An office building in Shenzhen can feed up to 40,000 people a year

Skyscrapers covered in greenery have become quite common in recent years, especially in Asia, but what if, in addition to greening cities, they could be used for growing food?

That's the idea behind the Farmscraper building by Italian firm Carlo Ratti Associati (CRA). According to the company, the building would be able to feed up to 40,000 people a year. The farmscraper, whose official name is Jian Mu Tower, will rise 218m in Shenzhen, China.

Most of the 51-storey building will be devoted to offices, but there will also be a food court and a supermarket, and a rooftop terrace. Furthermore, a large part of the glass façade will be used for growing hydroponic plants.

Jian Mu Tower occupies the last vacant plot in Shenzhen's central business district, thereby completing the skyline of the district's main axis," the CRA explains. "The 218-meter-high tower has 10,000 square meters of cultivation area on its frontage. The vertical hydroponic farm will produce about 270,000 kilograms of food per year. This is enough to meet the needs of about 40,000 people."

In fact, Jian Mu Tower creates a self-contained food supply chain that includes growing, harvesting, selling and consuming crops - all in one building. Other notable features include a series of landscaped terraces, including water lilies, and gardens filled with greenery available for office workers to relax. In addition, all the greenery will help to shade the interior and reduce the need for air conditioning.

Jian Mu Tower was designed as part of an international architectural competition organised by Chinese supermarket company Wumart. Italian specialty agricultural firm Zero and engineering firm Arup are also involved in the project.

Source and illustration: carloratti