Wang Jingyi, Shao Xutao

China

Urban air pollution has been a long-standing problem in China. Solutions have been drafted many times, but in such urban status, simply increasing green areas is infeasible due to the high cost of land. Oxygen produced by plants will be diluted by the huge urban fabric. Thus, the concept CITY LUNG –providing air cleaning devices to each individual building emerges in such a background. It uses flexible material to build exterior and structure, blows fresh air into buildings by expanding the membranes. The variable shape will benefit the scenery of the city simultaneously. Thus, it builds a genuine green utopia in the firm, gray and rules-based urban concrete forest.
Inspired by the structure of Chlorella cells, double-layer structure formed two coats of space within the building, as the two steps in CITY LUNG?s air purification. The principle is as the alveolar structure inside the lung. Arrange a variety of plants within the ball to make the building a vertical forest. The main body consist of tensed member, which is different from the supporting structure of traditional architecture. The internal structure uses tensed members as the main body, hangs spherical glass bulbs in the air. The prototypes are plant fruits and microbial cells. Moreover, the component itself create interesting space and rich light effect at the same time.
Due to the impact of construction technology, traditional buildings are always somehow bulky. CITY LUNG c...