Editor’s Choice
2016 Skyscraper Competition
Quah Zheng Wei, Jethro Koi Lik Wai
Malaysia
Coral reefs are now endangered.
Coral reefs are complex mosaic of marine plants and animals. Supporting up to two million species of marine life, the biodiversity richness making itself a rival to tropical rain forest. Similarly, the reefs play an important roles in balancing the ecosystem in the water. The polyps within coral control the content of carbon dioxide in the water by turning them into limestone shell. Besides biologically beneficial to mankind, coral reefs generate sizeable economy values as many relies on them as a source of food, income and medicine.
Despite being significantly important in many ways, there is minimal effort shown in protecting them from threats from human and natural disturbances; resulting in a permanent loss of 27% coral area and 30% more are at the brink of disappearing in coming years according to a research funded by WWF.
This underwater paradise is slowly being destroyed by actions such as the practice of uncontrolled, destructive fishing methods, oil spills, pollution (from domestic and industrial wastes, fertilizers, and pesticides), anchor damage, untreated or improperly treated sewage, and land runoffs are serious threats to the delicate reefs. Global Warming causes significant temperature increases in waters in which corals inhabit. This rise in sea temperature creates a very stressful living environment for the coral reef. Coral Reefs respond to such stresses by ejecting necessary symbiotic within them that provide vital nourishment to the coral. This ejection leads to a loss of pigmentation in the coral reef, this is known as coral bleaching
The Aquarim Trinity is a design proposal that aims to rejuvenate destroyed coral reefs by reproducing millions of existing coral species. While attempts to reproduce coral is evident on land, the ideal coral breeding location remains to be its natural habitat, the ocean. The architecture intervention introduces a mega-skeletal vertical coral farm that extended across euphotic to dysphotic. The reason of which is to create the heights that cater for a conducive environments for different species with respective height adaptiveness.
Subsequent to propagating endangered species on the platform of tower farm, Aquarim Trinity focuses on coral regional rejuvenation whereby upon matured the corals will be released and dispersed further afield to develop a new colony, assimilating mushroom spore reproduction system. To compliment the growth, human footprint is restricted to a manoeuvrable research lab in such instance to minimize their impact.
Consolidating all coral species in a tower as it may seem, the new architecture typology is truly about restoring ocean to the state it used to be and it shall serve as a towering statement to mankind about the dying state of the forgotten lungs in ocean.
