While some of these architectural concepts will never become reality, others are already in progress or slated to begin construction soon. From a sparkling urban farm inspired by a dragonfly’s wing to a dystopian concept that embraces genetic engineering, here are 12 amazing designs that give us a peek into what the future may bring.

Songjiang Hotel: Paradise in a Water-Filled Quarry

(images via: Green Roofs)

The Songjiang Hotel by Atkins Design makes use of a beautiful water-filled quarry in the Songjiang district just outside Shanghai in China. This innovative design features a green roof, geothermal energy and underwater areas including a restaurant and guest rooms. The quarry provides an ideal setting for sports and leisure including swimming, water sports, rock climbing and bungee jumping. The Songjiang Hotel was originally slated to be completed by May 2009, but as of now it’s still just a concept.

Dragonfly, a Metabolic Farm for Urban Agriculture

(images via: Vincent Callebaut)

From Vincent Vallebaut, designer of the Lilypad concept, comes another stunning sustainable design that aims to meet the food, housing and energy challenges of the future. The Dragonfly is an urban farm concept for New York City’s Roosevelt Island, modeled after the wings of a dragonfly and designed to provide fresh, local food within an urban environment. Fruit, vegetables, grains, meat and dairy would be produced on the Dragonfly’s 132 floors and the entire structure would be powered by a combination of solar and wind power.

The Venus Project: Working Toward Sustainable Global Civilization

(images via: The Venus Project)

In order to survive global warming, the growing human population and other challenges in the upcoming centuries, some believe that we must start from scratch with a new model of human civilization that directs our technology and resources toward the positive, for the maximum benefit of the people and the planet. The Venus Project is a vision for a brand new world civilization and redesign of our entire culture. Circular cities with built-in farms and public transit, along with sea cities that can accommodate millions, are just part of this complex and visionary idea to take us “beyond politics, poverty and war”.

The Origami, Seamless Indoor/Outdoor Apartment Living

(images via: ArchDaily)

By making apartment buildings entirely vertical, we could enhance the livability of urban residences and provide lush green gardens for each apartment dweller to enjoy. The Origami by Kann Finch, designed for Meydan City in Dubai, would give each apartment an open quality that extends the internal living areas to extensive balconies with uplifting window walls. A patterned solid/glass screen gives the building visual interest from the outside and provides shade and privacy for the residents.

Dynamic, Wind-Powered Rotating Tower

(images via: Dynamic Architecture)

Italian architect David Fischer designed the Dynamic Tower Skyscraper so that each of its 80 floors would rotate according to voice command. Fischer wanted to design a space where you could enjoy the sunrise and sunset from the same room. The rotation takes up to 3 hours and is powered by solar panels and 79 wind turbines, with one turbine located between each floor. Almost the entire structure will be pre-fabricated offsite. Construction is due to be completed by the end of 2010.

Højblokka / Puls High-Rise

(images via: ArchDaily)

The Højblokka_PULS project by MAPT + DARK architects is another approach to vertical urban living, taking advantage of vertical space to expand the capacity of large cities as the population grows. The idea is to have buildings with smaller footprints that is woven into the circulation of the area, combining office spaces, hotels, leisure and shopping facilities with sunlit public spaces in its low-rise urban block.

Green and Modern Fair & Exhibition Space at the Punta Umbria Pavilion

(images via: DailyTonic)

MRDP Arquitectos, a Spanish design firm, wanted to create a space for fairs and exhibitions that would remain lively even in between events, maximizing the usage of the space. Their design for the Punta Umbria Pavilion is situated on an urban plaza and is contained under an expansive green roof covered in native, weather-resistant, low-maintenance plants. A 17m tower serves as a ‘lighthouse’ that provides views of the river and its surroundings.

Sky-Terra Skyscrapers: Urban Recreation in the Sky

(images via: The Design Blog)

As cities become more crowded, green urban space comes at a premium. One idea for preserving recreation space in urban environments is the Sky-Terra Skyscraper by San Francisco-based designer Joanna Borek-Clement. Sky-Terra is a neuron-like network of skyscrapers that tower over the city, bringing public parks, amphitheaters, fields and public pools closer to the sun. The inner core of each structure has elevators to transport people from street level to the top.

