Take a Look at the Future of Architecture — 2019 eVolo Skyscraper Competition Winners

The winners of the 2019 eVolo Skyscraper Competition have been announced. Beyond practicality, these entries are full of inventive ideas. Entrants proposed many future building concepts, from floating cities to pollution-filtering skyscrapers.

The annual eVolo Skyscraper Competition, founded in 2006, recognizes visionary work that, through novel uses of technology, materials, programs, aesthetics, and space, challenges how we understand vertical architecture and its relationship to the natural and built environment.

This year's jury included Melike Altinisik, Vincent Callebaut, Marc Fornes, and Mitchell Joachim, with 478 entrants in total.

First place went to Methanescraper by Marko Dragicevic of Serbia. Envisioned for Belgrade, the concept proposes that instead of burying waste in landfills, a modular tower could both store and recycle waste. During recycling, methane gas could be collected and used to generate electricity.

Second place went to the Airscraper concept by Klaudia Golaszewska and Marek Grodzicki of Poland. Noting the severe pollution that affects major cities such as Beijing, the proposal calls for a chimney-like skyscraper with a filtration system that can clean the air. The building could also house up to 7,500 people and include extensive greenery.

Third place went to Biosphere Skyscraper by Creature Ark of the United Kingdom. The tower would serve as a nature reserve with integrated research facilities. Its interior would simulate multiple ecosystems so animals and plants can thrive.

Many designers show striking imagination. One example is the unusual Ka'poyyepu Skyscraper by Zoe Russian Moreno—a future multi-platform research center focused on geo-biological education.

The Floating Egyptian City also stands out. Designed by Tao Qiyang, Wang Kun, Chen Ruihua, and Sun Yunjuan, it imagines a floating city that draws on ancient Egyptian culture and stays aloft with a kind of "hydrogen flotation device."

Besides the projects above, you can also explore other outstanding designs from the competition below.

Horizontal City by Gong Zhichen, Chen Yong, Wu Tianrong, He Yingzhi, and He Congying would be installed on a border between two countries to provide shelter for refugees.

Trekking Landmark Skyscraper by Fabio Ferreira Neves would protect Swiss seniors' fortresses.

Ice Dam Skyscraper by Jae Min Jo, Geonuk Yun, Kyungjun Park, Hobin Bae, Jiyeon Kim, Weonkyung Cho, and Ganghui Lee would serve as a protective structure installed in places such as Greenland to help prevent glacier melt.

Jack and Woodstock Skyscraper by Amanda Gunawan and Joel Wong calls for large timber skyscrapers.

Badgir Skyscraper by Adam Fernandez is a sustainable skyscraper concept that uses traditional Persian passive cooling techniques.

Arbor Tower by Bilal Torgul and Mucahit Bilal Goker would provide affordable housing.

5-Story Autonomous Green Pier Skyscraper by Tony Leung is a vast vertical-farm concept, with electric vehicles delivering produce to market.

Borderland Skyscraper by Muhammed Aydem, Burak Arifoglu, and Omer Faruk Demir would provide housing for those who need it most.

Plastic Babel by Jaemin Seo and Sanghoon Park would be built from recycled plastic.

Singapore 2100: Gene Storage Skyscraper by Tsung-Ying Hsieh, Hsuan-Ting, and Huang would store digital DNA data.

Kaesong Vertical City by You Gundon, Lee Minwi, Kang Ryunhong, and Moon Junho would create a vertical urban space.

The Floating Tower by Piotr Yurchanka, Alexey Kunko, Vladislav Sidorenko, and Dmitry Tkachuk would restore drained wetlands in Belarus. The project was one of 27 honorable mentions in the 2019 eVolo Skyscraper Competition.

Filter Skyscraper by Li Hong and Lin Li would filter plastic found in the sea.

Ocean Cleaning Skyscraper by Karol Lacki, Dominik Pierzchlewicz, and Szymon Ciupinski would help clean seawater.

Carbon Copy Skyscraper by Dattner Architects would help forests cover the Earth—rather than a skyscraper owned by people filled with trees.

Caste Skyscraper Library by Zheng Tianshu, Sun Xingcan, Li Zhipeng, and Ma Xinya is a conceptual building meant to reflect India's caste system.

Thomas Gossler's Skyscraper Network would use a Hyperloop system.

A Future Utopian Vision — Human Colony by Paula Domka and Oliver Siekierka is a sustainable skyscraper concept.

Recomposition Skyscraper by the PIN Architects + Kalebodur team would adapt existing concrete buildings using a "bioengineered cocktail of concrete-dissolving materials."

Binational Community Skyscraper by Charles Tzu Wei Chiang and Alejandro Moreno Guerrero creates an "in-between zone" on the U.S./Mexico border where people can meet.

Topophilic Tower by Weber Thompson Architects would offer housing, workspaces, gathering places, and a retreat from the bustling city outside.

Tower of Life by Turan Akman would capture water vapor and fog and turn them into drinkable water.

Climate-Shaped Spaces by Romain Josue and Corentin Fraisse would protect the French Alps from climate change.

Memory Cube Skyscraper by Keyi Shen, Zichao Zhong, Dingyu Li, Jian Yan, and Yuan Zhang would rebuild natural areas destroyed by climate change for future humanity.

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