Meet Cloud Citizen: the architectural dream Shenzhen never knew it wanted until it won first prize in an international design contest.

Dreamed up by CR-Design and Chalmers University of Technology, Cloud Citizen would be ”one interconnected system of functions and public plazas in the sky” comprised 18.3 million square feet in floor space and featuring all kinds of buzzwords like living modules, rolling green space, and rainwater basins, reports Citylab. It would also be the second tallest building in the world.

The Shenzhen Center for Public Art said the “execution scheme for this project will need further consideration and shall be implemented after approval by the statutory procedures,” which may lead to the building of this behemoth, or not.

The designers of Cloud Citizen outlined their vision:

As an integral part of the urban ecosystem, the proposal also has the ability to harvest rainwater and produce power from the sun, wind, and algae. In addition, it stores carbon and filters particles from the air while housing sanctuaries for wild plants and food-production modules. By implementing these mechanisms, the architects were able to place shelters throughout the exterior terraces in order to place visitors, residents, and workers in close proximity to nature, leisure, and healthier lifestyles.

[h/t Shanghaiist]

Photos: Photolab