British architecture firm Foster + Partners has revealed plans to build an Uber Air Skyport in a new neighbourhood in Santa Clara.
Foster + Partners' skyport would part of a new housing and commercial development that the firm is designing for developer Related Companies in Santa Clara ? a city in California's technology hub Silicon Valley.
The Santa Clara Uber Air Skyport proposal foreshadows the commercial launch of Uber Air, the app-based flying taxi service that Uber plans to launch in 2023.
Santa Clara Uber Air Skyport to be "integrated hub"
Revealed by Uber Elevate, the company behind Uber Air, and Related Companies, it is designed as a new hub for the city that will accommodate Uber's fleet of electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOL). "The way we move is constantly evolving," said Foster + Partners head of studio Stefan Behling. "The skyport is an integrated hub that offers people the choice to change from one mode of transport to many others."
Foster + Partners' design aims to create a seamless connection between departing and arriving, and allows for a number of flight operations at the same time. It also includes a flight deck that can charge up to five eVTOL aircrafts at a single time.
Design provides model for future aerial ride-sharing hubs
Renderings of the design show a curvaceous, gridded glass roof covering over the hub, with glass walls and doors creating a seamless transition from inside and out.
Inside, part o...