Architecture

"Farmscraper" combines office skyscraper with hydroponic farm

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Most of the Jian Mu Tower's interior would be given over to office space, but it would also include a supermarket and food court
Carlo Ratti Associati
The Jian Mu Tower would feature a rooftop terrace area
Carlo Ratti Associati
The Jian Mu Tower would feature huge amounts of greenery integrated into its facade
Carlo Ratti Associati
Most of the Jian Mu Tower's interior would be given over to office space, but it would also include a supermarket and food court
Carlo Ratti Associati
According to CRA, the Jian Mu Tower's hydroponic farm would produce an ambitious 270,000 kg (297 tons) of food per year
Carlo Ratti Associati
The Jian Mu Tower would rise to a height of 218 m (715 ft) and consist of 51 floors
Carlo Ratti Associati
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Greenery covered skyscrapers have become fairly commonplace in recent years, but what if, as well as bringing some nature into cities, they could also be used to grow food? Such is the thinking behind the "Farmscraper" by Italy's Carlo Ratti Associati (CRA), which the firm says could feed up to 40,000 people a year.

The Farmscraper, which has the official title of Jian Mu Tower, would rise to a height of 218 m (715 ft) in Shenzhen, China. Most of the available floorspace on its 51 floors would be given over to office space, though it would also include a food court and supermarket, and would be topped by a rooftop terrace area.

Additionally, a lot of its glazed facade would be used for the hydroponic cultivation of crops, producing an ambitious yield per year.

"Jian Mu Tower occupies the last plot available in Shenzhen's Central Business District, therefore completes the skyline of the area's central axis," explains CRA. "The 218-meter-high tower dedicates 10,000 sq m [roughly 107,00 sq ft] of space on its facade to the cultivation of crops. The vertical hydroponic farm will produce an estimated 270,000 kilograms [almost 300 tons] of food per year, enough to cover the needs of roughly 40,000 people. Jian Mu Tower establishes a self-sustained food supply chain, encompassing the cultivation, harvest, sale and consumption of crops, all inside the same building. In addition, the tower will house offices, a supermarket, and a food court."

The Jian Mu Tower would rise to a height of 218 m (715 ft) and consist of 51 floors
Carlo Ratti Associati

Other notable features would include a series of landscaped terraces hosting water lily, fern and lychee, with greenery filled gardens available for office workers to relax. Additionally, all that greenery would help shade the interior and reduce air-conditioning requirements.

The Jian Mu Tower was commissioned for an international competition by Chinese supermarket company Wumart and would also involve Italian specialist agriculture firm Zero and engineering firm Arup.

As of writing we're awaiting confirmation on whether there's any likelihood of this one going ahead, so for now we'd guess that like CRA's similarly named Playscraper, it's best taken as food for thought.

Source: CRA

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5 comments
MarkGovers
This would also improve air quality by increasing oxygen and reducing pollution. Though I imagine a tightly managed humidity system would be needed with all the crop watering going on.
paul314
This looks like a great idea, but I question their arithmetic, in which a person only needs 7 kilos of vegetables a year. Maybe that's the consumption of the particular niche items they're growing.
piperTom
It will "feed up to 40,000 people a year"? I expect that most people would want to "feed" every day.
mediabeing
I like the idea of stacking farms.
I'm not so sure about having office space near farms.
Of course, we'd have to be careful about virus spreading from floor to floor to city, state and nation.