2025 Skyscraper Competition
Honorable Mention
Jiaying Gao, Junda Lu, Chenhao Lin, Anqi Cai, Huiyang Zhong, Weikeke Feng, Yuhang Zheng, Yuanchuan Yang
China
This design directly addresses the existential crisis faced by Tuvalu due to rising sea levels. Guided by the philosophy of “dynamic symbiosis,” it envisions a sustainable floating city capable of adapting to the marine environment while preserving cultural roots.
At its core, the design employs a central stabilizing column and a radial telescopic steel-pipe system to support six concentric functional rings. The platform can transform into three configurations according to needs: the flat daily mode provides a stable base, the conical storm-resistant mode dissipates wave energy, and the concave ceremonial mode encloses cultural spaces—making the structure a “living vessel” that dances with the sea.
On an urban scale, the project integrates essential functional systems for living, production, and public services. Tailored to Tuvalu’s geographic morphology and population size, it accommodates approximately a thousand residents within a layout that blends productive, residential, and communal spaces. Through multi level technological innovation, a future habitat is created—one that flexibly responds to nature and empowers community life.
The design not only responds to Tuvalu’s fisheries based economy but also incorporates local lifestyles and cultural practices. Architecturally, a modular approach allows residential units to expand flexibly according to family structure. These units integrate solar photovoltaic systems, rainwater harvesting, and water recycling to achieve semi autonomous energy and water supply—echoing Tuvalu’s fishing traditions and local cultural practices while enhancing the city’s environmental resilience.
Overall planning further clarifies the relationships among transportation, vertical farming, public spaces, and industrial functions, forming a compact, efficient, and resilient urban fabric. This floating city thus becomes a comprehensive platform for Tuvalu’s sustainable survival and development.
More than a technical response to sea level rise, this proposal represents an active exploration of ocean based settlement—a vision that merges engineering ingenuity with humanistic care, offering Tuvalu and the wider world a future filled with resilience, dignity, and hope in the face of global climate challenges.
