| BIONIC TOWER - VERTICAL CITY - DATA |
ELOY CELAYA |
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Authorship: |
Bionic Tower Render |
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| January 1997, a
full team of architects, engineers, biologists and designers join their
capacities and investigations and start to develop the Prototype "Bionic Vertical Space"
ideologically and physically. The result is presented at the "III International Conference IFHS",
as a lecture titled "Conquest of Vertical Space in the 21st Century - International Conference on Multipurpose
High-Rise Towers and Tall Buildings" organized by "The Concrete Society"
in London, October, 1997. The Original Lecture is signed by the
Architects Eloy Celaya, Javier G. Pioz and the Engineer Javier Manrique.
At that moment "Bionic Tower Vertical City" starts its pace and development until the beginning of the year 2001, being this project directed by Architects Eloy Celaya, Javier Gómez Pioz and Mª Rosa Cervera. Actually "Bionic Tower" Project is known all around the world and it is trying to establish its final situation and the necessary infrastructure to carry out the project. Future, uncertain, but hopeful. At present, Eloy Celaya, architect and Master of Sciences in Advanced Architectural Design Columbia University (New York), is developing a Research Project parallel to the development of "Bionic Tower" Project which shall be finished shortly including the publication of a "Graphic Dictionary of high rise architecture model evolution", and a main subject "Frontiers on evolution of high rise architecture models". This frontiers have existed along the short race of high rise structures, and will allow us to understand where we are now regarding height limits, and to know if the limit around 500 meters high will be surpassed during the next years or otherwise we'll have to wait till the research developed for "Bionic Tower Vertical City" Project can be applied to the construction of a city 1.228 meters high. While this moment comes, this technology is being applied to develop different types of buildings. (PROJECTS). |
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| Superpopulation: | |||
| In
1900 world population was 1.250.000.000 inhabitants. By 2000, world population
reached 6.000.000.000. The least optimistic forecast is that we shall reach12.000.000.000 by 2050. Over the past 100 years, cities have transformed their
urban physiology, featuring important concentrations of skyscrapers and large residential low-density areas.
Ecologically speaking, the consequences of this evolution have been the progressive
destruction of vegetation, the irrationality on energy consumption and the deterioration of the environment.
10 MILLION PEOPLE CANNOT LIVE UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS AND RULES AS SEVERAL TENS OF THOUSANDS PEOPLE. |
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| Dying urban models: |
Bionic Tower Render- Possible situation in Hong-Kong |
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| 20 th Century
urban planning models seem ineffective to solve problems of urban growth in
huge overpopulated areas. Even those mid size populations show similar
symptoms of traditional models dying. Current urban philosophy appears
established on a worrying reality divorce.
WE SHOULD REPLACE THE OVER-USED TERM "MINIMAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT" WITH "ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT" . |
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| Urban Bio-ecology : |
Bionic Tower Render |
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| Solutions
to future urban problems should face up to the new mega-cities reality. The inevitable technological progress must find
its balance with the "bio-ecological" recovery of the natural environment. Bionic
Science appears as an alternative to the philosophical thinking and scientific development of
humanized urban models. BIONICS AND BIO-ECOLOGY, ARE TWO INNOVATED CONCEPTS OF URBAN PHILOSOPHY. |
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| The 500 meters high limit: |
Growth comparative |
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| Accepting,
under the logic of the rational use of energy, that the alternative to the
conquest of vertical space opposite to the "non-limit expanse", the present
model of high rise building appears inappropriate for its des-humanization and
its technological limit, in order to carry out this conquest. Since the Empire State Building (1931),
with its 380m. high, up to the present Taipei 101 (508 m.) it has been
possible to increase just 70 meters high, despite such a large quantity and
quality of different techno-structural models developed for high rise
construction, confirming the technological limit. BIONIC THEORY OF GIANTS HOLDS THAT IN ORDER TO SURPASS THE PRESENT FRONTIERS OF HEIGHT ARE NECESSARY MATERIAL AND CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES CONCEPTUAL CHANGES. |
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| New philosophy of life in community: |
Bionic Vertical City Tower Complex Render |
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| The challenge
assumed in conquest of vertical space is not that one based on beating height
records, but that one based on re-defining with dignity the life of large
communities. The real social compromise consists on developing an innovative
model of vertical construction that unifies in a new philosophy of life the
revolutionary technological concepts which are able to surpass the frontier of
500 meters high, with the new urbanism and architectural bio-ecological
models.
