In an effort to create an iconic, easily recognizable building amid what they call Shanghai's "boring" cityscape, the guys at the Rome- and Shanghai-based architecture firm 3GATTI have proposed possibly the least boring structure imaginable: The Bubble Building. The plan is to not so much renovate the current "common, old and unattractive building"—the designers here don't mince their words, clearly—but instead cover it up with an amorphous, marshmallow-shaped hat, of sorts. Using antibacterial outdoor nylon to obscure all the existing windows, the firm hopes to create not only a super-cool sculptural exterior, but also a greenhouse effect that will keep the office and commercial space inside nice and toasty.
According to the architects, the puffy exterior will "oscillate with the wind and will interact with its inhabitants, inflating and ventilating when the rooms are in use, and, uh, drooping, when empty. While there's no doubt here that this living, breathing building will accomplish its goal of standing out and garnering a wee bit of attention, certain burning questions remain. To name a big one, there's no word yet on whether inhabitants can actually see out of this bubbly building. Head to Arch Daily for more renderings of the bizarre—yes, even for China—proposal.
· Bubble Building / 3GATTI Architecture Studio [Arch Daily]
· All China coverage [Curbed National]
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