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
