With the threat of planetary extinction feeling more palpable by the day, alternative dwellings have experienced a rise in popularity. The latest? Digital design destination Eleven Magazine has announced the results of its Moontopia competition, an invitation for architects, designers, academics, and other visionaries to share their ideas, plans, and wildest fantasies about space architecture and self-sustained lunar living.
The winning design, Testlab, develops the notion of easily expandable living quarters to accommodate a growing moon population. The design’s amorphous pods, modeled after Russian nesting dolls, are meant to be easily 3-D printed as the colony expands. Runners-up include Momentum Virium, which focuses on preserving the natural state of the moon, and Modulpia, a series of dodecahedral structures that can be reproduced and reorganized over time. The designs do not focus solely on exteriors but also imagine the many ways in which the interiors could be arranged. Testlab, for example, uses different levels for different purposes, ranging from sleeping quarters to green spaces.
The challenge for the designers was to create a self-sufficient lunar colony intended for living, working, researching, and space tourism.
It’s important to note that the designs aren’t all doomsday scenarios. Many of the renderings include features to accommodate space tourism, which, based on current interest, might be a reality sooner than anticipated.
