21st Century City in the Sky: Inspired by the Lotus Flower

[♥ Lily ♥]

City in the Sky: Inspired by the Lotus Flower.

This futuristic City in the Sky by Hrama imagines a world where gardens and oasis 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.

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.

The concept

'City in the sky' is a concept about an imaginary tranquil oasis above the mega-developed and polluted city, where
one can escape from the everyday noise and stress. It was developed as part of the 'Megatropolis' project, which
started in London with few artists, invited to create their own visions for the future mega-developed
city. The presentation depicts the familiar metropolitan areas of big cities that are with concentrated population of
10 million and above.

Although it is realistically presented, the concept doesn't intend to be realistic in terms of structure-engineering
or real living environment. It is an artistic imagination of a tranquil hideaway from the stress of everyday life.
In modern life, man is rushing with the course of success and progress but somewhere deep in his heart has the desire
for a quieter and greener reality, that seems increasingly further away. "City in the Sky" tries to remind about the
romantic connection with the heaven, tranquility and nature, even in the heart of vast metropolises like New York City.

Inspiration

The design was inspired by the Lotus flower, known for its ability to grow above the murky waters, pure and clean.
In the eastern culture the Lotus flower often symbolizes the ability to rise above the worries and troubles of everyday life,
bringing light and life in the hardest of times and places. Because of this it has been a subject of inspiration to many artists.

A haiku-poem by the Japanese poet Kobayashi Issa beautifully conveys this message:

世の中よ針だらけでも蓮の花

One translation of the poem is:

this world
full of needles and thorns ...
yet lotus blooms

The life in big cities is becoming increasingly faster and stressful, which might be the reason for more people to search
inner peace and become interested in meditation and means for alternative health. With the present conditions of
modern consumer economy people want more and more, which has resulted the architecture of certain areas
to reflect this mindset. Indeed megalopolises reach their limits and people are left without much choice but to go higher...
Or maybe there is another choice?

http://www.hrama.com/skycity/
http://inhabitat.com/city-in-the-sky...-metropolises/

[Leo Iscariot]

Cool.