Architectural Futurism in 2050
Date originally created: September 23, 2004
The future… What do most people think of when they envision it? If we look at books, television and movies, we often see several different motif's take shape. One popular future environment is the sci-fi futuristic city environment, as seen in popular movies like Blade Runner, or Lawnmower Man 2. Another popular motif is that of inhabiting other planets. Here the people often live in condensed environments with odd architectural pathways and tunnels - as seen in the movie Total Recall or in the novel Dune. Finally there is also the theme of destruction or emptiness, one in which humanity has so badly destroyed itself that all that remains are remnants of our past civilization - such as in Planet of the Apes or the beginning of 1984's The Terminator. What's interesting about several of the examples that I've mentioned is that in their respective worlds, their definition of "the future" is not that far off from our own. Take for example Blade Runner. That movie, released in 1982, has several in-movie references to it being the year 2019. That's only 15 years from now! Another example is the beginning of The Terminator. The future war that is fought takes place in 2029. Again, that is only 25 years from now. Ignoring the theme of mutual self-destruction, it can be fun to think about how future societies will live, and the resulting architecture that will be developed to accommodate them. Let's pretend that we focus on the year 2050 for our architectural analysis.
Even though 2050 is about 45 years into the future, we can imagine the direction architecture will go based on current trends. For organizational purposes, I will structure my analysis by focusing on architecture in the following two places:
1. Cities
2. Living environments in the suburbs and rural areas
Cities have always been a hub of innovation and modernization, especially when it comes to design and architecture. If you're walking around New York City, you have probably seen a building that has made you stop in your tracks and proclaim "Wow, that's different looking!" Or maybe you pass by an interesting looking structure on your daily commute to work in Los Angeles. Believe it or not, futuristic architecture is nothing new, especially in major cities across America and around the world. In New York, for example, there is the Guggenheim art museum in midtown Manhattan adjacent to Central Park. Completed in 1959 by Frank Lloyd Wright, The Guggenheim provides a great example of how some architects like to do the unthinkable when it comes their designs, especially when it comes to buildings in highly trafficked areas. When walking or driving down Fifth Avenue, it is impossible to miss this building due to the difference in shape when compared to the surrounding buildings. You may be drawn to its completely off-white exterior or maybe the cylinder rotunda on the southern end of the building. Compared to the other structures surrounding it, it certainly does stand out and looks like it's from the future! Another stunning example of architecture that looks like it could be "from the future" is the Space Needle in Seattle, Washington. Built in 1961 by Edward E. Carlson and John Graham, Jr., this stunning example of architectural design looks more akin to something that might be seen on "The Jetsons" instead of real life. When viewing a photo of the Seattle skyline, the building's thin design and cylindrical top make it stand out against the square figures of the other buildings. Although both of these landmarks are from the middle of the 20th century, they exemplify how architects were thinking to the future even as long as 50 years ago. Obviously, this trend is still going on to this day as we enter the new Millennium. Though new building styles have evolved from the mid-century modern designs of the fifties and sixties, the core principles of architecture futurism are still prevalent in newly constructed buildings today. Take for example the newly completed Walt Disney Concert Hall in downtown Los Angeles. Initially drafted in 1987 and completed last year in 2003, this stunning contemporary structure by architect Frank Gehry is a fine example of the ever changing architecture styles in modern society. When contrasting it with the round curves of the Guggenheim and the Space Needle, the sharp points of the roof structure evoke a sense of boldness and power to the building. The stainless steel finish of the building brings it into the new Millennium and transforms it into a space that the LA Philharmonic Orchestra is proud to call their new home. Speaking of city life, we can't forget about the modern construction of luxury hotels! For this, I would like to direct your attention to the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai, U.A.E. Opening its doors in 1997, this stunning hotel, which is shaped like a sail, sits on the Persian Sea and contains almost 600 guest rooms and luxury suites. The glass facade fits in with the glimmering blue ocean directly in front of the building providing plenty of natural light and viewing room for guests to enjoy.
Now that we have examples of past and present architectural contemporary structures in a city environment, what lies ahead for the future? Only time will tell, but I expect that modern "minimalist yet contemporary" building design of stainless-steel and glass will continue into much of the 21st Century. Earlier, I brought up the dark and foreboding realities set in The Terminator or Blade Runner movies. While these are Hollywood exaggerations of what a dystopian future city life would look like, I anticipate our real future in cities being brighter than ever. Much like the shimmering glass facade of the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai, architecture styles will continue to evolve and shape human life in the new Millennium. I anticipate that architects will continue to innovate and improve on not just commercial space but residential space as well. Glass facades won't just be reserved for luxury hotels but for residents too. Condo and apartment buildings will be built to be stylish yet beautiful like the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, but on a smaller more local scale. There will be courtyards with recreational parks for residents to play in. Apartments will have floor to ceiling windows that residents can enjoy while sipping their morning coffee or getting work done. And, most importantly, people will return to the cities of the world not just to work, but to live in as well. With all of these stylish new condo and apartment buildings, people will be drawn to the active lifestyle of city life and the cities of the world will once again become the cultural hub of human existence. But… that's not to say that there won't be great strides in modern architecture happening in the suburbs too.
What does the future hold for the suburbs? I anticipate newer homes will have less boxy designs overall by 2050. Much like the buildings I mentioned above, people will want their homes to be more open and spacious. Instead of rooms being segmented off from each other, rooms will be "wall-less" in the sense that the living room and the kitchen will be in one massive room. Focusing on bedrooms specifically, they will have large open windows to let plenty of light in. As different technologies are invented, newer homes will be fitted with many wall outlets and integrate these newer technologies into them seamlessly. While I can't predict how exactly these new technologies will take shape, I imagine that wireless technologies such as Bluetooth will become more popular. Eventually, furniture will also incorporate these technologies as well. Imagine your desk or bedside table having Bluetooth or USB ports!
Walking outside the house, you would also notice various technological improvements as well. The windows will automatically have built in sun shading in them that the home owner can turn on and off as desired. The front door will also be upgraded with a doorbell that also functions as a small video camera. This camera would connect to the homes internal wireless network and be able to notify the home owner when someone visits or when mail is delivered. For outside gardening, it will be possible to set up automated irrigation systems that can be controlled by a computer inside the house. Imagine having perfectly grown and consistent fruits and vegetables! In terms of lawncare, one possibly cool technology that could come out is an automated lawnmower that would be able to ride around your lawn on its own using built in cameras and sensors and do all of your mowing for you. Finally, on the roof, the shingles will all be weatherproofed solar panels that provide ample energy to power the whole house and store excess energy in backup batteries that could then also power the house on cloudy days or nights. This would drastically cut down on energy expenses for the homeowner, saving them money.
Rural environments will also benefit from much of the same technological advancements that the suburbs would have - especially for the technological advancements inside the house and for yard work. While I don't anticipate existing rural structures drastically changing by 2050 (such as farm houses), I do envision them being retro-fitted with newer technologies as they become available. An example of this would be the furniture with built in USB ports or Bluetooth as stated above. For the land surrounding the structure, the automated irrigation systems would be a huge help for them. Also, in addition to the roof solar panels mentioned before, land owners would also be able to create full "solar panel farms" that would not only supply power to their house, but also feed power back into the power grid itself!
Overall, the future looks very bright and customized for 2050. With spacious and unique dwellings outfitted with various technological improvements, the buildings of 2050 will look unique to us - both inside and out.