In the Middle East, and more precisely in the Gulf countries, the trend towards “optimistic futurism” continues, where the way out of the environmental and climate crisis is found through multi-billion dollar investments in projects in the spirit of science fiction, said Natalya Mastalerzh, head of the NOWADAYS office architectural bureau.
As an example, she cited the projects of the Trojena ski cluster in Saudi Arabia and the linear city of The Line with a length of 170 km. All this will be implemented as part of the megaproject of the city of the future NEOM on the Red Sea coast (Gulf of Aqaba).
“The Line project claims to use the new concept of “gravity-free urbanism,” which means a three-dimensional arrangement of city infrastructure facilities (such as parks, schools, shops, living and working spaces). The city will consist of three levels: the first two are underground for super-fast public transport and trucks, and the upper level is for pedestrians. All buildings in the city will be energy efficient, and their facades will be decorated with living plants. The Trojena project is a ski resort overlooking the desert. All the buildings and slopes there will have unusual futuristic shapes,” the architect explained.