In this week's comments update, a concept for a collapsable tower to be used in disaster zones starts a debate about unrealistic architectural ideas.
Pie in the sky: readers pondered if concepts like Skyshelter.zip, a foldable skyscraper designed to be delivered to site by helicopter, harmed the reputation of architecture outside the profession.
"What is the point of this competition when it completely disregards real-world factors" Design becomes more precise and valuable when more real issues are taken into account," asserted Diego Mascare?o.
"Cartoons like this getting passed off as actual architecture is precisely why so many civilians hate us," groaned HeywoodFloyd.
Jeroen van Lith took it one step further: "These kinds of proposals are almost the fake news of our industry" "Collapsable tower is a very good name for this design, I have no doubt about its ability to collapse," wrote a sassy Miles Teg.
Steve Hassler believed the design did not work in its context: "Ironically, do you know where a collapsible skyscraper is always not needed" At a disaster zone."
"A collapsable poly-tunnel structure would have made so much more sense!" agreed Jerry Dickman-Wilkes.
Despite concerns, one commentor managed to find some positives in the idea.
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Are concept competitions doing more harm than good for architecture" Join the discussion ?

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