The Future World Trade Center

(images via: WTC)

New York was deprived of its Twin Towers in 2001, but it will soon have a whole new World Trade Center gracing its skyline. Made up of five new skyscrapers, a museum, a transportation hub, a retail complex and a performing arts center, the new design aims to make the World Trade Center a cultural and commemorative destination. The memorial plaza is scheduled to open on September 11th 2011, followed by the underground memorial museum and Tower 4 in 2012 and the Freedom Tower in 2013. The economic meltdown has slowed progress and it’s unknown when towers 2, 3 and 5 will be completed.

‘My Dream, Our Vision’ by Design Act

(images via: ArchiCentral)

Singapore-based design firm Design Act created the ‘My Dream, Our Vision’ concept for the World Expo 2010 Singapore Pavilion Competition. It uses permutated cubes to generate a pixelated-looking sculptural building that that looks like an illuminated ‘digital cloud’ hovering over a constantly changing green pasture. Designed to present Singapore as the ideal example of a city that can transform the lives of everyone who comes into contact with it, the ‘My Dream, Our Vision’ concept encourages visitors to post their dreams inside.

No Man’s Land: Fresh Water, Clean Energy… and Peace

(images via: Inhabitat)

Can architecture foster peace in the Middle East? The No Man’s Land concept by New York-based architect Phu Hoang Office solves some site-specific issues such as friction over water control and also provides recreation, tourist attractions and renewable energy. The No Man’s Land design is made up of a network of islands, creating an artificial archipelago that actually extracts water molecules from the air to be desalinated, providing fresh drinking water.

Dystopian Farming in Manhattan

(images via: eVolo)

Resembling the nest of an insect, the Dystopian Farming project by Eric Vergne combines farms, worker housing and market places, mixing politically opposing classes – farmers and urban consumers. The idea is to reject the romanticizing of food projection and embrace genetic engineering, airoponic watering and nutrient technologies in a fully man-controlled environment in order to meet Manhattan’s food production needs.

THE WEEK THAT WAS IN PICTURES

A galaxy called NGC 1097, which is located 50 million light-years away. The "eye" at the centre of the galaxy is actually a monstrous black hole surrounded by a ring of stars. Image obtained by NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope

Picture: REUTERS / NASA

The minaret of a mosque is silhouetted against a partial solar eclipse in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China

Picture: REUTER

A statue of Houyi, a Chinese legendary hero who shot down nine suns with his bow and arrow, is silhouetted against a partial solar eclipse in Changzhi, China

Picture: REUTERS

A lawmaker of the main opposition Democratic Party tries to block a vice speaker of the National Assembly from passing new bills at the National Assembly main chamber in Seoul, South Korea

Picture: REUTERS

Border guards of India and Pakistan eye one another at a daily closing ceremony at the Wagha border post near Lahore

Picture: AP

A member of the fire brigade of Belchite works around a fire in Andorra early on July 23, 2009, near Teruel, Spain

Picture: AFP/GETTY

Two bee farmers, Li Wenhua and Yan Hongxia, smile as bees cover their bodies in Ningan, Heilongjiang Province, China

Picture: BARCROFT MEDIA

China Daily / Reuters

Respite from the heat

A boy jumps into the Yangtze River to cool down in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, on July 18. A heat wave hit Wuhan with temperatures exceeding 102 degrees Fahrenheit, local media reported.

Charles Krupa / AP

Green with envy

A frog opens its mouth while resting in a freshly weeded garden bed of basil at the Many Hands Organic Farm in Barre, Mass., on July 22.

Al Behrman / AP

Creating a buzz

A carpenter bee collects pollen from a flower on July 21 in Cincinnati.

