Light Park, the flying skyscrapers of Ting Xu and Yiming Chen
By Amélie Secher. When China imagines the future of cities in the sky in the image of the gas exploitation of Bespin (the empire against attack) or the castle in the clouds of the dreamlike work of Miyazaki …
Facing the urbanization problems of this growing country, the Chinese architects Ting Xu and Yiming Chen imagined an air city called Light park and suspended with helium balloons such as a hot air balloon. This concept both saves land resources and is also a reference in terms of sustainable development (solar panels, bioclimatic orientation, rainwater harvesters, etc.). Presented as a utopian society, Light Park uses solar powered thrusters (also used for the inhabitants’ energy needs), as well as airbags and atmospheric pressure characteristics. Floodplains, irrigated by rainwater, have been designed to collect as much sun as possible.
The project of Ting Xu and Yiming Chen won the third place of the eVolo’s 2013 Skyscraper competition.
© Ting Xu & Yiming Chen