If electric cars are the future, what will be the future the gas stations? Charging stations, of course—but what would they look like? The New York-based firm Ennead Architects has proposed a “charging tower” for an undisclosed client in Shanghai. 

Inspired by Tesla charging stations (the renderings feature Model S cars), their “Charging Towers” are designed to work in small, pedestrian-oriented urban environments. In order to maximize the number of cars charging at once, the Tower makes use of existing stack-parking technology. In short, the ground level would feature “super charge” stations while the top would allow for a slower charge that doubles as a parking space.
 
To make the things pretty, the towers are clad in a reflective, perforated metal envelope “recalling the chrome-filled aesthetic history of the automobile and creating a beacon for those searching for parking and car charging,” according to the the architects. 

H/T Electrek