Li Zhong / Imaginechina

Electrifying experience

Chinese construction workers are seen on a 1,214-foot-tall pylon under construction on the Damaoshan Mountain in Zhoushan city, east China's Zhejiang province, on July 20. When finished in 2010, the world's tallest pylon will be used to trasmit 220 kilovolts of electricity from the mainland to Zhoushan Islands about 5 1/2 miles away.

Newborn baby panthers Larisa and Sipura stare at photographers during a media presentation of the cubs at the Tierpark zoo in Berlin, Germany. The two panthers are twins and were born on April 26. Photo: Getty Images

British National Party leader Nick Griffin (centre) is hit by an egg as demonstrators try to disrupt a press conference outside the Houses of Parliament in London. Mr Griffin and his fellow party member Andrew Brons were elected to the European Parliament in last week's elections.

Liesel Weiser, a 94-year-old gymnastics instructor and the grandmother of comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, teaches her students at their retirement home in the Israeli coastal town of Bat Yam

Mark J. Terrill / AP

In synch

The Canadian team performs during the free combination preliminary of the synchronized swimming competition, at the FINA Swimming World Championships in Rome on July 21.

Penang Durians

Identifying Good Penang Durians Durians in the tree (30 May 2009) © Timothy Tye All the best durians of Penang are known by where they come from. Most of these were planted by serious durian enthusiasts a few decades ago, and now their children are harvesting the fruit of their labour, literally so to speak. Durian planters name their trees, caring for them like family heirloom. They can tell you exactly how the durian is going to taste like, and how it will appear. Appearance-wise, many people like durians with dark yellow to golden-colored flesh, although the taste is often unrelated to the appearance. The best durian trees were planted about thirty to thirty five years ago. Although younger trees may bear the same name as their parents, they cannot match the older trees in terms of quality. When visiting durian farms, it is therefore necessary to go to farms with plenty of well-maintained older trees. Durian trees require a lot of care to produce good durians. Rot and termite-attack can affect the health of durian trees and affect both the quantity produced as well as quality. Most durian plantations set up netting to prevent the durians from hitting the ground, as the impact will damage the flesh within. Penang people appreciate durians that are soft and flavorful. The flesh has to be uniformly soft - if any part of the flesh is harder than the rest, the durian is considered poor quality. Generally, thick-flesh durians with a small seed are preferred over thin-flesh durians. A thin membrane encases the fresh. The flesh should separate from the seed without sticking to it. The taste should range from sweet to bittersweet. Durian connoisseur can identify the name of the durian by taste. The "aroma" of fresh durians - which many foreigner visitors might find to be obnoxiously unpleasant - is what the locals crave for. The aroma of the durian is strongest around the stem part of the fruit, and weakest at the tail end. The flesh at the top part of the durian is the finest quality The full-body aroma can only be appreciated at the durian farms themselves, by consuming durians that have freshly dropped from the tree the night before. The longer it is kept, the less fresh it gets. For that reason, supermarket durians and plastic-wrapped, refrigerated durians cannot measure up. Where durians are concerned, size doesn't matter. The best tasting durians can come from the smallest to the biggest of fruits. Having said that, however, through my personal experience, the better durians range from the small to the medium sized. Durians are never plucked. They must drop from the tree naturally. Climatic factors affect the quality of durians, even from the best trees. The most flavorful durians are those that drop from the tree during a dry spell - the aroma and taste will be strongest. Too much rain during the budding and ripening seasons will have an adverse effect, the former causing blossoms to drop while the latter diluting the taste. Continuous rainy days over a period would adversely affect the quality of the durian. Durians that fall during a thunderstorm or heavy downpour are not of the best quality. It is not sufficient simply to consume the durians, it is also required that we know what durian we are consuming. Click here for a listing of Penang durians. People who know their durian will be able to name them (my own favorites include the Xiao Hong and the Yah Kang). To stuff yourself with durians without knowing what you are eating is like gobbling chocolate with your eyes shut. That, to me, is a waste of good durians. D11 "Number Eleven" is a very popular durian in the 70's. It has creamy yellow flesh with a pleasant taste and a subtle smell. