Scott’s Tower for Singapore by UNStudio
The 31-story Scott’s Tower by UNStudio might resemble any ordinary high-rise residential building if not for the ‘Sky Frames’ that add social spaces at various levels, giving inhabitants of the 231 apartments access to swimming pools, barbecue grills and other social and recreational features.
Vertical City for a Disused Bridge in Italy
A mostly disused highway stretches through over 300 miles of countryside in southern Italy, re-developed several times in the ‘60s but never finished. The local government in Calabria decommissioned a stretch of it to build a new main road, but didn’t want the already-built bridge infrastructure to go to waste, so they called for ideas that would give it a new use. This concept called Vertical Villages turns it into a self-contained, self-powered city of its own, with vertical housing, shops, offices and recreational space built into the support structures of the bridge. The top would function as a pedestrian walkway.
Sky Village for Los Angeles
Los Angeles is a sprawling city with disparate areas sectioned off by freeway after freeway, discouraging a lot of interaction between neighborhoods. This ‘Skyvillage’ concept brings residents together on top of the city’s existing infrastructure with a series of interconnected vertical structures making use of the space above and around the highway interchange. Reclaiming that space, the sky village boosts cultural exchange and socializing between neighborhoods and also filters smog from the air.
Future Towers for India by MVRDV
Grappling with a multiplying population, India is seeing an increase in large-scale residential projects, most lacking in imagination and ingenuity. MVRDV is changing that dynamic with Future Towers, an undulating series of structures that act as cities of their own. Over 1,000 apartments ranging from studio to villa size are integrated into the stepped design, creating private balconies and enhancing air circulation. The buildings will also contain shops, bars, cafes, a school, a swimming pool, parks and other amenities.
