It is the primary job of engineers to make the wildest structures ever imagined possible, especially when architects think way outside of the box. Like how architects from Tokyo envision an underwater city that might just be the solution as sea levels rise indefinitely.
At Shimizu Corporation, they want to build what they call as Ocean Spirals, which look like they are straight out of a fictional movie. The name suggests what they are like: they are spirals deep in the ocean.
Source: Shimizu Corporation
For sure, engineers will be challenged to build this. But so far there are no concrete plans to construct even one Ocean Spiral, because the details of the underwater city are way beyond the construction technologies we have today.
Source: Shimizu Corporation
By theory, each Ocean Spiral sits 16,400 feet below sea level off the coast of Tokyo. The Spiral, which is nine miles long, acts as the converter of energy from waves, tides, and currents with massive turbines sitting on the ocean floor.
Source: Shimizu Corporation
A sphere at the top, just below the sea surface, makes use of the power generated from the ocean which could fit 5,000 people. Ideally, the expanse, which covers residential units, offices, laboratories, restaurants, and schools, is entirely reliant to the energy coming from the deep sea.
Source: Shimizu Corporation
Project leader Masaki Takeuch estimates the cost of each Ocean Spiral to be $26 billion. If by any case technology will be available for this to be possible, the Shimizu architects imagine the Ocean Spiral to be complete by 2030.
Considering oceans cover 70% of the Earth’s surface, they say the deep-sea offers tremendous potential for alternative energy sources.
“But we have not made the most of this potential yet,” Takeuch says. “Now, I propose this new challenge for the future.”
Source: This is Insider
