The “Seaside Periscope” just goes to show that even a restroom, yes… a restroom, can be an architectural masterpiece! Set in Gydnia, overlooking the Baltic Sea, the design’s key feature is a system of large mirrors that work like a periscope to give people inside a view of the sea so that even while they are doing their business they can enjoy the scenery! The monolithic concrete structure owes its shape to this unique function, but also blends with the local landscape with its curved top section which houses the mirrors and mimics the breakwater.
Designer: Adam Wiercinski
Guardian of the Amazon
The Rainforest Guardian Skyscraper rises above the canopy line to keep protective watch of the Amazon. The designs consists of a water tower, forest fire station, weather station, and scientific research lab. The lotus-shaped tower effectively captures rainwater to prevent fires, provide water to its inhabitants as well as irrigate the land in the dry season.
The lotus-shaped water tower is capable of capturing rainwater directly. The collected water is filtered and store in spare reservoirs. Using capillarity combined with active energy, the aerial roots with a distinct sponge-structure can absorb and store the excess water without disturbing the Amazon’s ecosystem. In the case of fire, firefighters fly to the scene and extinguish the fire with the collected water. In addition, the Guardian Skyscraper provides special scientific research laboratories for scientists to monitor the climate change and the ecosystem stability. The laborites also act as exhibition spaces for tourists to create environmental awareness.
Designers: Jie Huang, Jin Wei, Qiaowan Tang, Yiwei Yu, Zhe Hao
Water Purifying Bridge
This bridge proposal for the Amsterdam canals follows the form of a water vortex, pumping dirty canal water through steel tubes while creating a current to replace it with fresh water while also easing the cleanup process of the current boat system. The bridge also acts as a sanctuary for birds attracted to the clean water and even features a coffee shop for the many cyclists and pedestrians who would cross every day.
Designer: Margot Krasojevic
