Nüwa will be the futuristic capital of the red planet and will host up to 250 thousand residents by the end of 2100. An architect unveils all the challenges.
Exploring the unknown, as scary as it may be, is one of the defining characteristics of the human nature. An engine for some of the most incredible discoveries in our history, and one that has driven us many times to wander among the stars. And if it is true that there are very few places on Earth still unknown – so much so that two people have even managed to descend into the deepest place on our planet -, you will understand then that the next, pioneering frontier can only be space. Starting from our Milky Way.
It should not be surprising that, while continuing reports on the possible presence of life in its red-hot lands, Mars is seen as the planet of choice for the evolution of our species, and as a potential “new home” to colonize. A project that will come to life thanks to the construction of Nüwa, the first city of the future that will rise on the fourth celestial body of the solar system. The metropolis will be completely sustainable thanks to the efforts of the experts of ABIBOO Studio and SONet, and aims to accommodate up to 250 thousand residents. The actual construction could begin as early as 2054 and welcome the first wave of settlers by 2100, for an unprecedented futuristic work. The same that tickled the curiosity of the editorial staff of Space.com, which decided to interview about the Martian city the internationally renowned architect Alfredo Munoz.
All the ambitions of Nüwa
Munoz focuses first of all on the name, which comes from Chinese culture. In Eastern mythology, Nüwa is in fact a deity who created the universe and protected humans from all kinds of catastrophes. Most of the team is from Europe and the United States, and the name was chosen as much as a good omen as to bring some of the Asian culture and background into the project.
The construction of the metropolis on Mars will certainly not lack challenges. The main one is certainly the lack of breathable air, but for the architect it will be necessary to take into account also the issue of “steel”, a source of carbon and easily obtainable from the combination of water and carbon dioxide. To make Nüwa habitable, then, it will be necessary to analyze the territory from a geological point of view, so that there are all the conditions suitable for settlement and life. Not only, we know that the cost of the work can be compared – with due proportions – to that faced in the past to build the Panama Canal. On the other hand, we are referring to a massive infrastructure that will require decades to be built and put into operation, but that could have an extraordinarily positive impact on trade and welfare more generally.
Of course, many years are still needed to be able to put on the plate a full analysis of the cost/benefit ratio, as well as we will have to wait a long time to see the opening of the construction sites, but commitment, technology and willpower are not lacking.
Andrea Guerriero