The Future Is Now: 10 Insane Architectural Projects

With ecological issues like global warming and overpopulation on the rise, Hollywood’s apocalyptic dystopias—think Waterworld or Children of Men—may be closer than we anticipate. Focusing on self-sufficiency and sustainability, architects around the world are redefining structural design, visualizing entire cities in the clouds, underground and out at sea.

Check out these innovative projects, including a “mega pyramid” and “super tower” to learn what our architectural future may hold.

The 10 Most Insane Architectural Projects Proposed Right Now.

Mexican firm BNKR Arquitectura has proposed a 65-story subterranean building that they’re calling an “earthscraper” right in the middle of jam-packed Mexico City. Shaped like an inverted pyramid and extending nearly 1,000 feet into the ground, the building would cost $800 million to create and house an Aztec museum, retail stores, apartments and businesses. While waiting for approval from local authorities, BNKR is designing a fiber optics system to transport sunlight from the surface to the bottom floors—no small feat given the depth.

Scientists have predicted that glacial melting will cause several islands and coastal areas to be underwater by 2100. In response, Architect Vincent Callebaut has designed a floating city that could house 50,000 humans. Covered in greenery, with an underbelly bed for sea planktons and oceanic plants, Callebaut’s design stresses harmony with nature and complete self-sufficiency. With three marinas, three mountain ranges, shops, entertainment and a “palm oasis,” The Lilypad is as much resort as refuge.

Seeking to design a space where you could see sunrise and sunset from the same room, Italian architect David Fischer designed a building where each of the 80 floors rotates by voice command. Solar panels and wind turbines power the three-hour full spin. Almost the entire structure will be pre-fabricated offsite, cutting typical construction time from six weeks per floor to six days per floor. While Fisher claimed that two towers would be complete in 2010, no ground has been broken in either of the rumored locations and no official announcements have been made.

In just five years there will be 100,000 more people in London and not enough lodging to fit them. The firm Populararchitecture thinks a 5,000-foot tall, 450-floor phallic building that could shelter all 100,000 is the solution. Broken up into municipal areas—600 person neighborhoods, 12,000 person villages and 33,000 person districts—elected representatives would serve in local governments. What look like holes on the buildings exterior from afar, are common spaces housing a skating rink, botanical garden, theater and several tennis courts. A spiral road around the edge of the tower would connect the public space with the residential areas.

Another attempt to resolve rising ocean levels, Malaysian Sarly Adre Bin Sarkum’s Water-Scraper is designed as both a floating island and oceanic tower able to harvest renewable energy and grow its own food via farming, aquaculture and hydroponics. Wave, wind and solar power would be used to generate electricity for the entirely self-sufficient office and living space. A system of ballasts and bioluminescent tentacles would keep the building upright, while also providing sea fauna a place to live and collect.

Taichung, Taiwan's third largest city, will soon be home to a 985-foot, tree-like tower with eight leaf-like floating observatories. Inspired by science fiction and video games, the futuristic building will host a museum, office center, conference venue, urban park and several restaurants. A strong electromagnetic field and helium balloons will allow the 80-person elevator observatories to move along vertical tracks. Light and heat will come from a fiber optic dome and geothermal plant, respectively, while solar cells and turbines will generate power.

14 times higher than the Great Pyramid of Giza and designed to house 750,000 people, the technology to create this massive structure doesn’t yet exist—the super-strong, lightweight materials required are still in development. Floating over the Tokyo Bay, the mega pyramid would be comprised of 204 smaller pyramids stacked eight high. Photovoltaic film covering the outside of the structure or fuel cells powered by algae would generate power for the moving walkways, elevators and automated pods that would move people around the residential, commercial and leisure areas.

Resembling a cloud floating almost 1,000 feet in the air, Lebanese architect Nadim Karam designed this resort-in-the-sky. Translucent support beams extending to the ground look like sheets of rain falling from the huge horizontal platform. Tubular shafts bring patrons from a ground-level reflecting pool to the many amenities at the top: lakes, gardens, rotating bridges, spiraling walkways and terraces, along with an auditorium and sports arena designed for futuristic sky games.

Promising to be the world’s most sustainable city when complete in 2020, Masdar City in Abu Dhabi touts a zero-carbon, zero-waste ecological system. The metropolis will need 60% less water than today’s average city and 80% of all water used will be recycled. Wind, solar, geothermal and hydrogen energy will all power the city. The excess heat caused by cement and auto exhaust in most urban areas will be almost non-existent thanks to electric cars and underground pod-like vehicles. In addition to homes for 45-50,000 residents, the city hopes to attract 1,500 businesses, principally those specializing in the creation of environmentally friendly products.

Recreation space is rare in the world’s most-congested cities and in the parks that do exist, tall buildings often block the sun and auto exhaust pollutes the air. San Francisco designer Joanna Borek-Clement’s solution is to build green areas atop interconnected skyscapers 1,600 feet above the ground. Elevators in each scraper’s inner core would transport people to the top, a sanctuary of green filled with sports fields, amphitheaters, pools and public parks. Sustainability efforts, like rainwater collection and modular construction, would cut both pollution and energy costs.