Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on June 2010

No one can accuse Japanese construction company Shimizu of thinking small. In collaboration with Nomura Securities and a consortium of universities, the firm is planning to build a 1,000m-tall “floating residential tower” in waters near the equator. The structure will be a “self-sufficient community that can accommodate some 30,000 to 50,000 residents,” complete with a bowl-shaped top for collecting rainwater and a recycling facility to turn residential waste into fodder for a “plant factory” and “marine farm.” What’s more, electricity will be generated with no CO2 emissions thanks to the use of solar power and technologies that convert ocean thermal energy.

Source: The Mainichi Daily News