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2004. D604 The D604 was first cultivated by the late Mr. Teh Hew Hong of Sungai Pinang, Balik Pulau. The flesh is quite sweet, and has some "body" to it as the seed is small. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2004. D600 This durian originates in Sungai Pinang in Balik Pulau. The flesh has a bittersweet taste to it, with a touch of sourness. The one that I documented is a bit hard. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2004. D700 The flesh is darker than D600, like chrome yellow. Also slightly hard. Crispy, but the smell is not very strong. Ang Sim (Red Heart) Ang Sim is a durian with flesh which is quite soft and very sweet, and dark yellow in colour. It also has a nice aroma. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2004 and again in 2006. Khun Poh This durian takes the name of the late Mr Lau Khun Poh, who first budded it. Khun Poh has beautiful orangy flesh with a slightly bitter-sweet taste and a heavy aroma. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2004. Hor Loh (Water Gourd Durian) The flesh of the Hor Loh is very soft, dry and quite bitter. It has a sharp smell to it. Hor Loh was first cultivated at the Brown orchard of Sungai Ara. It got its name from its appearance resembling a "Hor Lor" pumpkin. If the durian hits the ground hard when it falls, the flesh tends to be bitter thereafter. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2004 and again in 2006. Ang Heh (Red Prawn Durian) Ang Heh originates from Pondok Upeh, Balik Pulau, and has a round-shaped husk. The orange reddish flesh is highly aromatic, very soft with a bitter-sweet taste. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2004 and again in 2006. Xiao Hung (Little Red Durian) Xiao Hung, whose name means "Little Red One," originates in Sungai Pinang, Balik Pulau. The flesh has a bittersweet taste to it, with a touch of sourness. The one that I tasted for this write-up is a bit hard. There are only one or two seeds per section, but the flesh is thick. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2004. Yah Kang (Centipede Durian) Yah Kang is one of my favourite durians. Although its flesh is whitish, the taste is superb, milky, like very sweet, melting chocolate. The name "yah kang" means centipede, and accounts for the number of centipedes found at the foot of the tree, hence giving it the rather unusual name. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2004 and again in 2006. Bak Eu (Pork Fat Durian) Bak Eu has a slightly acidic aroma. The flesh is whitish while the taste is quite bitter but nice. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2004. The following are some of the durians I tried the first time at Peng Siew Durian orchard in Titi Serong, Balik Pulau, on the 2006 AsiaExplorers Durian Feast, on 17 June, 2006. D17 D17 is dark cream flesh. The taste is slightly dry but sweet. It is a tasty durian. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2006. Coupling This durian is gets its unusual name because it looks like two durians joined together, one big and one small. When split open, you almost thought the two halves belong to two different durians. Coupling has whitish flesh which is slightly dry but tastes good. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2006. Ooi Kyau (Tumeric Durian) The name Ooi Kyau (tumeric) describes the colour of the bright yellow flesh of this durian. It is very sweet and tasty. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2006. Chaer Phoy (Green Skin Durian) Chaer Phoy is shaped like a small canteloupe. The skin is bright green, giving it the name which means "green skin". Chaer Phoy has creamy white flesh which is a bit dry, not too sweet but tasty. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2006. Ang Jin (Red Yoke Durian) As the name suggests, Ang Jin Durian has deep orange flesh. It is very sweet and tasty. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2006. Lin Fong Jiau This durian is named after Lin Fong Jiau, aka Mrs Jackie Chan. I wonder whether it is indicative of the relationship of the celebrity couple, for Lin Fong Jiau is a bittersweet durian, for too bitter for my liking. The flesh is whitish and wet. AsiaExplorers first documented this durian in 2006. The following durian is what I tried the first time at Bao Sheng orchard in Titi Kerawang, on the 2007 AsiaExplorers Durian Feast, on 24 May, 2007. D15 The D15 has yellow yellow and its taste is sweet with a slight trace of bitterness. The flesh is quite substantial. Durian-related Links AsiaExplorers Durian Page Durian Farms Bao Sheng Durian Farm 2008 Durian Feast 28 June 2008 Durian Feast Report Durian, in The Flowering Garden