In the past we featured the work of Kirsten Zirngibl who designed Kampala, 100 years in the Future. Today we feature her conceptual artwork that features Cape Town some time in the future.
“The city’s priority is sustainability, reflecting the nurturing aspects of nature in alignment with the conservationist values of its South African population. It also celebrates indigenous art, taking inspiration from mandalas, vibrant color, and fractal recursion. The coast has been reshaped in the spirit of the Dutch, in response to rising sea levels and more severe storms. Large artificial islands allow for common gathering places for culture and commerce, some permanently anchored and others transient. Solar energy is taken in part from large artificial trees above dense structures, which also function as docks for swarms of autonomous courier drones. Vertical farming and aquaponics are applied where possible, minimizing distance transportation and enabling local solidarity.”
I love geometric art, and saw this assignment as a good opportunity to look at and play with traditional African designs. Fractals lie deep in African indigenous design sense, and thought it would be cool to carry that quality into futuristic architecture!
I was inspired bythis Ba-Ila floor plan, and these Ethiopian coptic crosses. I also looked at Ukhamba baskets, and Mande mud architecture for elements in this.
The image features layered arcologies (the stripey forms in the background). Each stripe is a floor, as residents live near the edges for access to windows. Deeper within the arcologies are aquaponics and other life support/infrastructure systems. Fusion power is used extensively, so everything is fairly”
