Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde, who admits that he's fascinated with pollution, has launched a Kickstarter to construct the world's largest air purifier in Rotterdam. While Kickstarter's record with urban design and infrastructure projects is mixed, Roosegaarde's Smog Free Tower is close to hitting its goal with nearly the entire fundraising period left, suggesting he'll have the funds to at least attempt to build his prototype. Inspired by a trip to Beijing, the tower uses the same air-cleaning technology as hospitals, but on a larger scale. Roosegaarde even offers cufflinks and jewelry containing encased pollutants as rewards for backers.
While it may be easy to scoff at the proposal, based in part on the designer's concept for a pollution-eating vacuum cleaner, Roosegaarde, an experiential designer, has already established a track record with large-scale public projects, having staged a light show in Amsterdam earlier this year that simulated the effects of rising sea levels (see, pollution and climate change obsession).
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