The winners of an international design competition which asked architects to imagine a self-sufficient lunar colony designed for living, working, researching and space tourism have been announced.
From a huge number of applicants worldwide, UK-based publication Eleven Magazine revealed nine schemes for their ‘Moontopia’ competition. These winners were selected by an expert jury including space-architects, academics and NASA designers.
WINNER
Test Lab by Monika Lipinska, Laura Nadine Olivier and Inci Lize Ogun
A medium-scale lunar colony, Test Lab envisions a base point in the frontline of space exploration and Lunar colonisation. The most important structure of the Test Lab is the outer membrane. Based on a simple origami pattern and made of programmed carbon fibre, it has the ability to shape itself once it senses pressure variation with the first solar wind.
RUNNER UP
Momentum Virum in L1 by Sergio Bianchi, Jonghak Kim, Simone Fracasso, Alejandro Jorge Velazco Ramirez
For the runner-up team, it was important that the Moon kept a significant meaning for human life on Earth. They decided to base their Moontopia in the lunar orbit rather than on the surface of the Moon itself.
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
Modulpia by by Alessandro Giorgi, Cai Feng, Siyuan PanEsteban Analuiza
Modular in nature, Modulpia could grow organically in time and employ bioregenerative strategies, allowing it to provide its own food, plants (for CO2 removal and oxygen production), and generate drinkable water from gray water.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS
- Platinum City by Sean Thomas Allen
- Upside Down by Ryan Tung Wai Yin, Ho Wing Tsit Teresina, Joshua Ho
- Womb by Prapatsorn Sukkaset, Saran Chamroonkul
- Looking Through the Moon by Yiling Chu, Yao Ding, Yan-Fei Jiang, Hui Tian
- Lunar Oasis by Edward Chew
- The Aerosphere by Stephanie Stiers
Images: Eleven Magazine