IN MASSIVE NUCLEI AND SCARCE OF LAND, ‘VERTICAL CITIES' ALLOW THE ECOLOGICAL EXPANSION OF THE CITY. |
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| Bionics: |
"Diente de León" Render |
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| Under the
bio-technological philosophy "nature did it first and did it better", Bionic
Science was born in Russia in mid Twentieth Century, as an "umbrella" science
of other natural and engineer-technological sciences. Bionics seeks to be a
bridge discipline in between biology an industrial technology. Its aim is the
study of structures and processes in biological phenomena trying to apply this
knowledge on developing, perfection and humanizing the technological
environment of the human being.
NATURAL LIFE ASSEMBLES THE MOST BRILLIANT ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS . |
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| Bionic Architecture: |
Bionic Tower Model |
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| It could be
defined as a eco-philosophical synthesis of the common principles of biology,
engineering and architecture applied to the future development of human
habitat in harmony with progress and nature.
BIONIC PHILOSOPHY SEEKS THE COMMON SPACE WITH MAN OF THE OTHER SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES. |
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| Bionic Tower Vertical City: | |||
| This is the
first existing model of a urban bio-ecological structure. It is based on
principles of flexibility and fitness of biological structures, it is able to
adjust its height, capacity and use to the different economic, environmental
and social conditions of the cities where it is built. Numbers shown, indicate
maximum limits and its growing possibilities.
ANY CITY IN THE WORLD, NOT MINDING ITS SOCIAL AND ECONOMICAL
DEVELOPMENT, COULD START THE CONSTRUCTION OF BIONIC TOWER, ADAPTING ITS
GROWTH, IN HEIGHT AND EXPANSION TO ITS FURTHER URBAN EVOLUTION |
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| Returning land to nature: | |||
| Under the
conventional models of "horizontal urbanism" and "low density", 100.000
inhabitants would occupy an extension of 4 km. diameter wide with an important
occupation of the environment. Bionic Tower Vertical City with capacity for
100.000 inhabitants, uses an area of 1 km. diameter wide, what allows to
return nature the land non occupied.
CAN WE ALLOW THE PLANET TO BE ASPHALTED? |
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| High, light and flexible: |
Growing diagram of a tree trunk |
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| Vertical City
is inspired by models of nature: lightness and strength of birds bones;
flexibility of vegetal structures and capacity of organisms to adapt.
THERE ARE NO TWO EQUAL TREES OF THE SAME SPECIES. |
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| Two unified bionic complexes: |
Bionic Tower Vertical City Complex Plan |
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| Bionic Vertical
City Tower is composed of two bio-ecological urban complexes one into the
other. One of them is vertically developed being the other one horizontally
developed. The first one, Bionic Tower, is composed of twelve vertical
neighborhoods 80 meters high each one of them, separated by safety areas in
order to make easier the techno-economical rationality of its construction in
different phases and the eviction in case of emergency. Each neighborhood, or
level, has two groups of buildings, one interior, and another one exterior.
Both are situated around huge vertical gardens and pools. The second complex,
the "Base Island" forms a complex 1.000 meters diameter in which are
distributed medium high buildings, expanded gardens, interior pools and
communication infrastructures. The foreseen use of both complexes is
extensive: Hotels, Offices, Residential, Commerce, Cultural Buildings, Sports
and Leisure.
URBAN PLOTS SHOULD HARMONIZE THE DIFFERENT NEEDS OF "RESIDENT" AND "FLOATING" POPULATIONS. |
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| The principles of flexibility and strength of biological structures: | |||
| Research
carried out by the scientific team, allowed to develop a new bionic theory
based on the structural principles of flexibility and strength of biological
species. The structural model is inspired on the scientific analysis of the
structural transformations that come about in vegetable species as these
surpass the frontiers of height.
