Located on the Danube River, close to the only bridge that connects the countries of Bulgaria and Romania, is the site of a Skycraper Danubius, the design proposal of architect Aleksandar Lyubomirov Simov for the city of Rousse, Bulgaria. The Skycraper Danubius is a modern, almost industrial-looking take on traditional Eastern European vernacular architecture, with the shape resembling a large onion dome. Inside the structure are all of the amenities the city of Rousse could need: a museum, retail space, theaters and concert halls, restaurants, hotels and even apartments.

The bottom of the building is literally planted in the Danube so as to serve as a port for Danube River cruises. Above, the tower’s different are divided by use by hanging gardens.

The building will utilize solar panels and rainwater recycling to be environmentally friendly, and will also be composed of materials that can either be recycled after the building’s life, or safely returned into the ground. At night, when energy use is down, the building freezes water in the basement which melts during to day to help keep the structure cool.

With its strategic location on the Danube and a myriad of uses, Skyscraper Danubius is a structure that will help keep the town of Rousse a thriving gateway to the rest of Europe, Russia and the Mediterranean.