The Architecture of the City

Although China has the largest agricultural output in the world, supporting more than 20% of the world’s population, only 15% of its land can be cultivated, of which only 1.2% permanently supports crops. The total land area used for farming is also set to fall as more and more land is used for development, though Spanish architectural firm Javier Ponce Architects has come up with an innovative solution. 

Its design concept, titled ‘Dynamic Vertical Networks’, consists of 615-foot tall structures to be used as farms located in close proximity to urban areas like Hong Kong, in order to keep food distribution costs low. The structures will be made of lightweight, recycled metallic materials, in a shifting floorplate design inspired by “traditional shifting terrace concepts in Chinese rice farming”. Crops would be grown hydroponically, to create a soil-free environment. The plants will benefit from high levels of natural sunlight from the unobstructed, open design.