
An stunning set of designs has envisaged what an entire city within a single skyscraper could look like.

The 'Vertical City' project features a futuristic-looking tower, which would be population-dense yet still feel spacious, holding 25,000 people at any given time.

Unlike traditional skyscrapers, which are self-contained and shut off from the natural environment, the 180-floor building would allow the outside world to become an intrinsic part of the interior.

The 'Vertical City' project features a slick-looking tower (concept pictured), which would be able to hold 25,000 people at any time

Huge hexagonal voids would run up the side of the tower, allowing sunlight and rainwater to nourish the plant life inside.

The bold project was overseen by Luca Curci, an architect based in Bari, Italy.

He said: 'We wanted to introduce a new approach to the architecture of contemporary cities - the idea behind the project is that the tower can be built anywhere.'

The majority of the tower would be filled with green space - but there would also be room designated for offices and residents.

If constructed, the 18-storey building would be 2460ft (750 metres) tall.

It would boast a green area of over 21,527,82 square ft (200,000 square metres), including the public garden square at the top of the building.

Nice view: Architect Luca Curci believes that his Vertical City concept could improve the heal and wellbeing of residents

Bee hive: Huge hexagonal voids run up the side of the tower, allowing sunlight and rainwater to nourish the plant life housed inside

The building was designed to be energy-independent, producing energy from photovoltaic glass and solar panels housed on the roof

The foundations would be built into the seafloor, meaning that a number of floors would be underwater. Here parking, 'technical areas' and spas, meditation centres, gyms and luxury hotels rooms would be housed.

Designers envisage that the Vertical City would be accessed by water, by land or by air.

The circular basement would be equipped with external and internal docks and three entries. Large boats would dock at the external berths, allowing private smaller boats to navigate into the building itself.

A semi-submersed bridge would also allow pedestrians, cars and public transport to reach the water-based city while a heliport would connect with the upper garden-square.

The building was designed to be energy-independent, producing energy from photovoltaic glass and solar panels housed on the roof

Though he does not have a specific city in mind for the tower, Mr Curci imagines the project most suited to the Middle East - near cities such as Doha, Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

The building was designed to be entirely energy-independent, producing energy from photovoltaic glass and solar panels placed on the roof.

Mr Curci explained: 'The idea for this project started from the analysis of the skyscraper as a compact element, smooth and alienated from the surrounding space.

'The re-interpretation of this archetype and its linked way of life, conducted us to imagine an opened structure, equipped with green areas on each level, natural light and ventilation.

'Residents get into an healthier lifestyle, in connection with natural elements, and re-think the traditional concept of community and society.'

The majority of the tower would be filled with green space - but there would also be room designated for offices and residents

WILL CITIES OF THE FUTURE FLOAT? $167 MILLION PROJECT COULD HOUSE 300 BY 2020 If waking up to a sea breeze and panoramic ocean views is your idea of heaven, you might consider moving to a floating city. A group of marine biologists, nautical engineers and environmentalists backed by Paypal founder Peter Thiel, plans on building a floating city, or 'seastead' as soon as in 2020. While this may be an ambitious plan, the group has settled on the design and believes semi-independent cities would be the perfect place to try new modes of government and agricultural methods, for example, in a bid to work out how to tackle the world’s problems. Life of a sailor: The first city would be built on a network of 11 rectangular and five-sided platforms (concept pictrued above) so the city could be rearranged according to its inhabitants’ needs like a floating jigsaw, Joe Quirk, spokesman for the project explained The Seasteading Institute claims that building floating cities is the first step to fulfilling ‘the eight great moral imperatives’ because the experimental floating landscapes could test new ideas on how to feed the hungry, cure the sick, clean the atmosphere and enrich the poor, for example. It plans to build floating islands to host aquaculture farms, floating healthcare, medical research islands, and sustainable energy powerhouses. The first city would be built on a network of 11 rectangular and five-sided platforms so the city could be rearranged according to its inhabitants’ needs like a floating jigsaw, Joe Quirk, spokesman for the project explained. A feasibility report by Dutch engineering firm Deltasync says the square and pentagon platforms would measure 164 ft (50metres) in length and they would have 164 ft-tall (50 metre) sides to protect buildings and residents. The platforms will be made from reinforced concrete and support three-storey buildings such as apartments, terraces, offices and hotels for up to 100 years, according to the plans. It’s envisaged that between 250 and 300 people will call the first floating city home, but there is no clue yet about where it could be located. The plan is that the city will float just off-shore of a host nation, but have a substantial degree of political independence. Advertisement