On Earth, we have the concept of “Top” and “Bottom”. These directional concepts are defined by gravity. All buildings start from the ground and end up at the top of building because gravity pulls down all the objects on Earth. However, if we go out to space, there is no gravity, and it means that there is no “Top” or “Bottom.”
The building starts from “Top” to “Bottom”
figure 1. Analemma Tower by Clouds Architecture Office
A New York-based architecture firm “Clouds Architecture Office” proposed a new perspective about buildings. In their proposal, the foundation of the building starts from captured orbiting asteroid and comes down toward the Earth. In other words, the ground floor of this building will be the top of the building. In reality, this conceptual project is merely impossible to make real. For example, the asteroid needs some kind of propulsion engine to keep its orbital trajectory and the engine will need huge amount of energy to just keep the asteroid in its orbit. However, this proposal suggests a new perspective on how we start to design buildings.
Architecture in the Space Age
figure 2. Inside of Copper Station in the Movie "Interstellar"
In Christopher Nolan’s movie, “Interstellar,” there is “Copper Station” which is cylinder shaped habitable orbital space colony. This giant spacecraft rotates to create angular momentum that gives the gravity like force to its inhabitants. Because the station uses angular momentum to create gravity, the foundation of all the building is placed on the inner shell of the cylinder and the building rises toward the inside unlike the buildings on the Earth. In this situation, the gravity exists so the “Top” and “Bottom” concept still exists, but now the building rises toward the inside so if the two buildings are tall enough, they will merge together at the center point of the cylinder.
Human being is facing an upcoming space exploration era. We are not going to live on only earth but everywhere in the universe. To prepare for this era as an architect, we may need to change the perspective how we build.
My thoughts and ideas about architectural design
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