15 More Extraordinary Skyscrapers from eVolo’s Fantastic High-Rise Competition

We were captivated by the three winners of eVolo’s annual skyscraper competition, but what made this year’s contest even more remarkable was the incredibly high standard of concepts and visualizations across the board: Even the honorable mentions list includes some truly jaw-dropping renders and outrageous ideas. Here, we take a look at five of our favorite runners-up, 15 in all, presented here for your viewing pleasure — prepare to devour some serious architectural eye candy…

Bio-Pyramid by David Sepulveda, Wagdy Moussa, Wesley Townsend, Colin Joyce, Ishaan Kumar, Arianna Armelli, and Salvador Juarez

Proposed as a radical solution to the desertification of the Sahara, Bio-Pyramid is a reinvention of the bio-sphere typology that sees two of Egypt’s pyramids integrated into a gargantuan crystalline structure. The towering ecological laboratory riffs on the iconic geometry of the ancient monuments, forming a provocative concept that asks us to question our preconceptions about historic preservation and architectural heritage.

Times Squared 3015by Blake Freitas, Grace Chen, and Alexi Kararavokiris

In a metropolis inundated by an exploding population, Times Squared 3015 imagines how one of New York’s most famous destinations could morph to accommodate overflowing crowds. The result is an eclectic, 4000-feet high skyscraper that forms the quintessential vertical city — complete with a Redwood forest park, a mid-air stadium for the Yankees and a vertical subway system. The governor’s mansion can be found at the tower’s summit, naturally.

Noah Oasisby Ma Yidong, Zhu Zhonghui, Qin Zhengyu, and Jiang Zhe

An extreme overhaul of existing oil rigs around the world, Noah Oasis proposes eco-friendly beacons that can provide an instant response to oil spills, foster bio-diversity, and provide future refuge when climate change really takes hold. The subaqueous features of the proposal are perhaps the most intriguing: floating absorbers are attached to root-like pipes that draw spilt oil back to the rig. The “black gold” is then harnessed for the formation of plastic-twig structures that host plants above water and coral below — made possible by 3D printers, of course.

Limestone Skyscrapers by Jethro Koi Lik Wai, and Quah Zheng Wei

Limestone Skyscrapers are proposed as an architectural intervention to regenerate a beautiful landscape marred by huge mining operations. Stone carved from the cliffs can be utilized in the construction of the buildings in situ, acting as a brace for geological formations that would otherwise suffer “total annihilation” or “become remnants of a soulless terrain.” The resulting landscape is a true amalgamation of man and nature.

Cloud Capture by Taehan Kim, Seoung Ji Lee, and Yujin Ha

Surely the skyscraper that touches the ground most lightly of all, the ethereal Cloud Capture envisages a series of huge, balloon-like structures that scoop up rain-filled clouds and redistribute the moisture to where it is most needed. The ambitious proposal conceptualizes the collection of excess condensation above water-rich zones such as oceans and humid rainforests, followed by the depositing of manmade ‘rain’ on areas affected by drought and dust pollution.

Spectacular stuff. Here are 10 more sky-high honorable mentions — click on the links for more details on each…