4 hours ago
Last Updated:May 17, 2025, 09:32 IST
Tethered by high-strength cables, Analemma tower would hover above various locations, offering its residents unparalleled and ever-shifting perspectives of Earth.
The unique orbital mechanics would allow the Analemma to traverse between the northern and southern hemispheres daily.
Clouds Architecture Office, an architectural firm based in New York, proposed a groundbreaking skyscraper concept dubbed the “Analemma Tower," which reimagines the very foundation of tall buildings. Instead of being anchored to the Earth, this design envisions a colossal structure suspended upside down from an asteroid strategically placed in geosynchronous orbit around the planet.
Tethered by high-strength cables to its celestial anchor, the tower would hover above various locations, offering its residents unparalleled and ever-shifting perspectives of Earth. According to the official website of Clouds Architecture Office, “Analemma Tower inverts the traditional diagram of an earth-based foundation, instead depending on a space-based supporting foundation from which the tower is suspended. This system is referred to as the Universal Orbital Support System (UOSS), which is based on the principles of a conventional space elevator."
The firm further elaborates on the construction and movement, stating, “By placing a large asteroid into orbit over Earth, a high-strength cable can be lowered towards the surface of Earth, from which a super tall tower can be suspended. Since this new tower typology is suspended in the air, it can be constructed anywhere in the world and transported to its final location. The proposal calls for Analemma to be constructed over Dubai, which has proven to be a specialist in tall building construction at one-fifth the cost of New York City construction."
The unique orbital mechanics would allow the Analemma to traverse between the northern and southern hemispheres daily in a figure-eight pattern, with its slowest speeds at the top and bottom of the loop, potentially allowing for surface interaction.
Power would be sourced from highly efficient space-based solar panels, and water would be managed through a sophisticated closed-loop system replenished by captured condensate and rainwater.
The feasibility of such a towering structure is further enhanced by advancements in cable-less electromagnetic elevators, effectively overcoming traditional height limitations.
Location :Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)
First Published:News world Suspended From An Orbiting Asteroid, This Skyscraper Is Literally Hanging From The Sky
