The Analemma skyscraper could one day be out of this world, literally.
An architecture firm in New York once proposed a new massive building to be added to the skyline in a totally unique way.
It would feature some of the most expensive apartments on the market and only be accessible by drone.
Oh, and it would have to be suspended by extension cords from an asteroid.
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Before you ask – yes, this is something that a real company has proposed doing, rather than some sort of hypothetical thought experiment or science fiction creation.
Of course, it’s a long way from being built for real – and a lot of it remains theoretical – but the company seems to believe that it could be done one day.
Clouds Architecture Office was inspired by what they describe as a slow-growing trend in architecture: buildings becoming skyborne.
“Going back to the earliest known structures, we can see a clear pattern emerging,” said the firm in a statement.
“We are in the process of dislodging ourselves from the planet’s surface.”
The firm isn’t wrong: Elon Musk is making rapid progress with his mission to get people to Mars.
And, on a smaller scale, you can now Airbnb the house from Up, airborne thanks to a giant crane.
However, the architecture office is thinking completely out of the box with its concept for a skyscraper that hangs from an asteroid.
The building – if ever built – will be launched in Manhattan but is set to be built in Dubai where it is much cheaper to make skyscrapers.
The asteroid will use the Earth’s orbit to travel between the northern and southern hemispheres before returning to the same place in the sky every single day.
Instead of being based on land, the structure will be space-based, using the Universal Orbital Support System, the same principles used in a space elevator, which is another concept straight out of the sci-fi world.
A high-strength cable would have to be lowered from a large asteroid placed into Earth’s orbit, from which the skyscraper would then be suspended.
People would be able to move between the Analemma and Earth using electromagnetic elevators.
It would be powered by solar panels set in space and water will be captured from surrounding clouds.
One of the reasons this project isn’t further along is that there are some very specific problems.
The temperatures around the Analemma would be around -40°F since its top floor rests at an elevation of nearly 20 miles.
Also, suspending cables like that would require them to be built out of a material that simply doesn’t exist yet.
It would have to be seriously tough, and even the most imaginative believers haven’t got their heads around that at the moment.
Never say never, though.
What would the benefits of living in a building where you can’t step outside without a protective suit?
Well, you’ll get an extra 45 minutes of sunlight and views second to none.
Needless to say, people have been skeptical of this innovative idea.
“I’ll have what this architect is having,” one commenter said.
“Wouldn’t it be called an Earthscraper then?” another commenter said.
One thing is for sure: this will make getting flying cars off the ground even more complicated.
