In this wild modular architecture concept from Y Design Office the architects envision a Jenga-like 75 story building in the center of Hong Kong. Rapid housing development in the city has boosted the economy, but killed the city’s sense of neighborhood community identity. Y Design’s solution was to imagine a mix-and-match high rise “vertical neighborhood” comprised of some 1,960 residential units that are rearranged every five years.
Residents design their own prefab steel and concrete modular units, selecting a size from XS to XL, the features of which (namely kitchen, bathroom/powder, closet, balcony, entryway, etc) are custom-fit and arranged to the owner’s needs and specifications. The life cycle of each unit is approximately 30 years, and every five years the unit is moved to a new zone of the tower where, presumably, the residents would be integrated into a new social and living experience (that’s assuming people even speak to their neighbors). A handy plug-in/plug-out mechanical system allows for easy re-allocation.
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The project is only a concept, so it’s possible it could never see the light of day, but it does present an interesting and progressive—if a little crazy and precarious-sounding—approach to the question of urbanization and the future of cities.
Would you live in one of these units? I’d fear for my life. That thing looks like a Jenga tower just waiting to topple.
Via Inhabitat.
