Tall & Urban News

Proposed by noiz architects, Shibuya Hyper CAST.2 suggests compressing complete city district blocks into a high-rise building based on environmental cues, demonstrating how cities of the future could be structured and operated. The project is based on urban studies surrounding mobility, social welfare, administration, funding, security, and sustainability issues.

The Shibuya Hyper CAST.2 has been envisioned for Tokyo but it aims to solve the problems that metropolises around the world struggle with. As new technologies advance, urban typologies change constantly: commercial spaces have a stronger focus on customer experience; workspaces are more diverse and activity-based; housing will have more communal amenities; entertainment will be virtually-based and not dependent on space; wellness will grow in importance; and greenery and food supply will be incorporated into the urban structure. 

The structural scheme is inspired by a traditional Japanese pagoda where the core is the main structural element and box frames hover above one another. These trends result in the dispersion of the majority of the program into smaller, more activity-based nodes.

The current food supply system brings up major sustainability concerns. This project proposes spaces between box frames filled with microclimate gardens and orchards. Market demand is high, but such spatial organization will significantly raise the percentage of local production in the supply pool and additional green zones are implemented throughout the building. The building is adapted for the coexistence of digital and physical agents. A digital twin will provide live updates as to the building's status.

For more on this story, go to Design Boom.