Architecture

Floating megacity designed for the banks of the Mississippi

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The New Orleans Arcology Habitat (NOAH) concept for the banks of the Mississippi
The New Orleans Arcology Habitat (NOAH) concept for the banks of the Mississippi
The New Orleans Arcology Habitat (NOAH) concept for the banks of the Mississippi
The New Orleans Arcology Habitat (NOAH) concept for the banks of the Mississippi
The New Orleans Arcology Habitat (NOAH) concept for the banks of the Mississippi
The New Orleans Arcology Habitat (NOAH) concept for the banks of the Mississippi
The New Orleans Arcology Habitat (NOAH) concept for the banks of the Mississippi
The New Orleans Arcology Habitat (NOAH) concept for the banks of the Mississippi
The New Orleans Arcology Habitat (NOAH) concept for the banks of the Mississippi
The New Orleans Arcology Habitat (NOAH) concept for the banks of the Mississippi
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Arcologies, which are essentially entire cities crammed into a single high population density megastructure, are still the realm of science fiction – or games such as Simcity. But with the rebuilding of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina ongoing, a group of designers have come up with the proposal for just such a structure designed to sit on the bank of the Mississippi. Called the New Orleans Arcology Habitat (NOAH), the structure would house 40,000 residents along with all services and amenities that would allow them to live their entire lives within its walls if they so desired.

With much of New Orleans built below sea level and the city prone to extreme winds, NOAH’s designers chose to go with the concept of a floating structure whose open triangular frame shape is designed to dissipate severe winds by allowing weather to blow through the structure in any direction with a minimum of massing interference. The structure’s outer edges are also curved and tilted to further dissipate wind loads, while both curved and flat surfaces would be outfitted with secured sliding hurricane panels to form a protective exterior barrier.

While the 1,200 ft (366 m) structure is actually designed to float, it wouldn’t be set adrift on the Mississippi. Instead a water filled basin around 1,200 ft (366 m) in diameter and 250 ft (76 m) deep would be constructed on the bank of the Mississippi. The basin would partially be carved out of the existing land and also extended out into the river.

The New Orleans Arcology Habitat (NOAH) concept for the banks of the Mississippi

The actual foundation of the NOAH superstructure would then float within the basin thanks to its multi-cavity “hull” consisting of high strength concrete cells that form a matrix of approximately 40 x 40 cells. This matrix is designed to give the structure buoyancy and form the frame for the steel framed superstructure. The designers estimate that structure will draft 180 ft (55 m) within the water-filled basin, allowing for a minimum 50 ft (15 m) space between the floor of the basin and the floor of NOAH’s foundations.

Inside, “sky gardens” will be placed every 30 floors within the three main towers to act as community spaces. Designed as an all-pedestrian environment, only select horizontal areas will be fitted with moving walkways and/or electric train carriers, while vertical commuters will travel via a series of local and express elevators.

With no need for cars – although a parking garage to house 8,000 cars would be built within the foundations – NOAH is designed to be carbon neutral with solar array banding panels, wind turbines, river-based turbines, passive glazing system, sky garden heating/cooling vents, grey water treatment and fresh water recovery and storage systems.

The New Orleans Arcology Habitat (NOAH) concept for the banks of the Mississippi

NOAH’s estimated 30 million-square-footage (2.8 million m2) would be broken up into 20,000 residential units, three hotels, 1,500 time share units, three casinos, 1 million square feet of commercial space, 8,000 car garage, 100,000 square foot district school system, 50,000 square foot public works, 50,000 square foot administrative offices and 20,000 square foot district health care facility.

The NOAH design team sees the structure as a viable plan, not only for New Orleans but for any coastal urban area. And while there are many advantages to the concept of arcologies, they remain very much on the drawing-board at this stage.

Via Yanko Design.

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20 comments
Bobthefish
And when someone decides to fly a plane into it...?
Facebook User
Looks like just another flashy piece of concept art. Come back when there\'s some hard facts behind the feasibility of this concept. And the video is completely useless, ostensibly they created a 3D model of the concept and then animated it in different environments, nothing more, no information; nothing.
Blixdevil
Good point Bobthefish. We shouldn\'t build anything. Ever. Again.
Cricorp
Don\'t be so close-minded. Dreaming makes for creative thinking. Although this project may seem unattainable, it can spark other ideas that lead to great breakthroughs. What if someone said it would be crazy to think we could ever walk on the moon or that cars could run on air power (there is one) or that some of the things that seemed unimaginable in medicine just a few years ago could ever be achieved? Open your mind up to creative thinking and there is no end to what can be accomplished. Close your mind to possibilities and you\'ll be forever confined to what you currently have... nothing more!
Ironghost
Nice building, I suppose. They\'d better screen people before letting them live there, otherwise this would become another Public Works Housing Project/Slum in no time at all.
yrag
These Arcology have been \'floating\' around for at least thirty years. Initially I thought they were great ideas, but look at housing projects. During the 60s, 70s and early 80s they were seen as the solutions to house the poor in society, but ultimately they were seen as the dehumanizing warehousing of people and as breeding grounds for crime, and a great many of these were torn down and the residents dispersed into more \'humane\' neighborhoods.
At this point I see these Arcologies as housing projects on a gargantuan scale%u2014 and cost, both to build, maintain and ultimately tear down.
I think there is an important line between planned development and social engineering.
pdhubbell
Truth in advertising demands it be shown on its ear in the Lower Ninth Ward following the next category 5 storm.
Todd Dunning
Cricorp, the \'close-minded\' argument goes both ways. Why would none of us ever want to move in to an Arcology? Because we\'re not in North Korea; identical drones happy to live in an institutional monolith that expresses somebody else\'s ideas of what is good.

It\'s an appealing idea if you\'re a student or in a similar situation where Arcology would be a move up in the world. But the reason they don\'t work is that we individuals have our own ideas for what we like to live in.

Liberals dream of a Logan\'s Run nightmare world like this, where we all can drop those horrible, greedy, individualistic ways - and join hands together singing in harmony. With the same allocated living space, same healthcare, same outrageous tax revenue paid to keep the votes coming in, it sounds like heaven until you\'re actually faced with it.
editor
<em>(Ed's note: let's try and keep things civilized everybody. Gizmag is a forum for the vigorous discussion of ideas, not for personalities or personal attacks)</em>
Designer1817
Thanks for the calming note Ed. Perhaps some of the commentators should look back at Paolo Soleri - look into his \"Linear City\" I understand this is being actively pursued by China for development. Archigram was also a group that produced some interesting concepts for cities/communities. While some may wish to just continue to sprawl and expand there is something to be said for at least utilizing the land/area that we are in to its optimum. Look into the work of the early 50\'s \"Metabolist Visions\" movement, while I am not advocating it , it does give one pause to think of what may be possible. You will see some of this happening in other parts of the world and it would be a shame not to at least listen to the thinkers that we have in this country. As the Ed said, there should be calm careful, creative, thought & evaluation of the work that has come before.
Just a thought.