Japan has several problems, not the least of which is how to house their population even though their birth rate is declining. Another large issue for Japan to address is how to mitigate the Tsunami impact caused by major earthquakes off the Sea of Japan.
Perhaps a new design named Next Tokyo 2045 will be able to address both of those problems. Even though it will be several decades before the designs will become a reality, at least they are planning ahead with new engineering and design solutions.
Next Tokyo 2045 was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox or KPF with structural design by Leslie E. Robertson Associates or LERA.
According to an article in Architectural Digest Magazine, “Their design incorporates elements that improve the bay’s preparedness for natural disasters (such as earthquakes and typhoons) as well as a mile-high residential tower and a public-transportation-friendly district. The water development’s hexagonal-shaped structures, ranging from 500 to 5,000 feet in width, were imagined in layers to minimize the effects of intense waves from the bay, while also allowing ships easy access in and out of the busy harbor.”
The article goes on to describe how some of the structures will be filled with water and there will be man-made beaches, large gardens and ample room to house 55,000 residents. Passive solar, wind turbines and other alternative energy systems will power the tower and the surrounding “islands.”
While the concept, twice the height of the Burj Khalifa tower, seems far-fetched and visionary, the emerging structural engineering and materials concepts will make it possible to build well before 2045. Remember that 2045 is only 30 years distant – and the design, approval and construction of a major project of this scale will consume most of that time frame.
We will see whether the Japanese government is willing to push forward on this New Tokyo 2045 planning. If they do, it will be a new record for tall buildings.
