Honorable Mention
2011 Skyscraper Competition
Andrew Chow Wai Tat, Tao Huang, Xue Liang Zhang
Malaysia and China
The modern Olympic Games have been a platform for the host country to present its culture and wealth to the world. The amount of energy, time, and resources invested for a two-and-a-half week of games is seen by many as a waste of infrastructure. One of the main problems is what has been defined as the ‘post-Olympic syndrome’, in which large urban areas comprised of Olympic villas and stadiums become isolated after the games. These lavish structures are rarely used afterwards and steady deterioration becomes a norm.
The main idea behind the Floating Olympic Complex is to create the first vertical Olympic architecture with large-scale inverted skyscrapers that will serve as host to the games and will later be transformed into a floating city with housing, offices, recreational areas, and infrastructure already in place.
The idea of the inverted tower draws inspiration from an umbrella shell structure, mushroom, and stalactite formations. The slim structural elements are able to support massive platforms and cantilevered volumes through an ingenious branching system and cluster of structural elements.
On the other hand, by elevating the sports complex it will also transform how the games are viewed and how they interact with the host city. This proposal is envisioned for the forthcoming games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.