in contrast to realized projects, architectural visualizations have the power to dream up the impossible, pushing the boundaries of our imagination and conceiving buildings that are truly revolutionary. thanks to our readers portal here at designboom, we get to catch a glimpse into the minds of architects, artists and designers from all over the world, and see thousands of concepts that are both captivating and thought-provoking. 

this year we have shared a huge variety of work, from mobile habitats that float and travel on sea, to dreamy renders of residences lodged deep into the rocky cliffs of canada. hoping to awaken your fantasy and creativity once more before we move into 2022, we highlight our TOP 10 reader submissions of 2021 – visualizations of the future. 

MINIMAL HOUSING SPACE FOR KITE-SURFERS IS EMBEDDED INTO THE WATER AND SAND IN BRAZIL

image courtesy of david cirocchi and plinio vanni

italian architects david cirocchi and plinio vanni designed a new structure rooted in the water as housing for kite surfers in the lençois maranhenses in brazil. the project appears to the visitor like an oasis within white sheets of sand and sinuous blue shapes.

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SONY DESIGNERS AND SCIENCE FICTION WRITERS ENVISION FLOATING HABITATS FOR TOKYO IN 2050

image courtesy of sony

with ‘2050,’ ‘tokyo,’ and ‘romance’ as keywords that define the overarching theme, sony designers and science fiction writers held workshops to explore life, habitats, senses, and well-being in 2050 — and their creative effort resulted in a series of design prototypes and short science fiction stories. each design prototype presents an idea for a service or product that is relevant to the messaging of each theme. and although many of the proposed ideas (which include an AI therapist, a floating house, a scent mask and a life simulator service) seem very realistic, on its official website, sony makes sure to mention that all information is fiction and has no connection to the brand’s current products and services.

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ANDERS BERENSSON ENVISIONS WORLD’S LARGEST TIMBER STRUCTURE + CO2 STORAGE FACILITY

image courtesy of anders berensson architects

in order to reduce the ‘green’ half of sweden’s carbon emissions—those that come from the country’s forest industries—anders berensson architects proposes the world’s largest timber structure: the bank of norrland. the purpose of this fictional bank is to store carbon dioxide; in the process, it will provide farmers with decent payment for their wood and ensuring continuity for the swedish building and manufacturing industries in a stormy and unpredictable world, and in times of reduced wood consumption.

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RAINY NORWEGIAN WEATHER INSPIRES KVANT-1’S NEW UNEARTHLY PHOTO SERIES

image courtesy of KVANT-1

KVANT-1 created a new photo series as an ode to water, ecosystems, and life, strongly inspired by the picturesque city of bergen where the series was produced. tucked amongst the majestic mountains and fjords of western norway, with an impressive proximity to nature, the city of bergen is known to be ‘the wettest city in europe’ where the rain is an unavoidable part of life for its inhabitants.

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SEVEN INVERTED PYRAMIDS FORM A CULTURAL NETWORK ABOVE THE BUSTLING CITY OF CAIRO

architect marchisciana saverio adriano envisions ‘the seven new pyramids for cairo’ as a cluster of seven scattered inverted pyramids standing among the bustling city in egypt. the structures resemble enormous steel spiders with very tall and slender legs that seem to besiege the metropolis. emerging as cultural and educational hubs, and serving also as observatories, the points form an autonomous urban system hovering above.

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THE INTERSECTION EXPLORES A POSSIBLE FUTURE WHERE MODERN TECH HITS BREAKING POINT

image courtesy of superflux

london-based studio superflux has teamed up with omidyar network for ‘the intersection’, a new short film that explores a daring and hopeful vision of the future. the film is set in a possible near future, where modern technology has taken over people’s lives, from pop-up ads on the street to fake news tailored to different audiences.

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RENDER OF THE DAY: A MINIMALIST POOL HOUSE SITTING ON TOP OF A DESERT ROCK

image courtesy of omar hakim

omar hakim unveils ‘oasis house’, a residential concept located in the wadi al disah(disah valley) tabuk of saudi arabia. the project takes shape as a two-volume structure, mainly constructed with glass so as to provide occupants with unobstructed views of the surrounding topology. the house is completed with a swimming pool which creates a contrasting effect with the deserted landscape while casting rippling visuals in the interior at the same time.

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‘VALLEY RESIDENTIAL BRIDGE’ FILLS THE GAP AMONG CLIFFS IN CANADA

image courtesy of amirhossein nourbakhsh

amirhossein nourbakhsh envisions ‘valley residential bridge’ filling the gap among the rocky cliffs in british columbia, canada. in an attempt to build with the least damage to the surrounding nature, the architects formed the main spaces under the bridge, taking advantage of the available area in between the rocks.

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WHAT IF YOU COULD TRAVEL INSIDE A PAINTING? ASKS INVASIONE CREATIVA

image by invasione creativa

what if you could travel inside a painting? and what if the vivid colors and brushstrokes of the greatest artists in history hid a real world waiting to be discovered? well, wonder no more thanks to the team at invasione creativa. using various 3D mapping techniques, the italian design studio has turned famous paintings into fully explorable landscapes.

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KANEDA’S BIKE FROM SCI-FI MOVIE AKIRA COMES TO LIFE WITH RYAN HONG’S CONTEMPORARY REDESIGN

image courtesy of ryan hong

when the famed sci-fi movie ‘akira’ was released in 1988, kaneda’s bike delivered an iconic image to the public. the scene of the bright red motorcycle, with its wide and low body and its in-wheel motors, speeding on the neo-tokyo highway was absolutely unforgettable. with the original story taking place just before the 2020 tokyo olympics, concept artist ryan hong has reinterpreted the emblematic motorcycle just in time. as a tribute to how accurately the olympic event in the movie matches up to the current day, this bike redesign aims to reinterpret the visuals and mechanics with a contemporary perspective.

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see designboom’s TOP 10 stories archive:

2020 —2019 — 2018 — 2017 — 2016 — 2015 — 2014 — 2013