The third largest city in Taiwan, Taichung, will soon have a landmark building that looks like no structure ever built. The "Floating Observatories," designed by a team from Romania-based Dorin Stefan Birou Arhitectura (DSBA), Upgrade.Studio and Mihai Cracium, is a 1,000-foot tower with large leaf-shaped observatories that float up and down the exterior of the building. Each observatory, which will be made from strong, lightweight material, will be able to carry 80 people at a time.
Credit: DSBA
The tower design won first prize in the Taiwan Tower Conceptual International Competition, which was held to celebrate the centenary of the founding of Taiwan.
Credit: DSBA
The building will feature several energy-efficient features. For example, the central tower will serve as a kind of chimney that keeps air flowing to provide natural ventilation. Wind turbines and solar cells will generate electricity and a rainwater collection system will harvest and purify rain. A geothermal power plant in the basement will provide low-cost energy for heating water as well as keeping the building warm in the winter.
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