NATURE DOESN'T BUILD WITH COLUMNS AND BEAMS, BUT WITH LAWS OF GROWTH. ITS CONSTRUCTIVE LOGIC IS THE SAVING OF ENERGY, THE ADAPTABILITY AND THE FLEXIBILITY. |
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| Fractal Bio-Structure: | |||
| Under the name
of "FRACTAL BIO-STRUCTURE"
revolutionary structural and technological plans are developed, based upon a
common idea: Fractal micro-fragmentation of complex dynamic stresses systems.
CONVENTIONAL CONSTRUCTION IS BASED ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF SIMPLE SYSTEMS: THE COLUMN, THE BEAM, THE PIPE... NATURE IS BASED MAINLY ON THE BALANCED DEVELOPMENT OF COMPLEX SYSTEMS: THE DYNAMIC SYSTEMS AND THE LAWS OF GROWTH. |
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| "Encapsulated containers system" |
Diagram of a technological street-column. |
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| Inspired on
isolating and resistant qualities "container of containers" systems, present
in most of vegetable species, the primary structural and vertical
communication system between two different neighborhoods is organized on three
rings of 92 technological street-columns which would transport its
inhabitants, water and different fluids as the necessary energy. The structure
of these street-columns is hollow, made by thin folded membranes encapsulated
of High Strength Concrete. Folding grant a huge capacity of flexion and
resistant to the complex and also a huge capacity to fit the different chaotic
demands of wind pressure.
THE SYSTEM OF "CAPSULES" SUPPOSES AN IMPORTANT SAVING ON OCCUPIED VOLUME AND ENERGY FOR VEGETABLE SPECIES. |
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| Interior Micro-climate: | |||
| The tower
exterior facade, inspired on resistant and transpiring qualities of "Nest
Structures" in nature, allows a controlled passing of natural air and light to
the interior of the complex, creating an interior micro-climate and
contributing efficiently to the overall flexo-stability of the complex.
The exterior fractal structure, also reduces the wind pressure.
CYPRESSES CAN BE SO SLENDER AND RESISTANT BECAUSE THE AIR CAN PASS THROUGH THEM. |
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| "Floating Foundation System" and " Anti-seismic System": |
Floating Foundation System |
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| These complex
systems are inspired on flexo-plastic and isolating characteristics of root
systems in huge tree-structures. Simplifying the concept, we could say that
trees "float" in the middle of a chaotic structure made by million of roots,
what makes possible the tree to transmit fragmentarily the wind stresses down
to the soil, and the plastic isolation from the seismic movements.
THE VERTICAL FOUNDATION SYSTEM IS NOT THE MOST APPROPRIATE TO SOLVE THE WIND AND EARTHQUAKES STRESSES IN HUGE VERTICAL STRUCTURES OVER 500 METERS HIGH. |
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| ]Twelve Vertical Neighborhoods: |
One of the different neighborhoods Render |
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| Adult tress
have a concentric ring system of fluids pipes which have a huge flexion
strength and behave as "air mattresses" which provide these spices an extra
defense on fires, avoiding that fire destroys the whole tree. Inspired on the
logic of this plan, Vertical City is distributed into twelve vertical
neighborhoods separated by watertight areas fifteen meters high, which behave
as "air mattresses" and would allow a controlled evacuation in cases of
emergency.
IN CASE OF FIRE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, EACH INHABITANT WILL HAVE A SAFETY WATERTIGHT AREA LESS THAN 40 METERS VERTICAL DISTANCE. |
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| Occupying while building: |
Bionic Tower basement Render |
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| The vertical
neighborhood model construction allows to raise successive levels while the
lower level is finished and occupied.
NATURE HAS ALL THE ANSWERS; AS TIME PASSES HUMAN BEINGS SHALL LEARN TO KNOW EVERY QUESTION. |
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| Other Data: | |||
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Maximum height: 1.228 meters
equivalent to 300 floors
Maximum Capacity: 100.000 inhabitants Total area: 2.000.000 square meters Dimension of Bionic Tower: Elliptic floor of variable dimension (166 x 133 meters maximum dimension) Communications : 368 elevators with vertical and horizontal circulation. Maximum speed: 15 m/second. Maximum Sway: 2,45 meters of total lateral displacement. |
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