Flat Tower: Massive Honeycomb Skyscraper Arches Over Green Space

This proposed arched building is a unique solution to the question of how to create density without dominating a skyline or swallowing green space. Proposed for the city of Rennes, France, the gargantuan inhabited dome placed second in this year’s <a href="http://www.evolo.us/category/competition/">eVolo skyscraper competition</a>. Designed by Yoann Mescam, Paul-Eric Schirr-Bonnans, and Xavier Schirr-Bonnans, <a href="http://www.evolo.us/competition/flat-tower/">Flat Tower</a> envelops a vast <a href="http://inhabitat.com/landscape-architecture/">green space</a>, has the ability to collect sun and rainwater and is also a sustainable solution to developing appropriately large scale developments.

The massive arch is 800 meters across or the length of the <a href="http://inhabitat.com/burj-dubai-opens/">Burj Khalifa </a>building set on its side.

The principle was to build a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/steven-holls-horizontal-skyscraper/">large building </a>without disrupting the skyline of a midsized city. Sizable honeycomb perforations allow daylight into the green space below while providing windows for the complex's rooms.

The building will hold recreational facilities at the ground level and residential and office spaces inside the vast complex above.

Spaces can be arranged as clusters to provide for the needs of the inhabitants. Connectivity is achieved by an<a href="http://inhabitat.com/terreforms-soft-car/"> automated transport system</a>.

The roof mimics a<a href="http://inhabitat.com/colossal-green-volcano-rises-in-italy/"> hill</a>, providing an optimal space to install solar electric panels on the southern face. The building also can collect rainwater for domestic use or to feed the urban green space below its arched mass.

The design team note that while this project was placed in Rennes, France, it could work well in many mid sized cities.