Proposed by Clouds Architecture Office, Analemma Tower reimagines the very nature of architectural foundations, by removing them entirely. Suspended from orbit rather than anchored to the Earth, the concept is built around a space-based foundation known as the Universal Orbital Support System (UOSS). Using principles drawn from space elevator theory, the project proposes lowering a high-tensile cable from an asteroid repositioned into geosynchronous orbit, from which a supertall tower would hang, floating far above the planet’s surface.
Unlike traditional towers that are bound to one place, Analemma opens the possibility for global mobility. Its orbital path follows a figure-eight loop across the Western Hemisphere, with the slowest speeds occurring over New York City and a proposed construction site above Dubai, chosen for its established expertise in tall building construction at lower cost than comparable cities. Suspended construction allows the tower to be built elsewhere and relocated into orbit once complete.
The tower is divided into vertically stratified zones: workspaces near the base, residential areas further up, and spiritual or contemplative zones toward the upper reaches. Due to pressure and temperature differences across extreme altitudes, the design accounts for environmental variability through specialized window sizes and material treatments. At the highest elevations, daylight increases by 40 minutes compared to ground level due to Earth’s curvature, though extreme conditions, near-vacuum air and frigid temperatures, would require protective suits.
The tower’s orbital pattern keeps it in sync with Earth’s sidereal rotation, tracing the same path across the sky every 24 hours. Energy is supplied by solar panels situated above the atmosphere, while water is sourced through a semi-closed recycling system supplemented by cloud condensation and rainwater capture. Advancements in electromagnetic, cable-less elevators address the previous vertical transport limitations of traditional skyscrapers.
Analemma represents a speculative vision for what architecture could become when freed from the ground. More than a record-breaking skyscraper, it questions whether future habitats must remain tethered to Earth at all, and what living at altitude, in perpetual motion, might mean for human life.
Type: Speculative, Space Architecture, Space Elevator
Location: Western Hemisphere
Completion: November 2016
Updated: June 2018
Design Architect: Clouds Architecture Office
Project Team: Ostap Rudakevych, Masayuki Sono, Kevin Huang
