The 2019 eVolo Skyscraper Competition winners have been announced. Light on practicalities but packed full of interesting ideas, the competition offers lots of futuristic architectural concepts to check out – from a floating city to pollution-filtering skyscrapers.

The annual eVolo Skyscraper Competition was established in 2006 and recognizes "visionary ideas that through the novel use of technology, materials, programs, aesthetics, and spatial organizations, challenge the way we understand vertical architecture and its relationship with the natural and built environments."

This year's jury, which consisted of Melike Altınısık, Vincent Callebaut, Marc Fornes, and Mitchell Joachim, whittled down a total of 478 entrants to just one overall winner, two runners-up, and 27 honorable mentions.

The Methanescraper, by Serbia's Marko Dragicevic, has been declared the winner of eVolo's 2019 Skyscraper Competition eVolo

First place went to the Methanescraper (above), by Serbia's Marko Dragicevic. Envisioned for Belgrade, the concept imagines that instead of burying waste in a landfill, a modular tower could be constructed that can both house waste and recycle it too. During the recycling process, methane gas could be collected and used to produce electricity.

Airscraper envisions a skyscraper that can purify the air eVolo

Second place went to Poland's Klaudia Gołaszewska and Marek Grodzicki for their Airscraper concept. Noting the serious pollution issues plaguing huge cities like Beijing, the proposal calls for a chimney-like skyscraper with a filtration system that cleans the air. The building would also house up to 7,500 people and include extensive greenery inside.

Creature Ark: Biosphere Skyscraper, by the UK's Zijian Wan, Xiaozhi Qi and Yueya Liu, came third. The concept envisions a vertical nature reserve eVolo

Third place went to Creature Ark: Biosphere Skyscraper, by the UK's Zijian Wan, Xiaozhi Qi and Yueya Liu. The skyscraper would serve as a nature reserve with integrated research facilities. Its interior would simulate multiple ecosystems, allowing animals and plants to thrive.

Ka’ poy yepü Skyscraper, by Zöe Russián Moreno, envisions a futuristic multi-platform research center with a focus on geo-biological education eVolo

Some of the honorable mentions see the designers really running wild with their imaginations. Notable entries include this strange structure named Ka' poy yepü Skyscraper, by Zöe Russián Moreno. It depicts a futuristic multi-platform research center with a focus on geo-biological education.

Floating Egyptian City, by Tao Qiyang, Wang Kun, Chen Ruihua and Sun Yunjuan, would float above the desert and collect and produce its own water eVolo

The aptly-named Floating Egyptian City stands out too. Designed by Tao Qiyang, Wang Kun, Chen Ruihua and Sun Yunjuan, it imagines a floating city that draws on ancient Egyptian culture and would stay aloft with some kind of "hydrogen floating device."

Head to the gallery to see more on these and the rest of the designs that make up this year's eVolo Skyscraper Competition.

Source: eVolo