The City in the Sky features glass and steel structures that support reflective ponds and sprawling lawns. Groves of trees offer a calm respite from the chaos far below. But the bucolic yet sterile City in the Sky is apparently not completely free of invasive species. After all, creeping ivy (the dream of every homeowner until they own a house and realize what a nightmare it really is) is crawling up the copper-colored trellises.
Higher than the LEED-certified Empire State Building and One World Trade Center, City in the Sky leaves us to assume that cherry trees would blossom year-round, pond lilies would daintily float in shimmering bodies of water, and the glass walls would shield residents and visitors from the winds that often smack New York and London. Speaking of London, the United Kingdom’s iconic Tower Bridge looks like a faded and sad reminder of the Queen’s recent diamond jubilee as its futuristic surroundings are dominated what look like a cross between the planet in the movie Avatar and the Jolly Green Giant’s garden.
No word yet on whether City in the Sky would be self-supporting through local enterprises like fish farms in those lovely ponds or if residents will leave posters reminding visitors to behave. But we do know that the scenes are breathtaking, and if you can withstand the music, a video describes how the project unfolded. You might even be inspired to write a Japanese haiku – according to Hrama, a poem penned by Kobayashi Issa over 200 years ago sums up City in the Sky’s vision.
+ City in the Sky
Photos courtesy Hrama
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This futuristic City in the Sky by Hrama imagines a world where gardens and oases soar far above the congestion and pollution that at times mars magnificent cities such as London and New York. Situated far above the traffic and grit of the city, the stratospheric urban parks are inspired by biomimicry and anchored by enormous towers in the shape of the symbol of purity and cleanliness, the lotus flower.
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High above the clouds are an endless chain of gardens and ponds. The set of Avatar suddenly looks like very cheap CGI.
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You might even be inspired to write a Japanese haiku – according to Hrama, a poem penned by Kobayashi Issa over 200 years ago sums up City in the Sky’s vision.
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The City in the Sky features Glass and steel structures that support reflective ponds and sprawling lawns.
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As winds whip around New York’s skyscrapers, visitors to City in the Sky thrive in what appears to be a subtropical environment. No word on whether the steel supports would maintain their copper sheen or would develop a more green patina.
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Groves of trees offer a calm respite from the chaos far below.
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City in the Sky takes aim at the iconic Tower Bridge in London. Built in 1894, the bridge looks like a sad reminder of the Queen’s recent diamond jubilee.
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The lotus flower-inspired towers offer a stunning contrast to the gardens and ponds that lie in between. They also look like artichoke flowers in a Jolly Green Giant commercial.
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Higher than the LEED-certified Empire State Building and One World Trade Center, City in the Sky assumes that cherry trees will blossom year-round and pond lilies will float in shimmering bodies of water. The glass walls would also shield residents and
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We wonder whether community gardens would be allowed in these magnificent structures.
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The scenes are breathtaking, and if you can withstand the music, a video describes how the project unfolded.
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