Tuesday 5 August 2014

A Futuristic World and its Architecture

The world moves at an alarmingly quick pace; if you think back to your childhood, does it even look like the same place? Well, how about that same amount of time into the future.

Here we take a look at some of the world’s most futuristic architecture and imagine what our cities will look like in years to come.  

Burj Khalifa, Dubai
 (image: Hisham Binsuwaif under CC BY-SA 2.0

The World’s tallest building since 2010 had to be on this list. At 2,716.5ft, it is also the world’s tallest free-standing structure, has the highest number of stories, the highest occupied floor, the highest outdoor observation deck and the longest elevator.

Basically, it’s tall! But besides its size, the Burj Khalifa is also a stunningly designed building. Three elements, centred on a central core, point outwards like a spider lily with onion dome motifs.

To enjoy the best uninterrupted views of this magnificent creation rent one of the Palm Jumeirah villas or take a trip to the World Islands.  

Gardens by the Bay, Singapore
 (image: Gardens by the Bay under CC BY-SA 2.0) 

The supertrees, in the Gardens by the Bay, in Singapore, are truly magical. Lit up at night they look like space ships in a fantasy land. Singapore’s government want to change this ‘garden city’ to a ‘city in a garden’, and this park is doing its bit to help this movement.

The Gardens are set over 250acres of land in central Singapore, next to the Marina Reservoir. The trees are built for aesthetic reasons, as well as to act as environmental engines for the space they sit in.  

Galaxy Soho Building, Beijing
  (image: Engineering Cut

These eco-friendly buildings are a modern take on a traditional Chinese courtyard; which is overlooked from all angles. With five sections the buildings blend together with a flow like expanse to create offices and a retail centre.

This building not only looks futuristic, but has our futures in mind too. It also conserves energy and water, and reduces emissions - a clever design with a conscience.  

W57 Pyramid, New York 


(image: Human Scribbles)

Currently being built is a rather unusual looking, triangular structure on the crossing of 57th street.

Designed by a Danish architect Bjarke Ingels, and assisted by Soren Grunert, this building is intended to hold retail stores for designer brands such as Hugo Boss, and provide modern city living.  

Absolute World Towers, Mississauga

Canada is known for its famous CN Tower, but who could miss these unusual looking twin buildings in Mississauga. Could you imagine living in these twists? Well, you could, as they are filled with residential condominiums.

Thanks to their curves these buildings are affectionately known as the ‘Marilyn Monroe Towers’, and they have won many design and engineering awards.

Could these be the skyscrapers of the future?

There are plenty of other wonderful buildings out there; the beehive-like Al Bahar Towers in Abu Dhabi, the soon to be opened National Museum of Qatar and the proposed Water Discus Hotel in Dubai.

Our skylines are rapidly changing so we’re not 100% sure what our future will look like, but we are sure the buildings will be beautiful.